The Ultimate Power Shower Guide
Prices Updated For 2021
Low Water Pressure Options
Impartial Advice
Part of Our Plumbing Series
Power Shower Costs & Low Water Pressure Solutions
Are you looking for a price to install a power shower?
Perhaps you want to install a brand new shower? Or upgrade your existing one? Maybe you’re experiencing low water pressure problems and just want a better experience in the shower?
Let us help you with our guide to power shower prices and solving low water pressure problems.
What Boiler Do You Have?
The name “power shower” has become synonymous with any type of shower that produces a powerful jet of water. Technically however, a power shower is any shower with a built-in pump that boosts the water pressure.
Unfortunately, these pumps can’t be used with certain types of boiler.
So, what boiler do you have?
I Have a Conventional Boiler
If you have a conventional boiler or any boiler with a hot water cylinder (often found in an airing cupboard) and a cold water tank (often in the loft) then good news – you can install a power shower and you have several options if you’re experiencing low water pressure.
Power showers have a built-in pump that pulls water from the cylinder/tank, boosts the pressure and delivers that “power shower” experience.
They can only be fitted to homes with water tanks, hence why we asked which type of boiler you have.
If you have a hot water cylinder and a cold water tank in your property, here are your options:
- Install a booster pump to an existing (or new) standard shower.
- Install a power shower.
You wouldn’t normally fit a booster pump to a power shower as the power shower already has an internal pump.
Cost to Swap a Power Shower on a Like-For-Like
If your existing power shower is faulty or just old and you want to replace it like-for-like and assuming you don’t need to upgrade the power cable, this is how much we think it will cost you.
This is a fairly straight forward project provided no new cable is required and the new unit is no more powerful than the old one. With the pipework already in place, labour prices are fairly low and the project can be completed in an hour or two.
Here we assume the unit costs around £250. The prices include labour, power shower unit, parts and VAT if applicable.
| Location: | From: | To: |
|---|---|---|
| London Area | £400 | £450 |
| South, SW and Midlands | £350 | £400 |
| Outer Region and North | £325 | £375 |
| Need a Custom Price? > | Get a Quote Here |
Cost to Install a New Power Shower
Here’s how much our 38 plumbers told us it would cost to install a typical power shower to a property with a hot water cylinder and a header (cold water) tank.
Don’t forget; the power shower has an internal pump, so no external booster pump is needed.
The work involves piping from the hot and cold water tanks and a power cable; this means the work will need to be signed off by a competent and qualified electrician.
If you already have the piping and power cable in place then the work will cost less than this, see our “like for like” replacement prices above instead.
| Location: | From: | To: |
|---|---|---|
| London Area | £700 | £800 |
| South, SW and Midlands | £675 | £750 |
| Outer Region and North | £575 | £650 |
| Need a Custom Price? > | Get a Quote |
Cost to Install a Shower Booster Pump
Want to keep your existing shower but want more water pressure/flow?
Or perhaps you want to install a regular mixer shower but need better water pressure/flow?
Assuming you have a hot water cylinder and a cold water header tank, try a booster pump.
A typical high-pressure shower booster pump, they’re often found next to a hot water cylinder in an airing cupboard.
There are several different options available, the best shower booster for you will depend on how much water pressure you have from your header tank. A competent plumber can choose the most suitable pump for you; it will be either a negative, positive or universal booster pump.
Pumps can boost either hot water, cold water or both.
This is how much we were told it would cost to install a typical booster pump; the figures include the cost of a typical pump, materials, labour VAT etc. Add extra if a power cable is needed (some airing cupboards have a power source nearby, some don’t).
| Location: | From: | To: |
|---|---|---|
| London Area | £550 | £600 |
| South, SW and Midlands | £500 | £550 |
| Outer Region and North | £425 | £450 |
| Need a Custom Price? > | Get a Quote Here |
Watch This Shower Booster Pump Installation Video
The video below is from Plumber Parts and shows exactly how a booster pump is installed.
