Hard water filter for shower

[doitmyself]

I have just had to replace a Wickes electic shower; the new one is a Mira Sprint multifit.

The installation instructions say that a water treatment device is required if water hardness is over 200ppm; otherwise the guarantee will not be honoured. My water is rated a Very Hard, so I guess it's over 200ppm.

What type of 'water treatment device' would you recommend?

 

[ShaunCorbs]

A water softener is required for hard water normally use Harvey’s brand

 

[steadyon]

1. If you want a proper water softener you are talking North of £1,000 including fitting.
2. I would write to Mira, and ask them for a recommended method / brand. Then if you follow their recommendation they will find it more difficult to weasel out of the guarantee.
3. Without going to the lengths of a proper ion exchange type water softener, you have two options:
3a. An inline "magnetic" device. E.g. Screwfix 1436F. I don't think I've ever seen any definitive proof this type do any good, but if Mira says its OK, then perhaps fit one.
3b. A "combimate" type polyphosphate conditioner. Probably better than 3a, but needs refilling from time to time.
4. Given that much of the UK is hard water, seems to me Mira should be advertising their showers as not fit for large parts of the country.

 

[Chuck]

Unless you have other reasons for wanting a water softener, £1000 to gain warranty protection that you'll probably never claim for a £120 shower doesn't seem like a good deal to me. Just buy a second shower unit and keep it in the roof as a spare and save £880. Or do what most people do and clean the shower head by soaking in vinegar every so often.

Mira sell a shower head that claims to 'fight scale'. I don't know how, or whether, it works.

 

[doitmyself]

I have no intention of spending £1000 to validate the warranty on a £100 shower
I think the suggestion of asking Mira for their advice is a good one; I will follow it up.

 

[Ben-gee]

I suggest buying another identical shower. When yours plays up - swap the showers over and that gives you time to sort the scaled up one.
Descaler into the heating canister is usually what is required- on the one I had I had to remove the canister to do this.

Using this method I kept ours going for -10years, lasted about 2 years each time. I’m sure it would still work but I have decommissioned this shower now that we have an unvented cylinder.

 

[Ric2013]

My water is 220ppm. I installed a Mira shower and followed Chuck's approach. The shower is now over 6 years old (don't have the receipt to hand) and has been in use ever since by varying numbers of people. Keep meaning to try descaling the canister but am currently abroad. The shower is still being used.