Refreshing Power showers
If your shower runs weak and your home has a cold-water tank in the loft and a hot-water cylinder, a power shower can transform it. It mixes your hot and cold water and uses a built-in pump to push out a strong, steady spray, the fix for the low, gravity-fed pressure that leaves an ordinary shower feeling flat. The one thing to settle first is whether your water system suits one, because a power shower is not the right answer for every home. This page helps you check that, then choose a model to buy or replace.
What is a power shower?
A power shower is a plumbed-in bathroom shower that mixes hot and cold water and uses a built-in electric pump to boost the flow. It gives a strong, steady spray in homes with low, gravity-fed water pressure. It is a fixed unit fitted to your wall and plumbing, not a portable or camping shower.
For the full explainer, see what is a power shower?
Will a power shower work with my system?
This is the question to answer before anything else, because the pump only helps on the right system. A power shower is built for gravity-fed plumbing: a cold-water tank, usually in the loft, and a hot-water cylinder, often in an airing cupboard. If you have a combi boiler or high-pressure mains, you already have pressure, so a power shower is usually not suitable and could even overload the supply. Here is the quick check:
| Your water system | Suitable for a power shower? | What to choose instead |
|---|---|---|
| Gravity-fed (cold tank + hot cylinder) | Yes, this is what they are made for | A power shower |
| Combi boiler | Usually not | A thermostatic mixer or electric shower |
| High-pressure / unvented mains | Usually not | A thermostatic mixer shower |
| Gravity-fed but you like your current shower | Yes | A power shower, or add a separate shower pump |
Not sure which you have? The low-pressure compatibility guide walks you through it (linking when live), and shower pumps are the alternative way to boost a gravity-fed system.
Power shower or electric shower?
These two get mixed up constantly, and they suit different homes. An electric shower heats cold mains water on demand, so it needs only a cold feed and works on most systems, including combi and mains. A power shower mixes your existing hot and cold and pumps the result, so it needs stored hot water and a gravity-fed system. In short: low gravity pressure and a hot-water cylinder point to a power shower; a combi or mains supply points to an electric or thermostatic mixer shower.
Compare them properly in power shower vs electric shower (linking when live), or browse electric showers and mixer showers if your system suits those instead.
Shop by brand
The leading power-shower brands each have their own range. Browse Mira power showers, Aqualisa power showers and Triton power showers, plus Redring and other brands (linking when live). If you are replacing a unit, staying with the same brand often makes for the simplest swap.
Shop by feature
Once your system is sorted, choose by what matters to you: thermostatic power showers hold a safe, steady temperature; power showers for low water pressure are matched to weak gravity-fed supplies; over-bath power showers suit a shower-over-bath; and dual-head power showers add a handset alongside a fixed head (all linking when live).
What the settings and flow actually give you
‘Boosts pressure’ is the headline, but what does it feel like? Flow rate, measured in litres per minute (L/min), is the number behind a forceful spray: the higher it is, the fuller the shower, and a power shower lifts a weak gravity feed to a genuinely strong flow. Adjustable controls let you set the spray and temperature to suit, and a thermostatic model holds that temperature steady when someone runs a tap elsewhere. A maximum-temperature stop caps how hot it can go, a simple safety feature that is worth having in a family bathroom. Over a bath, a strong flow and a long handset hose make rinsing easier, which is why over-bath models exist. Match the flow and settings to how you actually shower, rather than chasing the biggest number.
Replacing an old power shower?
Replacing a unit is often simpler than a first-time install, because the plumbing and wiring are already there. The trick is to identify your old model first, names like Mira Vigour, Aqualisa Aquastream, Galaxy or Showerforce, then choose either a direct replacement that lines up with the existing pipes and cable, or the right spare part if only one component has failed. That keeps re-plumbing and re-wiring to a minimum.
Start with replacement power showers for like-for-like units, or power shower spares to repair the one you have (both linking when live). The spares and replacement guide shows how to identify an old model.
Do you need an electrician?
Yes, a power shower needs an electrical supply for its pump, so the connection should be made by a qualified electrician to meet the regulations for electrical work in a bathroom. The reassuring part is that the load is far lower than an electric shower: there is no high-amp circuit or thick 10mm cable to run, because the pump only moves water rather than heating it. A plumber fits the unit and pipework; an electrician makes the final connection safe.
For what is involved, read do you need an electrician for a power shower?
Delivery, quality and reassurance
Plumbworld has helped people fit out their bathrooms since 1999, and power showers come from trusted names like Mira, Aqualisa and Triton. With free UK delivery, our price match and 365-day returns, and a 4.8 out of 5 rating from more than 60,000 reviews, you can buy with confidence once you have checked your system suits one.
Power shower FAQs
What is a power shower?
A power shower mixes hot and cold water and uses a built-in electric pump to boost the flow, giving a forceful shower in homes with low, gravity-fed water pressure. It is a plumbed-in fixture, not a portable camping kit. See what is a power shower? for more (linking when live).
Will a power shower work with my water system?
Power showers suit gravity-fed systems: a cold-water tank and a hot-water cylinder. They are usually not suitable for a combi boiler or high-pressure mains, where a thermostatic mixer or electric shower is the answer.
What's the difference between a power shower and an electric shower?
An electric shower heats cold mains water on demand and needs only a cold feed. A power shower mixes existing hot and cold and pumps it, so it needs a gravity-fed system. See power shower vs electric shower
Do power showers need an electrician?
Yes, they need an electrical connection for the pump, though the load is far lower than an electric shower, with no 10mm cable or high-amp circuit. A qualified electrician should make the connection to meet bathroom wiring regulations.
Can I replace my old power shower like-for-like?
Often yes. Identify your old model (for example Galaxy, Aquastream or Mira) and choose a direct replacement or the right spare to minimise re-plumbing and re-wiring. See replacement power showers.
Are power showers good for low water pressure?
Yes, that is exactly what they are for, as long as your system is gravity-fed. The built-in pump lifts a weak feed to a strong, steady spray. On a combi or mains system you would not need one. See power showers for low water pressure
Shop power showers once you have checked your system suits one, or read what is a power shower? to start from the beginning . Big brands, small prices.