It also explains the different types of pumps available and at the end of the video you can see how it performs compared to a shower without a booster pump.
I Have a Combi Boiler
This is where things get a little complicated.
You can’t install a power shower to a property that has a combi boiler.
Why not?
Because the pump inside the power shower only works if you have a hot water cylinder and combi boilers don’t use them. Instead, water from the mains is heated in the combi “on demand” and then sent to the taps and shower.
With a combi boiler, you are reliant on the mains water pressure being sufficient and once the hot water has left the boiler, you can’t increase the pressure or flow rate.
If you have good water pressure from your combi then you should able to achieve a satisfactory shower from a regular mixer shower whether that be manual, electric or digital.
If you have low water pressure from your combi boiler, there are a few options:
Option 1 – A Mains Pressure Booster
This device shouldn’t be confused with a shower booster pump; a mains booster is connected the mains water at the point it enters the property – usually just after the stopcock and under the kitchen sink.
A mains booster will increase the water pressure to all the cold taps, the hot taps, the toilet, the shower and the combi boiler. This means you get improved pressure of both hot and cold water throughout the home.
This booster is a great option if you have a combi boiler and low water pressure. They’re also easy to install, often taking less than an hour.
The downside?
There are a few points to consider:
- They’re noisy and most negative reviews on Amazon are due to the noise.
- The noisy pump activates every time you use water in the home; whether that’s turning on a hot or cold tap, a shower or flushing the toilet etc., you may find this frustrating and disruptive.
- Longevity issues – some consumers have reported that the product gets noisier with time and fails after a year or so.
A mains booster pump for sale on Amazon
Try This Video Showing a Mains Booster Installation
This video, again from Plumber Parts, shows how this device is installed.
You can also see how much of an improvement it made to the water pressure and flow rate.
Cost to Install a Mains Pressure Booster Pump
This booster costs around £300 and you can expect a straight-forward installation to take no more than an hour. Of course with plumbing, projects are rarely straight-forward and some extra work such as adjustments, piping and connectors might be required.
This product should still be affordable to most consumers regardless of the setup in your property.
| Location: | From: | To: |
|---|---|---|
| London Area | £500 | £550 |
| South, SW and Midlands | £475 | £525 |
| Outer Region and North | £425 | £475 |
| Need a Custom Price? > | Get a Quote Here |
Option 2 – Try an Electric Shower
Electric showers don’t use hot water from a boiler or cylinder; instead, they use cold water directly from the mains. A heating element heats the cold water inside the unit before sending it to the shower head.
The downside of electric showers is that they don’t contain a pump, so they rely on the cold water pressure from your mains being sufficient.
If you have good cold water pressure at the mains, but your hot water pressure is weak, perhaps because your combi boiler is underpowered, consider an electric shower.
We suggest asking a plumber to check your mains water pressure before installing an electric shower.
A typical electric shower supplied with cold water from the mains. See prices here.
Cost to Install an Electric Shower
Below you’ll find the average cost to install an electric shower.
The figures include the cost of a mid-priced electric shower at £250, all the parts needed, labour and VAT.
As electric showers require a power cable and connection to the mains water pipe, how much the project will cost you depends on what cables and pipework are already in place.
| Location: | From: | To: |
|---|---|---|
| London Area | £575 | £625 |
| South, SW and Midlands | £575 | £625 |
| Outer Region and North | £450 | £500 |
| Need a Custom Price? > | Get a Quote Here |
Option 3 – Consider Installing a Booster Tank (aka an Expansion or Accumulator Tank)
Imagine taking water from your low-pressure mains and storing it in a pressurized tank that produces water at a very high flow rate when required.
That’s exactly what you can achieve with expansion and accumulator tanks.
They aren’t cheap and take up space but are a great option for homes with water pressure and flow rate issues.
Consider these tanks if you have a combi boiler or unvented hot water system.
