Electric showers.. are they all crap or do some of them actually work properly?

[SS1]

I'm currently looking for a condo and one of my criteria was that I would prefer not to have an electric shower, as I've had very bad experiences with these. I have had one of these in a rental room in the UK before and a few in Thailand, including a brand new one in a newly refurbished condo.

There seems to be always some problems with these showers. Either the water is coming out at an incredibly low pressure or it's cold unless you reduce the pressure to very low. So far, I've never seen an electric shower that would function as well as one where the water comes through the pipes from a central boiler.

However, I find that condo's in Bangkok rarely have anything else than these electric ones... so my question is, that are they all as bad or have I just been unlucky with my +10 experiences? In the cases where the water goes cold when pressure is put higher, while the temperature is set to the max - does it simply mean that it's a too low power unit for the purpose?

Edited June 20, 2015 by SS1

[saakura]

Yes, you have been unlucky in all your 10+ experiences. Have used dozens of them all over thailand and they worked just fine for me.

[Crossy]

An awful lot of these units are a measly 3.5kW, very common as one can be used on a 5/15 meter.

We have 7.5kW units which will take your skin off on full power

If you install a bigger unit please ensure the wiring is up to it.

[trogers]

I install instantaneous water heaters that have 3 temperature settings of low (3.8kW), medium (4.5kW) and high (6kW) in all my condos.

These settings would be suitable for taking a shower in the hot summer or filling the tub in winter.

[SS1]

Thanks for the replies guys, seems that I've just had back luck before then. Probably too weak units unable to heat the amount of water coming through at max. pressure.

[DogNo1]

Grande Centre Point, where I stay, has an electric water heater in the cabinet under the sink. It works OK but I have to wait about two minutes for hot water to come out of the shower.

[StealthEnergiser]

I was looking at electrolux water heaters at Central the other day quite a few different varietys not sure what they are like but look and read up ok.

[stoneyboy]

I was looking at electrolux water heaters at Central the other day quite a few different varietys not sure what they are like but look and read up ok.

I have Electrolux showers in my bathrooms 6kw all great made in Malaysia.

[KittenKong]

I have a basic Sharp 3.5kw electric heater that works fine on about the 3/4 setting. It must be 12 years old.

I found that occasional low water pressure was due to the shower head getting clogged with scale, and an investment of 150B in a shower head with rubberised jets solved that problem. The scale does not attach itself to the rubber, or if it does it is easily removed by rubbing a hand over the head.

[ChrisY1]

I have a 4.5kw--7.5kw variable and it's perfect.....they should be legal in all countries....!

[little mary sunshine]

6 Years, never a problem. All the hot water I ever need.

[fred Kubasa]

I had an electric in the US for 10 years and it worked very well but here the Thai ones all seem to require constant temp. and pressure adjustment. Also their performance is often tied to unit water pressure. Presently if someone flushes a toilet, I have 2, the pressure in the shower reduced to almost zero. Buy a condo with sufficient room to install your own tank -- still the best if not the most energy efficient !

[pest]

I have 2 Panasonic both great on local water main pressure Clean the inline filter once a year never cleaned the head no idea on KW

[NoshowJones]

Yes, you have been unlucky in all your 10+ experiences. Have used dozens of them all over thailand and they worked just fine for me.

I have had the same one for nearly ten years, and it still works well.

[Guest]

Love Electric Heaters .... Fast, efficient, effective ... and really environmentally friendly.

Sometimes I wonder how much more energy countries like thew USA would have, if they didn't keep a billion gallons of water hot 24/7

Just get a good unit as others with more expertise have suggested.

[ICECOOL]

When I first come to Thailand I was skeptical of these and have read of some dangerous and deadly experiences. However a lot now have safety cut-offs built in and having used these for a number of years now think they are a better alternative than trusting extra hot water plumbing throughout the house. Cheap and easy to install and as I rarely have a warm shower I am not heating water for nothing.

[Barin]

An awful lot of these units are a measly 3.5kW, very common as one can be used on a 5/15 meter.

We have 7.5kW units which will take your skin off on full power

If you install a bigger unit please ensure the wiring is up to it.

I recommend Hitachi 6 kW shower heater.

This is the best one you can buy in Thailand.

I have never seen more than 6 kW in Thailand.

[sometimewoodworker]

I had an electric in the US for 10 years and it worked very well but here the Thai ones all seem to require constant temp. and pressure adjustment. Also their performance is often tied to unit water pressure. Presently if someone flushes a toilet, I have 2, the pressure in the shower reduced to almost zero. Buy a condo with sufficient room to install your own tank -- still the best if not the most energy efficient !

The 2 problems are easy to cure. The first adjustment one is because you got a cheep unit, better ones don't need adjustment (mine has a digital temptature setting that it stays at) the pressure problem means you need to upgrade your water supply system and make sure the pump is up to the job. If you have run all the house in ½" then that is a part of the problem.

[billrose]

Shower units in Thailand are different to most of the ones available in UK.

Most UK showers control the temperature by adjusting the water flow. To increase the water temperature they reduce the water flow.

