How Many Power Showers in a New Build is Allowed?

[Scotsman]

Hi, Got a new build house which has 5 bathrooms and there looking to put 10.8KW electric showers in each bathroom/ensuite. Its a Passivhaus and they are looking to reduce the water tank capacity so its really only for the one bath in the property and the taps. Thoughts on how this can be done?

 

[James]

If it is new build, do your max demand calculations and apply for a supply that is big enough to cope with the demand.

If there is no way to get a big enough supply then there are ways to make it work but they are more complex and expensive than just getting the right supply installed from the start.

Priority switches can ensure they don’t overload the supply but may inconvenience people wanting to shower right now.
Battery storage can solve your short term demand issues buy will be expensive

 

[UNG]

Hi, Got a new build house which has 5 bathrooms and there looking to put 10.8KW electric showers in each bathroom/ensuite. Its a Passivhaus and they are looking to reduce the water tank capacity so its really only for the one bath in the property and the taps. Thoughts on how this can be done?

At what stage is this build up to as what there proposing seems a bit odd unless the bath sees a lot of use heating a tank of water for just some taps seems potentially a bit wasteful
It would be interesting to know what the design brief was for this property and it's expected occupancy use as something doesn't seem to fit the Passivhaus ideals as I understand them

 

[Scotsman]

At what stage is this build up to as what there proposing seems a bit odd unless the bath sees a lot of use heating a tank of water for just some taps seems potentially a bit wasteful
It would be interesting to know what the design brief was for this property and it's expected occupancy use as something doesn't seem to fit the Passivhaus ideals as I understand them

Morning, the house is at the design stage just now (friends build), but with Passivhaus there looking at options early on i think. Property will only have 3 people living in it long term with the potential for parents at their late life to look after, but during the long term only 3 that i know of. I think the idea is they don't want to have a huge hot water tank for all the showers if they are not going to be used a lot. Like the ground floor showers will rarely be used but needed should their parents come stay with them to be looked after in later life and the other 3 long term people staying in the house will be upstairs....if that makes sense. I dont think they use baths much as they are thinking of removing their current bath in their home just now as its rarely used, but considering the size of the Passivhaus they want to have atleast one bath as would be odd having a big house with no bath.

 

[Pretty Mouth]

Seems unlikely that all 5 showers will be in use simultaneously. I wonder how the water pressure/flow would cope even if they were?

 

[DPG]

5 bathrooms?? For 3 people and possibly parents at some later stage. Do they work down coal mines or something?

 

[Scotsman]

5 bathrooms?? For 3 people and possibly parents at some later stage. Do they work down coal mines or something?

haha! No 3 upstairs for the ensuites which if the 2 sets of parents are able bodied then they will stay upstairs, but if they cant then 2 front rooms downstairs will convery to bedrooms for them. So 2 showers downstairs. hence the 5.

 

[DPG]

I never get the modern obsession with loads of bathrooms. Well, except to outdo friends on Facebook.

 

[westward10]

The regularly used ones I would have on a tank then the other two just electric if they are worrying about heating water for no reason.

 

[Scotsman]

I never get the modern obsession with loads of bathrooms. Well, except to outdo friends on Facebook.

Me either, but our are justified essentially 2 upstairs for the old folks and 2 downstairs likely for the old folks too and fifth one is our ensuite.

 

[DPG]

I'd prefer at least a couple that are either from a combi or a pump. Better shower experience and less risk of big cables and overheating isolators etc.

 

[UNG]

Given that Passivhaus is generally about energy efficiency I don't see how 5 10.8Kw showers will fit into that brief unless you have a rather large PV setup with a battery to match

 

[James]

Given that Passivhaus is generally about energy efficiency I don't see how 5 10.8Kw showers will fit into that brief unless you have a rather large PV setup with a battery to match

Give or take a little bit of losses, 5 showers for 5 people uses the same power regardless of wether it is 5 separate showers used simultaneously or one shower used for 5 times as long.

The only way to increase efficiency is to put 2 people in the same shower at the same time.

 

[UNG]

Give or take a little bit of losses, 5 showers for 5 people uses the same power regardless of wether it is 5 separate showers used simultaneously or one shower used for 5 times as long.

The only way to increase efficiency is to put 2 people in the same shower at the same time.

I agree with what you are saying
But you are totally missing the point regarding Passivhaus design and energy efficiency, while the Passivhaus classic has been around for a while there is now also the Passivhaus Plus and Premium which push further energy efficiencies into the design with the top level premium building having to produce far more energy than it consumes as shown on one of the Grand Designs programmes last year

 

[baldelectrician]

If I were building such a house I would be instaling as much PV as I could and then dumping the excess in to water heating / battery storage.