Choosing between a thermostatic shower and an electric shower? They work in completely different ways, so the right one depends mostly on the hot water your home already has.
This covers the main differences between thermostatic and electric showers, plus the pros and cons of each, so you can work out which type of shower suits your home.
Key Takeaways
A thermostatic shower is not electric. It is a mixer shower that blends hot and cold supplies to hold a consistent temperature. An electric shower heats cold mains water with an internal heating element.
Thermostatic electric showers exist, but they still heat the water themselves, so they are electric showers with temperature control, not thermostatic mixer showers.
A thermostatic shower needs hot water from a boiler or hot water cylinder. An electric unit runs independently of your central heating.
Thermostatic Shower vs Electric Shower: Main Difference
The difference is where the hot water comes from. A thermostatic shower is fed hot and cold water, which the valve mixes to the temperature you set. An electric shower is fed cold water only and heats it using electricity as it flows through the unit.
Thermostatic Showers
A thermostatic valve blends hot and cold water before it reaches the shower head, holding your temperature steady even if the water pressure fluctuates. If someone runs a basin tap, the dishwasher or the washing machine, the valve adjusts the mix so the water stays as you set it.
That makes a thermostatic shower a good fit for family bathrooms, especially with young children or older relatives in the house, as the temperature will not swing while they shower.
Pros
Consistent temperature, even when water is used elsewhere or the pressure changes
Flow comes from your hot and cold supplies rather than a heater
Wide choice of valves, outlets and finishes
Cons
Needs a boiler or hot water cylinder
On a cylinder system, it runs cold once the stored hot water is used up
Electric Showers
An electric shower heats cold mains water over an internal heating element as it passes through, so there is no waiting for hot water to come through the pipes and it never draws on your boiler or cylinder.
Pros
Hot water on demand, with no waiting and no stored hot water needed
Keeps working if the boiler is off
Cons
Will not run in a power cut
Flow is limited by how fast the element can heat the water
Can run cooler in winter, when the incoming water is colder (see why an electric shower runs cold)
How to Choose a Thermostatic Mixer Shower Valve
The valve controls your temperature and flow, so it’s an important choice you’ll make. Most thermostatic valves come in one of three styles, and the right one depends on the look you want and how much work you are planning.
Bar valves are a popular choice for a straightforward fit. The valve is a slim horizontal bar fixed to the wall, with temperature on one side and flow on the other. Bar shower valves suit both modern and traditional bathrooms, and a two outlet model such as the Dune two outlet thermostatic bar shower valve lets you switch between a fixed head and a handset.
Exposed valves sit on the surface of the wall with the valve body on show, which makes them a feature in their own right and easier to reach if they ever need servicing. Browse exposed shower valves for traditional and contemporary designs.
Concealed valves are built into the wall so only the controls show, giving a cleaner, more minimal finish. They suit a full refit, when the wall is open anyway. See our concealed shower valves.
What Each Shower Type Needs to Run
A thermostatic mixer shower needs both hot and cold supplies, with the hot water coming from a boiler or hot water cylinder. If you have a cylinder, the size of it decides how long the hot water lasts, especially if several people shower one after another.
An electric shower needs only a cold mains feed and its own electrical supply, usually a dedicated circuit from the consumer unit. Because it heats its own water, it works the same whether or not you have stored hot water.
Thermostatic or Manual Showers: How Each Holds Temperature
Both thermostatic and manual showers are mixer showers, meaning they blend hot and cold supplies to the temperature you want. The difference is what happens when those supplies change.
A thermostatic valve senses the temperature of the mixed water and adjusts the balance automatically, so your shower stays where you set it even when someone runs a tap downstairs. A manual shower valve leaves that to you: if the balance shifts, you reach for the control. Manual valves are simpler, while thermostatic valves take the guesswork out of busy households.
Choose by Hot Water Source, Outlets and Finish
-
Hot water source. If you have a boiler or hot water cylinder, a thermostatic mixer shower makes the most of it. If you have no stored hot water, an electric shower heats its own.
-
Outlets. Decide how many things the shower needs to run. One outlet feeds a single head, two let you switch between a fixed head and a handset, and three add something like a bath spout or body jets. 2 outlet shower systems are a common choice for a fixed head and handset together.
-
Finish. Match your valve to the rest of your bathroom. The Dune valve comes in chrome, and other valves list their available finishes on each product page.
- Who uses it. In busy family bathrooms, a thermostatic valve keeps the temperature steady when someone else runs a tap or the washing machine.
Final Thoughts
If your home has a boiler or hot water cylinder, a thermostatic mixer shower gives you a steady temperature and the widest choice of valves, outlets and finishes. If it does not, an electric shower heats its own water and works independently of your heating. Still not sure which suits your bathroom? Contact us and we will help you choose.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a thermostatic shower?
A thermostatic shower is a mixer shower with a thermostatic valve. The valve senses the temperature of the mixed water and adjusts the hot and cold to hold your setting, which is how a thermostatic shower works without you touching the control.
Is a thermostatic shower an electric shower?
No. A thermostatic shower uses hot water from your boiler or hot water cylinder and mixes it with cold. An electric shower heats cold mains water itself.
What is a thermostatic shower valve?
It is the control that mixes hot and cold water and holds your chosen temperature. It comes in bar, exposed and concealed styles, each covered in the valve section above.
Does a thermostatic shower use electricity?
A standard thermostatic mixer valve is mechanical, so it needs no electricity to run. Digital showers and pumped showers are the exception, as both need a power supply.
What is the difference between an electric shower and a thermostatic electric shower?
Both heat cold mains water themselves. A thermostatic electric shower adjusts its heating to hold a steady temperature, while a standard electric shower lets the temperature move with the incoming supply.
What is the difference between a thermostatic shower and a regular shower?
A thermostatic shower holds your set temperature automatically when supplies change. A regular manual mixer shower blends hot and cold too, but leaves you to adjust it yourself.