Option 4 – Replace The Combi Boiler With a Conventional Boiler
If you can’t get sufficient water pressure from your combi boiler and assuming it’s not due to a fault, you could consider replacing it with a conventional boiler and water tanks. You’ll need to make sure you have enough space in the home for the tanks and be warned; this option won’t be cheap.
Combi boilers offer many benefits:
- Hot water on demand.
- No need to preheat the water.
- No water tanks so they save space in the home.
- Efficiency as these boilers don’t use hot water cylinders there’s no wasted hot water.
Unfortunately, combi boilers should not be installed in homes with low water pressure, but many are.
Each year thousands of people complain about low water pressure problems from combi boilers, and they are notorious for causing problems at the shower.
Replacing a combi boiler with a conventional boiler might seem like a nuclear option, but if your boiler is at the end of its life and you have been suffering from low mains pressure, do consider all of your options.
Get a Price to Install a Power Shower Today
We hope you found our guide to power showers and prices insightful.
Choosing the right shower for your home can be complicated, especially if you have low water pressure issues.
Tap the button below and fill out the contact form to get a power shower price from a vetted tradesperson:
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Power Shower FAQs
Below you’ll find answers to common power shower questions:
When Were These Price Published?
We sourced prices for power showers and pumps in late December 2020 and early January 2021.
I Think Your Prices Are Too High/Low, Where Did You Get These Prices From?
We are often asked this question.
Please bear in mind that our pump and power shower prices are based on quotes from a sample of installers from various UK locations.
Prices fluctuate all the time, and when you get quotes for your project, you may find them different from the prices we have published.
Our prices are a snapshot of what a select number of firms are charging at publication time.
Are Shower Pumps Noisy and How Can I Reduce the Noise From a Pump?
All shower pumps are noisy but mains booster pumps are the worst as they activate whenever a tap, toilet, bath or shower uses water, this can be very frustrating for the home occupier.
You can reduce the noise from mains booster pumps under the kitchen sink by lining the inside the cupboard space with soundproof materials.
Shower pumps should be secured to an anti-vibration rubber mat (try this product) to reduce the noise from vibrations. If these pumps are secured to the floor (perhaps under the bath) or onto a timber shelf (perhaps in an airing cupboard) they can be very noisy. The thicker the rubber mat, the less noise you’ll hear.
If Combi Boilers are So Bad, Why Are They Being Installed in the First Place?
Most combi boilers produce sufficient water pressure; in fact, the system is often called a “high pressure” system. Unfortunately, many of these boilers have been incorrectly installed to homes with low mains pressure.
For bathing and washing, this lower pressure isn’t usually an issue, but those wanting a “power shower” experience, it can be a problem.
The real issue is how difficult it is to boost the water’s pressure from a combi boiler. Without any water tanks or cylinders, it’s far more difficult than a traditional boiler that has water tanks/cylinders.
I'm Still Not Sure Which Type of Shower is Best For Me - Are There Any Help Guides I Can Read?
Yes, try these:
What are the different types of showers?
The best showers for homes with combi boilers (this guide assumes that you have good water pressure from your combi boiler)
Viessmann guide to increasing water pressure from a combi boiler to a shower.
Are There Other Reasons Why My Shower Has Low Water Pressure?
If you have a combi boiler, check the pressure gauge to see if it has dropped, this might indicate a leak in the system that will need to be investigated.
Read: How to repressurise a combi boiler.
If you have a conventional boiler with a water tank in the loft and a cylinder somewhere, check that any booster pumps are working correctly and are compatible with your system.
If you have limited vertical space between the water tank in the loft and the shower, you may experience low pressure problems, a negative shower booster can help.
What Causes Low Water Pressure in the Mains?
The amount of pressure in your home’s water supply depends on how high the water tower or reservoir that supplies you is above your property, how close you live to your water supplier’s pumps and on how much water is being used by your neighbours and others in your area.
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