"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
. net...
Is there such as thing as an electric shower which can use a hot water
input
when it's available?

Well, you could run the outlet of a flush mounted thermostatic mixer
through
one, but why would you?

Electric showers are ugly and seriously constrain the water flow.

If you really need a backup, consider using an inline electric water
heater
on the hot feed to a standard thermostatic mixer shower setup. This way
you
get nice looks, good combi performance and can just switch on the electric
(and turn down the flow) when required. Careful choice of location should
enable all the taps in the bathroom to benefit. You could even drive the
kitchen off it, although I wouldn't advise it unless the bathroom and
kitchen are close together, or you'll be waiting an age for the water to
come through. Select a good thermostatic mixer that claims compatibility
with combis, as these should be able to cope with the effect of varying
temperature on the hot side.

http://www.hygienesuppliesdirect.com...d=46&storeid=0

You could probably get away with the cheaper 7kW, as it is only an
emergency
backup. You won't mind the slighter drizzle if it is saving you from
having
to use the showers down the local swimming pool! On the other hand, if
you're running new cable and 30 quid means nothing to you, go for the full
9.5kW.

Have an electric shower head available. These will work better on the low
flow electric situation than a standard power shower head that you should
use when on combi power.

Now that's interesting! So this can be used to provide hot water to any
destination when the boiler is not functioning?
Presumably such an arrangement can be used to fill a bath should the boiler
fail?

In that case I might look at something like this, at present we only have a
bath and installing a shower is going to take several hundred pounds worth
of plastering and tiling work to get it fitted. If we can do without that,
all the better. Even if it's going to take half an hour to fill the bath
that's better than having no hot water at all.

The 9.5kW is just over £100, which is much less than we were looking at for
a shower installation. I take it my central heating installer should be able
to source and fit one of these units?