Backup Electric Shower

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fitzie79

Registered User
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I am building a house at the moment and we are putting in solar panels. The hot water from the solar panels will be used in the showers. We are going to have 2 showers installed, 1 in the en-suite and the 2nd in the main bathroom. Neither of these will be electric showers - instead they will be fed from a triple coil cylinder in the hot press. During the summer we should get enough hot water from the solar panels and in the winter the oil heating should heat up the water.

My concern is during days like today when there is no need for the heating to be on and there may not enough heat from the sun. I could change the shower in the bathroom to an electric one but I feel that I wouldn't fully benefit from the solar panels then. Alternatively I could use the immersion but is this wasteful heating up a big tank for a quick shower?

Is it worth installing a backup electric shower? The logical place for it would be in the main bathroom but would it be stupid having 2 showers inside in the cubicle?
 
If you decide not to, why not have the sparkie run the appropriate cable anyway, and leave it disconnected at the fusebox. that way if down the line you change your mind then there not much work needed.
I thought of this for my own house.

Also - I got my plumber to put automatic valves on the upstairs zone and downstairs zone, and by flicking 2 switches, only my hot water tank is heated when I turn on the oil.
Handy in the summer but with solar you may not need the above.
Talk to your plumber and see what he suggests.

Best of luck, do it right from the start.
 
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