Hot Shower

[Frank_the_Tank]

Hi guys, I have a question for all the veteran expats out there. I'm currently building a house in the village and I am out of the country and have ran into a problem.
I am very familiar with the most utilized way to heat a shower and that is to buy the instant heater and hang it on the wall in the shower. Here is my concern. The previous one that i have bought was for my mother in law and it really does heat the water but my complaint is that it slows it way down and it barely trinkle's out. I do not want that in the new house. I had the wife looking for a large pressurised water heater in buriram and she ran into a dead end. So, my question is, if I would buy a more expensive wall unit would that speed up the water or do i need to buy a pump as well.
I am really blind here guys and would appreciate any advice you can give.Im just lookin for a great shower. Thanks.....
 

[Red Jet]

 Although I have found a 3.5kw is enough for most of the year and when it gets really cold I just let it run for a couple of minutes or turn down the tap a little bit so less water passes through the heating element.I've never really had a problem

From here....http://www.coolthaihouse.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1446&f=14
Shower units usually range from 1.2 to 6.0 kW and retail at about 1 baht per watt. Generally, the cheaper ones at less than 2.5 kW are the energy wasters, while 3.5 - 3.8 kW provide practically instant hot water. Above this, all you get is much hotter water, much quicker, and which is probably not necessary in the tropics where our mains water supply is already quite warm, and often warm enough for a shower without added electrical heating.

Powerful 4 - 6 kW machines would be of more use in Europe where in winter, the mains water arrives at near freezing temperature and has to be raised to 40 - 60° very quickly.

So IMHO go for one between 4 - 6kw and you wont have a problem if you like a hot shower   

[Frank_the_Tank]

Sounds great! Thanks! What about the pressure? A unit with higher kw should have greater pressure?

[Red Jet]

Sounds great! Thanks! What about the pressure? A unit with higher kw should have greater pressure?

Not necessarily,if you have a standard pressure pump to supply the water( or Thai mains water )  to a 5kw shower unit  you control the water temperature with the temperature gauge on the unit,with the cheaper showers (3.5kw] when the water is cold ( in the cold season ) you have the shower temperature gauge on full and control the water flow to get the water temperature you require, if you get my drift.
By having a higher kw shower you should get a hot shower with a good flow even in the colder months 

[urleft]

I have an instant on water heater, works great most of the time.  However when the villiage gets up in the morning, we start losing water pressure.  Or if someone turns on a hose at the house, it slows to a trickle. 

I have been pondering this problem, and was going to look into options, two that readily come to mind are:

1.  Get a bigger water meter (bare with me as I am a Yank used to USA measurements).  It appears the water meter is a 1/2 inch.  In American we have 3/4 inch meters, but when I installed a sprinkler system I went to a 1" meter (and water lines).  It apprears the main line is 6" should handle it.  However, I have not investigated this yet for availability of larger water meters. 

2.  Get a large water storage tank (I have seen in several places).  Put on top level of house and run all water through it which should create sufficient water pressure.  Use some kind of float value to stop the "city" water from overflowing the tank. 

As I have just moved here I have not investigated the viability of these alternatives.  However, as we say in America, "There is more than one way to skin a cat."

My personal preference would be to use a larger water meter and water pipes which would be very easy to replace all in my current house. But since this is a minor inconvenience it is not high on my priority scheme. 

[jeffales]

I think that if I had to, I Would import the required equipment to have a decent shower, I wouldn't be able to live without one