By Kerry Hale

Choosing The Best Water Pump For Your Shower

  • Wednesday 11 August 2021
  • 5 minute read

It might not be as exciting as choosing your bathroom suite, your shower or your tiles, but thinking about your water pressure is an equally important part of planning your bathroom. Without good water pressure, your showering experience will be far from invigorating, and if you’re currently experiencing a slow trickle instead of an energising torrent then a shower pump could be just what you need. A shower pump will boost your flow rate, giving you better water pressure and a much more satisfying showering experience. So how do you choose the best shower pump? There are several options available, and it’s important to choose the right one for your home. Read on for tips to help you identify whether you need a water pump for your shower, and if so, how to choose the right one.

Do you need a shower pump?

First things first, you need to work out whether you actually need a pressure pump for your shower. Here’s how:

  • Check your water pressure

If you have an existing shower, you’ll have noticed if the water pressure is weak. If you don’t, you can check the flow rate of other water outlets in your home, such as your taps or your toilet. If the pressure is poor, you’ll likely benefit from a shower pump.

  • Identify your water system

If you have a combi boiler or an unvented boiler system, you shouldn’t need a pump, as these boilers provide a high-pressure water supply with a generous flow. If you’re experiencing low water pressure with one of these, then find out how you can increase the pressure in your shower.

Gravity-fed systems are the most likely water systems to experience low water pressure, which can be resolved using a shower pump.

Choosing the right water pump for your shower

There are several factors to consider when choosing the best shower pump for your home:

  • Positive or negative head system?

 

You have a positive head system if your showerhead is below your cold water storage tank. This is often the case if your water tank is in the attic. To boost your water pressure, you’ll need a positive head shower pump.

You have a negative head system if your showerhead is level to or above your cold water storage tank. If you have this system, you’ll need a negative head shower pump.

 

This can also be used if you have a positive head installation, so if you have one positive and one negative, a negative head shower pump is a good choice.

 

  • Twin or single shower pump?

 

A twin shower pump is designed to be installed on both your hot and cold water supplies. This ensures that both supplies are boosted at the same level, which is particularly effective for mixer showers.

A single shower pump can only be installed on a single water supply – hot or cold. They are usually used to boost hot water, when the cold water is mains fed and the hot water needs to be boosted to match this pressure.

 

  • Bar rating

 

Shower pumps are rated in ‘bar’. The higher the bar rating the higher the pressure. As a general guide:

 

  • 1.0 bar – ideal for smaller shower heads
  • 1.5 bar – ideal for normal showers
  • 2.0 bar – ideal for two or three showers, taps or appliances
  • 2.5 bar – ideal for power showers and larger shower heads
  • 3.0 bar – ideal for power showers, larger shower heads and body jets

Mira shower pumps

Our Mira shower pumps are designed to boost the flow of water in your mixer shower.

Our 1.5 bar and 2.0 bar pumps generate flow rates of up to 32 litres per minute – choose the 1.5 bar pump if you have just one shower that needs a boost, or choose the 2.0 bar pump if you have two or three showers, taps or appliances that need boosting.

If your shower could do with an upgrade, then consider one of our mixer showers. They come with our revolutionary Mira Magni-flo™ technology included as standard, delivering up to 3x more water flow even at low pressure. Use it as it comes, or add a Mira shower pump to really boost your flow.

We also have the Mira Elite SE electric shower range, designed specifically for gravity-fed water supplies. It has an integrated pump for a strong and consistent performance, and a brushless motor for a silent and relaxing showering experience.

Explore our full range of shower pumps and invigorate your showering experience.

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