Electric Shower or Mixer Shower
An electric shower heats cold mains water instantly using its own element; a mixer shower blends hot and cold from your existing hot water system.
An electric shower heats cold mains water instantly using its own element; a mixer shower blends hot and cold from your existing hot water system. Which suits a bathroom depends on what's feeding it and how it's used.
The case for an electric shower
Homes with weak or unreliable hot water supply, or where hot water capacity is already stretched by other outlets, benefit from a shower that makes its own heat independently.
The case for a mixer shower
A good hot water supply — from a combi with decent flow or a cylinder system — gives a mixer shower better temperature stability and typically stronger flow.
Which wins when
If your hot water system already struggles at peak times, an electric shower sidesteps that entirely. If hot water supply is solid, a mixer shower generally gives a better daily experience.
Work out which shower suits your supply
Tell us what feeds your bathroom currently and we'll say which shower type will actually perform well there.
Questions we get asked
Are electric showers weaker than mixer showers?
Often yes in flow rate, because output is limited by how fast the element can heat mains water passing through, though higher-kW models narrow that gap.
Can a mixer shower be pumped for more pressure?
Yes, where the hot water source allows a pump to be fitted, which is common on vented cylinder systems.
Does an electric shower affect the boiler at all?
No, it runs independently from cold mains and its own electrical supply, which is exactly why it stays useful when the boiler is under load elsewhere.