Roland Boal, Head of Industrial Design at Mira Showers, looks at the latest showering innovations and explores the benefits of switching to digital showers.
Digital innovations and advanced technology are benefiting every aspect of our daily lives, from the workplace, to shopping, to the home, and with Generation Z, also known as the digital generation, the home buyers of the future, smart homes are becoming more and more desirable.
From smart thermostats to smart plugs, our homes are at the centre of this digital revolution, and the bathroom is no exception; digital showers are the latest innovation in showering, offering stylish, minimalist design with attractive features such as precise temperature control, to within a degree.
It’s important that specifiers are equipped with the knowledge of the most advanced showering options available to meet ever-changing consumer demand, while also ensuring installers are working with reliable, easy-to-fit products.
Smart, stylish and savvy
Digital showers are compatible with all types of heated water systems and work in a similar way to mixer showers, as water is taken from both the hot and cold-water supplies and blended together to achieve the desired temperature. Temperature spikes are also eliminated as the water temperature is controlled by a thermostat.
There are digital showers available that benefit from a welcoming warm-up mode, pre-heating the water to the user’s ideal temperature and enabling the user to fix the length of the shower. The controller will then flash until the temperature is reached, providing the perfect showering experience.
Customers can choose from a range of stylish digital shower options that have been specially designed to offer a minimalist look without compromising on performance or functionality, making them the ideal accompaniment to any contemporary bathroom.
Fit and forget
In the past, digital showers have been perceived as a complex installation choice; however, with the correct resources and guides, it can be as straightforward as any other shower installation.
All the leading shower brands have the tools and support that you need to be able to recommend – and install – a digital shower and do it with confidence.
With the Mira Mode shower, for example, installation is made easy, with a step-by-step guide on YouTube, or the Information User Guide which is included with the shower.
In the unlikely event that something goes wrong during installation, the Mira Mode app includes lots of useful troubleshooting features. One example of this is the outlets can be switched using the app, so, should they have mistakenly been connected the wrong way around, there’s no need to start from scratch or fit additional pipework.
Everything that the installer needs comes in one box, including a separate remote control, so they’ll have everything they need from the start.
System choices
It’s important to choose the digital shower most compatible to the customer’s needs; a high-pressure option is best suited to main pressure unvented systems and combi boilers, whereas a pumped option is appropriate for low pressure gravity systems.
Many digital showers are available for both gravity-fed, and combi and high-pressure systems, so whether it’s ceiling or rear fed, single or dual outlet, there is a digital shower to suit.
You also need to consider whether to fit a wired or wireless shower; each with their own benefits but involving different installation methods.
Wireless options mean that the controller connects to the shower valve remotely, allowing the shower to be turned on or off and the temperature adjusted via a remote control, which works up to 10 metres from the shower.
Wired digital showers use a data cable, rather than the valve speaking to the controller wirelessly. For minimum disruptions of the wall tiles, a wireless digital shower, such as the Mira Platinum, may be the best option.
A digital shower is the perfect solution for tech-savvy homeowners looking for a modern aesthetic while also benefiting from a wide range of innovative features. Consumers are constantly looking for ways to make their life easier, and digital showers do just that.
Watch a video on the Mira mode below.
