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If you’re thinking of buying an electric shower, the first thing to consider are your expectations. Electric showers shouldn’t be confused with power showers. Many people associate a forceful invigorating water jet with power, and are then disappointed by the reality of the average electric shower. In the past, electric showers have been the ugly ducklings of the shower world compared to sleek shiny mixer showers. Recently some manufacturers have moved away from white or silver wall-mounted plastic boxes, and developed glass or slate-effect boxes with chrome controls.

An electric shower is essentially a water heater. It relies on heating mains-pressure cold water very fast as it flows towards the shower head. There is no pump involved, so the amount of water you get through will depend on your mains water pressure. Electric showers are economical as you heat only the water you need, and they’re the only type of shower that’s independent of the hot water system, so if your boiler fails you can still have a hot shower.

The other type of electric shower is a pumped ’power shower’. These connect to both your hot and cold water supplies and are essentially mixer showers, but use an electrical pump to increase the pressure coming out of the shower head, and therefore use much less electricity than an electrically heated shower. An electric shower requires plumbing only to a mains cold water supply, and connection to the electrical supply. The high power electrical element will require connection to a separate electrical supply circuit, which requires an electrician’s services..

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Difference-between-Electric-Shower-and-power-shower/980426

Whenever you are doing any wiring, even as much as replacing an outlet, make certain that all materials are approved by Underwriter’s Laboratories, Inc., an independent, nonprofit testing firm. The letters “UL” stamped within a circle are indicative of the article being approved by this independent underwriting laboratory.

When you undertake an electrical project in your home, be sure to do your work according to code. That might really sound simple, but a problem arises with overlapping codes. These include the National Electric Code (NEC), county codes, and local (city) codes.

Any manufacturer can send a product to Underwriter’s, which then runs a series a tests to make sure that the item is safe. If so, it then gets ’listed’ by the UL. A UL listing means that a product is known to be safe only for its intended purpose and use. A UL-listed lamp cord, for example, is safe on lamps. The lamp cord may not be used as permanent wiring in a house. Inspectors from the firm periodically visit the manufacturer’s plant to see that the product continues to meet UL standards. They may also buy the product at a later date and retest it to see that the safety standards have not slipped and are still up to, what is considered, ordinary and customary.

Electric equipment without UL listing may be somewhat cheaper, but you may also assume that it is of lower quality. With electrical equipment, this is something definitely to avoid. The slight additional cost of buying UL-listed merchandise is minuscule compared to what it will cost you later to replace cheap equipment when it breaks down and it most likely will.

So, besides the Underwriter’s Laboratories, Inc. (UL) approval of any and all items that you use to do your project, you must be certain that you use these items according to the proper codes that have been set forth through your county, city, state, area and the like.

Having these two necessary parts in mind, you must also be aware of the local and county codes for your immediate area in which the work will be done. This may not be the same codes that you employ in the area you live. So be sure to check out all codes that come into play with your project. As an example, the NEC approves of aluminum wiring, but some local codes now forbid it. To find out how codes apply to what you are doing in the area in which you are doing it, visit your local or county building inspector’s office.

 Since both the local and county codes are based on the NEC, you should know it. There is a guide that you can buy that comes in paperback that many professional electricians consider to be their ’bible’. It is called, “Wiring Simplified” by H.P. Richter. It is updated annually and includes practical interpretations of the Code, plus a great deal of information on wiring. You can find it in most large bookstores.

In the end, you must abide by the code that has authority and control over your residence or the place where you are performing the project. If you live or your project is being produced in the city, you must follow local codes. If you are in an unincorporated area, follow the county codes. Basically, you need a permit from your local building inspector’s office whenever you are to add on to your existing wiring. One is not needed if you were to only replace switches or receptacles but you do want one if you are to extend a circuit, which involves adding more wire to the existing wire when you replace your switch or receptacle.