Reasonable peformance, excellent price! (Triton Showers)

Name: walmslei

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Product:	Triton Showers
Date:	21/04/04 (8527 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Low priced, Excellent Performance, Never run out of water!

Disadvantages: Installation may require assistance, May be prone to limescale issues, Costly to run

I decided to replace our en-suite bathroom, since the person who constructed it obviously had done a bit of a 'rush' job, and whilst usable, it was never a place you felt entirely comfortable with (besides, it was all in pink!).

The replacement shower was a Triton Ivory II shower, which came from Argos (I bought it on sale for £59.99, but price is now £74.99). I coupled it up with an Argos shower cubicle and tray, which gave me the entire package for around £200, and I must say I am incredibly happy with it all.

Replacing an electric shower is something that any competent DIY'er should be able to do, since all that is really involved is isolating the water and the power, and reconnecting these to the new shower unit. Water usually connects to the shower via a compression elbow and the reconnecting the electric is not much more complicated than wiring a plug. My own preference was to mount the unit on the wall, and connect the water, whilst leaving the electricity isolated. I then turned the water on, thereby ensuring there was no leaks, before procedding to wire up the electric. Once this was completed, the shower cover was replaced, and the the electricity turned back on.

Be aware of the obvious pitfalls though, which include tiles (these may come off or break when removing your old shower), AND read your instructions carefully (Since Triton include a pressure relief valve with their showers, and if you do not comission it properly, it is more than possible to break the shower when first turning it on!).

Be advised though if you have never took on this kind of thing that installing an electric shower is not a five minute job, and there are various rules and regulations to conform to. If in doubt seek a plumber, because honestly, it is not worth the risk if anything goes wrong!

The shower itself, the IVORY II model, works well and produces a fairly constant hot water flow, at a rate which is mor
e than ample for a good shower. The previous model, a gainsborough, was a 8.5kw model the same as this, and it didn't have anywhere near the throughput that this does. Whilst the shower is not thermostatic, it must encompass some sort of temperature control since we have a combination boiler, a dishwasher and a washing machine, which all used to effect the old shower. Whilst some change is noticeable, the water never goes from the desired temperature to 'extreme' hot or cold, as the old model did.

The only comment I would make is that it is a larger unit than my old shower, and slightly bulkier, however, this does have some benefits in terms of installation (much easier to work with inside), and it still looks pretty tidy mounted on the wall.

Whilst some people report problems with electric showers, I would like to add that in many cases these appear to be the result of hard water (not all, but some). Electric showers are like kettles really - heating water on demand, and as such suffer from the same problems (if you shower head scales up then so is the element inside). Whilst shower elements are not serviceable, if this particular type of problem persists, it may be worth looking at some sort of water conditioner. We have a softener installed and have had no problems, but it has only been in two months, so I'll drop in a review further down the line. Note that electric showers due to the way they work consume a lot of electric, so expect the bills to increase a little (not massively, but a little).

In general very impressed with this model for the money. Whilst the price I got was excellent I believe at £74.99 it still offers excellent value for money, and would recommend this to anyone looking for a replacement electric shower, at the budget end of the range.

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