Any reason why an electric shower cannot be plumbed in by fitting a t piece in the mains feed to the cold water tank? Tank is above in the attic.

In the bathroom there is cold and hot feeds to the existing unit that i understand is a mixer so the feeds come from the tanks, electric shower need mains feed or a pump to up the pressure - correct?

Is there a problem with my suggestion such as starving the shower when the cold water tank is being filled?

It's only the same as if you don't have a header tank and someone turns a tap on in the house so can't see an issue. Electric showers monitor the flow rate anyway.

The only real issue will be the drop in pressure when someone turns a tap on, or when the ball valve opens in the header tank causing a slug of hotter water to disrupt the shower user. This is why an electric shower is often fed from the cold tank.

Be careful of the wiring as mordern high power showers can heat up older shower wiring including the switches. I swtiched to cooker gauge cable and a cooker switch for mine as that was what was happening before.

Generally speaking the header tank usually has a pretty good supply of water (IE doesnt go around the houses before it gets to the tank)

SO if you want mains pressure cold water, that would be a reasonable place to T off from...

Scope out the cold feed in though, if its not 22mm at the tank have a rummage around down the pipe and see if it is 22mm at and point... I'd preffer to take a T off a 22mm pipe as its less likeley to have issues when someone flushes the craper..


In reality my electric shower is a little uncomfortable if I flush the toilet whilst in the shower.... but now I just use the shower to hose away the mess and we are all good




You could put in a dedicated cold feed from the header tank for non mains pressure but you'd need a good enough head (or a pump).. to avoid any issues but honestly, a cold mains pressure feed will be ok.

[Edited on 22/10/14 by tegwin]

Works perfectly in my house.

Mains is a 15mm feed to header tank. T and shutoff before the tank to the shower.

Never had a problem turning on any of the taps or flushing the loo.

Kitchen tap is the only one on the mains. everything else is off the tank.

I do suppose it depends on the mains pressure in your house.

I think the shower specifies a minimum pressure.

HTH.