What Kind Of A Heating Element Is In An Electric Shower?

[sandyRoe]

The water goes into it cold and comes out as hot as you want.  How is it heated so quickly?

[barry1010]

I think the cold water goes on the bottom and passes over a simple coiled heating element that works in a similar way to the one in an electric kettle.

[Peter Pedant]

yeah.  I have always wondered why shower fires are so rare- perhaps it  is because of  the water ! haw haw haw

[Hymie]

Simple physics, the heater is normally rated between 8.5 – 10.5kW and at the water flow rate it is heated from circa 20⁰C to 45⁰C; the heater tank has a volume of less than one litre, leading to heated output water in a very short time from first switch on.

[The Builder]

It's 'brute force' really, Sandy. A small copper tank containing a heating element and a restricted flow of cold water. Such a small amout of water passing over, in some cases, a 10kw element. In old money, think of 10 bars of an electric fire all on at once.

The water doesn't stand a chance.  😋

[barry1010]

Am I right in thinking when you turn the heat up or down it is the amount of water that changes and not the temperature of the element?

[The Builder]

That's right Barry, Although a lot of them have low/med/high settings to select.

Choosing the 'medium' setting usually means switching in a lower rated element. (Showers can have more than one element.)

[sandyRoe]

Thanks for the answers.  It's one of those questions that seems to appear out of nowhere.

[Old_Geezer]

Get away; they appear from Sandy !

[barry1010]

Thanks, builder 

[Buenchico]

Further detail here:
https://www.explainthatstuff.com/electricshowers.html