How to Install an Electric Shower. An electric shower may sound absurd, as electricity is heating water just a few inches above your head; however, if installed correctly an electric shower can be a safe and financially sound investment. An electric shower saves money by using only a fraction of the water that your typical shower or bath uses and only heating the water you need immediately. Read on to learn more.
Step One
Plumbing - Use the template provided by the manufacturer to mark holes on the wall where you will mount the shower unit. Using your marks as guides, drill pilot holes using the appropriate sized masonry bit. If the manufacturer does not provide a template, you should be able to remove the backing of the shower unit and use the backing itself as a template.
Step Two
Drill a 1/2 inch hole in the shower wall to fit the copper branch pipe that will connect the shower head to the main water valve. Push the pipe through the hole, measure and cut to the proper length. Fit a stopcock to the end of the branch pipe inside of the airing cupboard behind the shower wall. The arrow on the stopcock should be pointing towards the shower head, away from the rising main.
Step Three
Fit the T-joint to the rising main, only hand-tightening the cap nuts. Measure and cut an extra piece of connecting pipe if necessary to connect the T-joint to the stopcock, joining the branch pipe to the main valve. Once fitted, tighten the cap nuts and other joints well.
Step Four
Mount the shower head to the end of the copper branch pipe, attaching the shower unit box to the wall on one side of the shower head where you have made your pilot holes. Connect the flexible spray hose to the shower unit and the shower head.
Step Five
Electricity - Make a hole in the ceiling between joists where you will mount the pull-switch. Attach the mounting board on which you will fasten the pull-switch backplate.
Step Six
Run a piece of circuit cable up to the ceiling, running it through the mounting board. Leave at least 6 inches of excess cable at the switch position. For running cable, you can use plastic trunking and attach the plastic sheaths to the wall and ceiling, or run the cable in between studs behind the wall, up through the ceiling and down to the switch.
Step Seven
Attach the pull-switch backplate and strip the excess cable at the switch position, revealing one black wire, one red wire and a group of bare wires. Twist the bare wires together, the ground wires, and cover them with green and yellow sleeving before attaching them to the "E" terminal of the pull-switch. Then connect the red wire to the "L" terminal and the black wire to the "N" terminal.
Step Eight
Strip the cable connected to the shower unit, again revealing one black wire, one red wire and a group of bare wires. Connect the wires located on the shower unit to the "Mains" terminals of the pull-switch. The red wire should connect to the "L" terminal, the black wire should connect to the "N" terminal and bare wires should connect to the "E" terminal. All bare wires should be covered with green or yellow sleeving before attaching them to the terminal.