Shower units in Thailand are usually electronically controlled so the water flow is determined by the incoming pressure, and will be fairly constant irrespective of the temperature setting. The pressure can vary depending on other users connected to the same supply. The drawback to this is that the incoming water temperature can vary depending on the outside temperature, as the water is usually direct from an underground pipe or from an outside storage tank.

I have one Steibel Eltron 4.5 KW unit, plus one Steibel Eltron 3.5 KW unit, both 9 years old and still perfectly OK. I've never needed to set either of them on the highest setting, even in the middle of winter, and at this time of year I turn the temperature setting to "OFF"!

Water temperature from any shower will always vary with water pressure. Water pressure in a condo should be fairly constant, but may not be in an older condo.

Edited June 21, 2015 by billrose

[stephenterry]

Two separate issues. If water pressure is low, then you are unlikely to get satisfactory results. Remedy (if feasible) varies from location to location. If pressure is reasonable to high, aim for the 6KW heaters (I use Electrolux) , as 4.5kw won't heat the water over the luke-wam temperature in 'cold' weather. I'm sure I've seen higher KW in Home-Pro, but Thai electrical wiring (even on new buildings) don't seem able to cope with the power. BTW it's essential to install an Elec safety cut-out that has RCBO because Thai electrical standards are piss poor, even when your heater has its own earth. The normal non-RCBO cut-outs do NOT offer total protection, if at all.

[etsllc]

Yes they do work, but most of the time they are not strong enough. You need to have a 6,000 or 8,000 BTU heater, most are only 3,000 - 3,500 because they are not expensive and don't need a lot of current. Either a 6K - 8K units requires 32A or 40A breakers and run around 7,000 - 8,000 Baht.

[Crossy]

Yes they do work, but most of the time they are not strong enough. You need to have a 6,000 or 8,000 BTU heater, most are only 3,000 - 3,500 because they are not expensive and don't need a lot of current. Either a 6K - 8K units requires 32A or 40A breakers and run around 7,000 - 8,000 Baht.

An 8000 BTU heater is about 2.3 kW, OK on a 15A breaker.

I'm quite sure you mean 6-8000 W (6-8 kW), which is about 36A @ 220V so needs a 40A breaker and appropriate wire (and at least a 15/45 meter).

[steven100]

I have used various types throughout Thailand. Probably more than most, I always check the brand and the shower head as mentioned earlier about scaling from the water will block the pressure and slow the water down to a trickle ... stick a pin in the holes to clear them every 3 months works or the rubber nozzles may be the answer.

As for the Hot water system in my opinion a 3.5 KW is suffice in thailand as it rarely gets cold here. I installed a Panasonic in our house and it's fine. I will be installing another in the kitchen shortly so I will get another Panasonic 3.5 KW for there. Toshiba I wouldn't touch and the Sharp didn't impress, although water pressure may also affect the performance. I found the Electrolux brand ok as well as Hitachi and Stiebel and Panasonic.

[Doc46]

They work good depending on pressure,,They are ok for me ,,,,but you maybe fussy?

[seancbk]

My condo has a Sanyo SS-35N electric water heater.

Great pressure and can make the water very hot.

Sounds like you've just been unlucky.

[T_Dog]

We put in a 9000 watt Stibel Eltron unit connected to two bathrooms and it was very good. Had to turn it down to 6000 watts (it is configurable to 3, 6, and 9 thousand watts) and its flow turn on sensor was probably the best we have seen. No problems in our high manganese water and two showers could be used at the same time with no noticeable change in flow or temperature. Not the cheapest out there, but it is reliable and safe.

[jacko45k]

An awful lot of these units are a measly 3.5kW, very common as one can be used on a 5/15 meter.

We have 7.5kW units which will take your skin off on full power

If you install a bigger unit please ensure the wiring is up to it.

And then the breaker feeding it.

I upped my unit from 4.5 to 6.0 KW and was able to put a bigger shower head on, and also it worked better in the cold months.

The OP complains about water pressure which has little to do with the electric shower unit itself. Feeder head/pump and piping diameter are more of a concern. And to clean the filter in the shower unit now and again.

There are storage heater units (water heater tanks) sold in Thailand but the issue in condos is where to put them as they are physically big. You will also need seperate plumbing from them to the shower and or taps. If you want the water to be hot enough for a shave but able to mix it for a shower then you need mixing faucets which are more expensive, condo builders like to go cheap.

[lathamallika]

hi everyone it beats me why in Thailand they don't use solar panels ,with the amount of sun we have ,free hot water

[Keesters]

I have a National brand multi-point heater in my bathroom. Now 28 years old and used every day. Never broke down EVER. It was made in Japan.

I have a Fujika for the kitchen sink. Installed 10 years ago. Broke down after 3 months minimal usage, got it fixed. Broke down again soon after. Got it fixed again. Broke down again. Gave up. It was made in Thailand.

[steven100]

I have a National brand multi-point heater in my bathroom. Now 28 years old and used every day. Never broke down EVER. It was made in Japan.

I have a Fujika for the kitchen sink. Installed 10 years ago. Broke down after 3 months minimal usage, got it fixed. Broke down again soon after. Got it fixed again. Broke down again. Gave up. It was made in Thailand.

The Fujika broke down ? made in Thailand or Japan ? just wondering ...

also, I believe it's best to make sure the small inside tank is copper and not nylon or plastic as most are.