Fitted 3 of those in the last year or so - the 9.5kW ones from B&Q (around £90). Good flow, and built quality also impressive for the price.
Fitted one last year (8.5kW from B&Q, around £80 but was on sale for ~£50, which was the reason I bought it). Cheap and nasty plastic, flow disappointing, water could only be fed from one side which was a nightmare for me as it clashed with a brick in the wall behind.... Wouldn't touch it again even if it were half that price.
"Kalico" wrote | Given a choice of the following, please can you give me your thoughts/ | experiences of quality, reliability, cost etc? | I am thinking primarily for a 'standard' electric shower, say 9.5KW, | but your comments about their thermostatic and power offerings are | welcome. | 1. Mira | 2. Triton
Above fine IMHO
| 3. Gainsborough
The one I had was a pile of poo. They might have improved since.
| 4. Redring
Some people are quite caustic about Redring products.
| 5. Heatrae Sadia
Dunno.
| 6. Any others?
Are you sure you have no alternative to an instant electric shower? At 9kW their heating capacity is limited and the lowest of any heating system.
I had a Gainsborough power shower which gave nine years solid use before it finally packed in. I found out that they still made that model, albeit with a revised designation. This was great because it meant a straight swap without altering the fixings or plumbing.
We've had to have the repair man out twice with the new one (bearing seized and leak from flow regulator) but both done under warranty. Its been fine since.
Be aware that Heatrae Sadia and Gainsborough are the same firm. Heatrae are just round the corner from where I work in Norwich and it was them I was phoning for my Gainsborough warranty work.
We have an older Mira Advance 7.5kW, fed from the rising main. As with all lower-powered showers, it's a bit light on flow rate, but the temperature regulation is remarkable. While you're using the shower, anyone else in the house can do whatever they want with the cold water taps or flush the toilets, and there is no perceptible temperature change.
After the initial expense, and of course the electricity usage, cost of ownership has been low. Earlier this year, after 10+ years of use in an extremely hard water area, the turbine flow sensor clapped out (and the shower safely shut itself down). The sensor cost all of about £40 to replace, direct from Mira. The heater assembly was practically choked with scale; a replacement would have cost about £70 but it cleaned up just fine.
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