Thermostatic shower mixers range in price from £15 (Lidl special) to £400 (Aqualisa Quartz). Obviously this price difference isn't down to just quality of materials and workmanship. I assume that the more expensive ones operate on a different basis than the cheap ones.
I would like to think that the more expensive ones would be able to cope better with other family members flushing the loo and turning on taps while someone is using the shower. Is this a fair assumption?
Nope. I fitted the low deal Lidl mixers last week. Well made and well worth it. External standard 150mm centres, so any other make can just screw in if problems. The shower mixer was £15, thermostatic and works well. No balancer valve, so I await feedback from the user to if a balancer valve needs to be fitted. The pipework is well set out with a dedicated supply from the stopcock to the cylinder converted to heat bank by me, The hot shower supply come right after the plate heat exchanger and cold right before it.
Aqualiser are good, but like BMWs over priced and living on past glories while others around produce equal if not better quality and far less money.
I bought two mixers at £15 each (worth about 90 to 100 elsewhere) so if one drops out, it is a 10 minute job to replace. Parts are available anyway.
It s always worth spending what you can afford, but they won't cope any better with other water sources in the house being used. the pipe work layout has more bearing on this.
I would look in a specialist plumbing supplier catalogue (am I allowed to recommend BES?) for their contract/schools/hospitals grade which are unfancy but built to sensible spec/price
In message , Doctor Drivel writes
I was working on the day the Lidl units came out and I understand that they sold out within two hours, so I wasn't really in a position to pick one up. I've heard elsewhere that they are similar quality to the £90/£100 Screwfix ones so it would certainly have been worth a punt at £15.
You say that the Aqualisa stuff is overpriced. Which manufacturers are making similar quality units for less money?
In message , snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com writes
Thanks, I'm looking at their site now.
It is a case of looking: Grohe, Triton, Mira, Aquiliser. They are all good, yet prices can vary quite a lot between them. Pick your model and get the equiv and price up.
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