Why are showers so expensive?

[SalusLibrorum]

No. That response was directed at Texasada.

Your picture looks like the sort of thing I would be after but I don't fancy having to demolish have the bathroom for a concealed pipework unit. Something a bit like this is what I would be after (when I eventually get me new boiler fitted).



The one shown above is priced at £464. I mean...come on...how can they possibly justify that?

Actually that looks like one of them really fancy designer minimalist ones. Which would explain the price.

Most people want the pipework buried rather than making a feature of it, but there is nothing to stop you from running the pipework on the surface and mounting the shower on a little platform if it's rear entry feeds. I did that in a flat I once lived in when I had the same problem involving a single skin exterior wall.

[SalusLibrorum]

http://www.diy.com/diy/jsp/bq/nav.js...isSearch=false

£99 Just box in the pipework and fix to a raised platform.

[astral276]

Don't buy one yet, I will dig out the one I have got that a customer wanted but changed her mind, I can sell it at cost price at around £45 + postage

Thanks.

I don't quite have need of it yet. I still have to find a reputable heating engineer to decommission my old boiler and install a new one (I hate finding and engaging tradesmen [no offence intended] and the resulting upheaval). Let me know if you locate it and I will likely be interested and snap it up in readiness of needing it if it suits where I want it to go.

Why do minimalist designs cost more? 'Minimalist' means less so surely they should cost less.

[raindropsies]

Thanks.

I don't quite have need of it yet. I still have to find a reputable heating engineer to decommission my old boiler and install a new one (I hate finding and engaging tradesmen [no offence intended] and the resulting upheaval). Let me know if you locate it and I will likely be interested and snap it up in readiness of needing it if it suits where I want it to go.

Why do minimalist designs cost more? 'Minimalist' means less so surely they should cost less.

Simply because they are classed as "posher" although I know of good trade places to get them from which are normally about 20-25% off the retail price if not more.

Oh and no offence taken as I know what some trades men can be like, I'll post a picture in a minute with an example

[raindropsies]

The pictures below show what a tradesman said he had done to fix a leak and windows. Also what a carpet cleaner left the carpets like.

[raindropsies]

Woopsy daisy, sorry they came out so big

[SalusLibrorum]

To be fair, the minimalist ones may need less materials, but they're usually better engineered (to get the minimal look can be complicated behind the scenes) and more care has to be taken to make them look pretty, for instance the one you pictured has been chromed all over, including the pipes. It also has to be a decent chroming, because otherwise in the adverse conditions of a bathroom, nasty things are going to happen to it, and it won't look pretty after a while. So not only are you paying for the "Design" as in "Designer" you're also paying for quality.

I can't remember where I saw it, but I thought the sentence "It takes a LOT of work to make something look that simple" is very apt.

Copper piping can look very good if the plumber uses compression joints rather than ordinary soldered ones, and the whole is kept polished. The only problem with that of course is that it's a lot of work on a very regular basis (which is how I know about boxing them in ).

[SalusLibrorum]

omg the thread just exploded....

[astral276]

The pictures below show what a tradesman said he had done to fix a leak and windows. Also what a carpet cleaner left the carpets like.

Yes. True tradesmen who take a pride in their work seem hard to find nowadays. Most seem to want to turn the job around in the shortest time and at the least expense to themselves to make the most profit. Usually if things go wrong it is easier and cheaper to get someone else in to sort things out than pursue the culprit.

Maybe a case for a return of real apprenticeships? Trading Standards seem to exist to try and mop up after the event rather than preventing the event taking place in the first place.

The only person I have found who has had a boiler replaced in recent times to offer a recommendation is my neighbour and his brother in law was the tradesman so he is bound to be slightly biased.

I wonder if the local council holds a list of tradesmen they can recommend? Will give them a try on Monday.

Big Pics. The forum software should limit the size to a reasonable level.

[JudesNiceThings]

I was lucky - only had to replace one, and get the builder to fit the other one when he was actually building the extension.

Both mine come off the cold supply and they came from Argos very cheaply