I have written this blog to explain how much a ShowerPowerBooster can improve showers and tap flows. There are situations where you experience Wow and amazement because a SPB doubles the flow or better, other times the problem was never a pressure problem and there is only a limited impact.
What is a good shower?
A good shower is difficult thing to define as most peoples opinion will be influenced from their own experience. If you bought a 7.2 KW electric shower the best you will get is 3.5 litres a minute, whilst a 9.8 KW electric will give you 4.7 litres a minute. 6.0 litres a minute is a good shower by traditional UK standards provided there is enough pressure to create a good spray dispersal pattern and there is enough water to rapidly and efficiently wash suds out of long hair.
In the USA a shower should be limited to 9.5 litres a minute. A flow rate 12 litres a minute is often quoted by plumbers in connection with Power Showers.
A shower head is almost always the thing which limits the flow and unless you have a proper rain shower head you will not get much above 6.5 litres a minute. You will not get 9.5 litres a minute and you will not get 12 litres a minute from a traditional UK shower head. Some manufacturers quote high flow rates from a mixer with the shower head removed. Great if you want a shower with the shower head removed.
The flow details below give flow and pressure and are for a shower head with a fine spray. Please note that the flow increase dramatically flat lines after 1 bar of pressure. A huge amount of energy is wasted trying to get additional flow.
Pressure Flow Test
3 metres head is able to create a suitable spray and at 6 litres a minute enough water is present to wash long hair and remove suds. A typical gravity system mixing 2/3 hot and 1/3 cold water boosted before the mixer with a SP2B will achieve between 5.5 and 6.5 litres a minute thought a WrightChoice Shower Head.
https://www.showerheadhosesmixers.co.uk/
A SP2B will create the head you need.
Pump-Output
Boosting Unvented Systems and Combi Boiler Systems.
If you have poor mains pressure or you have poor pressure because the shower or tap is remote from the combi boiler or hot water cylinder, the SPB can help.
There is a rule of thumb which is that if you double the pressure you increase the flow by 50%. If you have 3 metres head by the time the water reaches the mixer then you have enough pressure for a good shower.
If you have a combi boiler or a unvented system you may already have a great pressure at the shower mixer or tap. With a gravity system we can be sure that the upstairs pressure at the shower head is 1 metre head so when a SPB adds 3 metres head you get x4 the pressure and you get x2 the flow. For unvented system you may already have good pressure and the only problem is the Shower Head or mixer.
We sell lots of SPBs to boost Combi Boiler and unvented system. If the pressure fluctuates when other taps are used you can protect the minimum .3 bar pressure before the tap or shower you want to protect. What you cannot do is make a shower better if pressure is not the issue or you already have a hot flow close to 6 litres a minute on the hot only. Measuring the flow from each tap and shower and describing what problem you are observing will help us specify which pump set you need. If you have a problem and I assume you have then SPB solves pressure problems.
