Bath or walk in shower?

[lizbells6]

Now that our kids are older, we all take showers. I can't remember the last time anyone had a bath so we are thinking about removing the bath and installing a walk in shower. Its a bog standard victorian terrace with the bathroom about 2.4m square so i dont think there room for a mini bath as well without stubbing our toes all the time. We dont have any plans to move so selling on is not an issue.

Has anyone else done this? Any pros or cons and advice about configuration would be very welcome.

[Annette Curtain]

Well...

If you've got enough bar pressure on the water, min 1.1 but 3 is really good, or a megaflow high pressure system then great

Make sure the shower tray is a good one and fitted properly

And that you've got the waste/outlet on an outside wall ideally

Then go for it

Nette

[Saila]

also, please dont get one of those fashionable large headed showers - they never get enough power and it's impossible to wash your hair!

plus if you go for a fixed head - get a small flexi head to wash down screens and walls.

[womanofdulwich]

You could always have one fitted over a bath?A good one that is. I agree all older children generally like showers, but if you have had a hard physical day there is nothing like lying in a bath.If you move and you want your house to appeal to all possible buyers then a bath with a good powered shower over is best. My mistake ( after doing this) was to stand in the bath and say how tall a side shower screen I wanted, not realising teenagers would grow so tall. Plan for people of 6' 3".

[El Pibe]

"they never get enough power"

As long as I have my shower before 7:00 or after 10:00 it's fine!!

Given a choice of which I could do without it'd be the bath, but I would miss it. How about a deep square thing you can sit upright in, like the Japanese have?

[Drxyster]

Since my wife had a stroke, I have installed a walk in bath. I have a bad back and prefer to have a bath mostly,however my wife can only shower.We have a combi boiler and both bath and shower work extremely well.The bath is absolutely standard, full size with the exception of the walk in door.We do not have any leakage problems with the door even when the bath is full, when showering the water just runs away down the plughole.I do not have to sit in the bath to wait for it to empty, I climb in and out as one would do with a standard bath and then allow the bath to empty.Although the bath cost just over ?1,000.00 plus installation, for us it has been the ideal solution and has been in use for over six months,without any problems whatsoever.

[lillyanginger]

We really really really love our shower!!! But....we had a pump installed so we have 'proper' water pressure at all times. I would also go for the biggest shower you can fit (afford) into your bathroom, 80x80cm is not really sufficient. I think ours is 90x100 and feels very luxurious without looking too big.

[the-e-dealer]

Where will you keep the Coal?

[computedshorty]

We older larger famlies tend to still use the tin bath and we all use the same water, but to use a shower the water cant be used again, think of the used water reading next time.

We did start using the garden hose but there was a ban on that.

[lizbells6]

Thanks to everyone for the comments and advice. I should have explained that the shower is currently over the bath and we thought not having to climb in and out would be nicer. Would love a Japanese style bath too but they are mega bucks I think. Will look into walk in baths though. Water pressure's not an issue as we have a combi boiler. I suppose at the moment I could just step into the garden to shower - that would save water too.

[Annette Curtain]

Even with a combi-boiler you'll still need to check the pressure at the point of delivery ie. the bathroom 22-15mm pipe outlet point

We use one of these on site (around 3 bar is what you're after)

http://s7g3.scene7.com/is/image/ae235?$p$&layer=0&size=281,281&layer=1&size=281,281&src=ae235/53626_P

Nette(tu)

[the-e-dealer]

Bath please - Aching bones!

[dulwichgirl2]

If you need a pump get a Stewart turner one. They are dear but last twenty years with any luck. Others break in my experience and the hassle of getting things fixed is immense.

[tallulah71]

long hard day = radio, bubbles, book, glass of something nice, candles....bath! Although you can't beat a lovely walk-in. Sorry to be absolutely no help whatsoever!

[Salsaboy]

What dulwichgirl2 said. Stewart Turner shower pumps are the best and their service/technical departments are the dogs nads. Helpful, fast and above all, knowledgeable.

[monniemae]

Hello, I have just had an omnitub installed in our bathroom with a shower over it. My boyfriend is 6 ft and he q liked the bath - it is short but really lovely and deep. It was about ?400 I think but be warned building a frame for it was something I had to rope my dad into doing as the plumber wouldn't.

[uncleglen]

Strip wash every morning- one sink of water. 4 baths a year. Honest truth. And you can't beat a pack of baby wipes at a festival.

[Thomas Micklewright]

shower evertime!

[Salsaboy]

4 baths a year? I suppose you have hot water in them as well.

uncleglen Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Strip wash every morning- one sink of water. 4

> baths a year. Honest truth. And you can't beat a

> pack of baby wipes at a festival.

[the-e-dealer]

l'eau De Salsa?

[Salsaboy]

Au naturel!

[fazer71]

I had the same problem I decided that having no bath only a shower was not a good idea.

In the end I bought a large kaldewei steel shower bath the tap end is flat and square like a shower tray it's a good compromise.

I can still take a lovely bath and more room for showering than with a standard bath.

Here's a link it's large at 1800x800 heavy guage steel quality product. Kaldewei dyna set star model 80 226500010001

http://www.mytub.co.uk/product_information.php?product=548475

Dyna set models are all shower / baths .

[Salsaboy]

Kaldewei baths are the best out there. I always recommend them when I'm doing a bathroom refurb.

[KidKruger]

UncleGlen:

"Strip wash every morning- one sink of water. 4 baths a year. Honest truth. And you can't beat a pack of baby wipes at a festival".

Ha !

I don't have a shower at all, overrated IMO.

Bath all the way and not too frequently either, often after rest of family have been in.

when it's just me, I often do 'bucket bath' like they do in Thailand (they call it 'Ab Nam'). You use a bowl to pour the water from big container over you. Very little wastage and low dependence on technology.

At festivals I can can strip wash entire body on 3 pints of water, though I may taste a little soapy.