At a recent training session held by manufacturer Triton, three installers who attended were asked to share their tricks of the trade when installing showers. Here's what they had to say:

Peter Cowley, LHS - Liverpool Heating Solutions, Merseyside:


“I would say my top trick is to make sure you test on a cold setting when commissioning the element on an electric shower. This is because a few years ago, Steve Saunders, Senior Technical Manager at Triton, explained to me that the heat generated in the heater can is equivalent to as many as ten bars on an electric fire.


"This means if you fully activate the element when there is no water in the pipe, you can cause quite a bit of damage to the element. The analogy has stuck with me ever since and I’ve often repeated it to customers!”


Jason Meredith, Lichfield Gas Services, Lichfield:


“Some installers are happy to leave thermostatic mixers at the factory setting. However my trick would be to always re-calibrate to suit customer’s preferences, as well as the water temperature on site. To do this you may need to tweak the valves temperature spindle or adjust some mixers with an allen key, so that the maximum temperature meets their requirements.


"It’s worth bearing in mind that in order to be accurate when doing this, the water in the cylinder must be at its hottest."


Tyrone Tash, 24-7 TT Plumbing & Heating, London:


“My trick of the trade would be to always carry a spare fast fit shower with you in the van in case of emergencies. Every job is different, so finding a model which has various fitting options and entry points is a must as you can quickly adapt to most installation set ups.


"I also like to go for products with a dual water inlet as they offer easy left or right pipe connection. With these types of flexible solutions you are always prepared and can get customers up and running as quickly as possible.”