How Does an Electric Shower Work?

What is an Electric Shower?

An electric shower is often the go-to shower, for commercial workplaces where the boiler or the storage cylinder's hot water is in short supply. This is because electric showers have an internal heating element and can therefore take their water from the cold-water supply and warm it up as you shower.

Because the electric shower unit is separate from your usual hot water system, they can be used in any commercial workplace, regardless of the existing plumbing system. This also means that if you go electric at your workplace, you could still have a hot shower if the worst happens and the hot water supply runs out, or if the boiler breaks. An electric shower can also be installed relatively inexpensively; in areas of the workplace that are perhaps more awkward to reach with the existing plumbing system.

How does an Electric Shower Work?

An electric shower only uses a cold-water supply and simply heats the water as it is used; not dissimilar to how a kettle heats water. Electric showers work in much the same way as other electric appliances that get hot, including toasters and hair dryers.

They send an electric current through a piece of metal called a heating element. This has a moderate resistance, so it gets hot when electricity moves through it. Cold water flows past the element, picking up heat and heading out through the nozzle where you're standing. Electric showers are perfectly safe so long as they're properly fitted, because a heating element is a completely sealed unit, meaning that no electricity comes into contact with the water that touches you.

Plus, unlike other types of showers you could install, an electric shower will never run out of hot water, making it a more reliable option to have in your commercial washrooms. If you’re interested in electric showers for your commercial washroom, you can browse our range of electric showers here.