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Coram Shower Pod Review, Supplied by Byretech.com

Coram provide shower pods that are advertised as completely waterproof. We will soon be installing one of these shower pods, and will assess the quality, build and likelihood of the shower remaining leak-free.

Coram Shower Pod Review Byretech.com

If you have ever had a shower in your home, then you will know that the chance of having a leak at some time during it’s life is extremely high. Also, as many of us know the practice of using silicone to seal showers and baths is usually a fruitless exercise, as silicone breaks down after a period of time.

The alternative that is being advertised is self-contained shower units – also known as shower pods.

Coram Shower Pod Review
Coram Shower Pod Review

Now, these shower pods, such as those offered by the manufacturer Coram proclaim to be completely waterproof, and leak-free.

Quite a claim, but as we are shortly going to be installing one of these pods, we thought we might as well do a complete review on our findings.

The company we are using to order the pod from is Byretech.com, owned by a gentleman called Steve Dalloway, and after a professional telephone conversation, in which all the details were discussed, we have now placed the order.

The company Coram, has also been highly professional so far, and their operations director, Jim Nardone has already spent a great deal of time answering any questions we had regarding the construction, and fitting of the shower pod.

We will complete the review of this shower as soon as the product is installed.

Jim Nardone from Coram phoned me 2 days ago to day that the unit would be delivered, and the haulage company also phoned me yesterday to confirm the day of delivery. Delivered in 5 working days. Great service from both so far.

The Coram shower pod has now arrived as promised.

Well packaged (on a pallet) and we just about managed to squeeze it upstairs. On first inspection it looks like a quality unit. Although very heavy, and the components, once fitted together will definitely need to be on a firm, strong floor.

One thing that has stood out so far, is the base of the unit. I think two more legs around the front of the base would have made it more stable, because before it is fitted (fitting it soon), if you go to step off the base near to the waste trap hole, then the unit does ‘rock’ forwards.

I tested this (and placed another leg I had spare from the removal of our last shower tray), and the base immediately became more stable, so not entirely sure why more legs were not added.

There are 4 base legs fitted, although I think 6 would have been better for stability.

Even though when the doors are fitted you will step out over one of the feet, but if you are stood over the waste trap area whilst showering, I thinking that potentially some unnecessary tension could be placed in the wall unit (due to the base trying to rock forward), which could be avoided with 2 more additional feet, so I may have to use the 2 spare ones we have and a small piece of timber, for increased stability.

We’ll see when the unit is fitted, because if the base rocks forward due to there not being supporting legs in that position, then when fitted surely this will place pressure on the back wall unit of the shower.

That is just an initial impression, but no problems so far, and the shower unit, whilst still in pieces at present, does look quality. Even before fitting, I can see how this will be watertight.

We have fitted fitted the Coram shower pod.

Now that we have fitted the shower pod, I just wanted to highlighted our thoughts, and a few facts on the completed product.

Fitting the pod:

We pondered for a week or so about fitting the pod, mainly on the connection pipes, because although the instructions make it ‘look’ simple, it is not as easy as you first think. We hired a plumber to fit the pod, who initially gave us an estimate of around 3/4 hours to fit; although in the end the plumber was here for around 8+ hours fitting the pod by himself. Not a problem, as I had agreed a set price.

Initially, I could not understand just how the back panel of the pod was going to fit in place whilst at the same time connecting the fast fit hoses. I discussed this with the plumber who said it would be very tricky, and in the end the plumber had to create some bespoke adjustments to the piping (using extra piping in additional to what was supplied) so that the final connection of the water pipes was just under the front of the shower pod. Just slotting the top of the pod into place whilst at the same time connecting the water pipes is a tricky action, and one the plumber felt was not the best way to manage the water connections; hence the bespoke adjustments.

The fitting is definitely more than a one man job, and I also had to help a hand fitting the back panel, and is not as straight forward as the instructions suggest.

First impressions after fitting?

In all honesty, we were a little underwhelmed at the pod initially, because even though we opted for the chrome finish, it just looked like a standard shower, nothing flash. The pod definitely looked better in the pictures.

Size of the pod:

This is where I feel you need to be a little careful. The reason being, is that our old standard shower was a 850 x 850mm size, so we anticipated, and purchased an 850 x 850mm Coram pod, thinking it would give us the same dimensions once in use. This was a mistake.

The reason it was a mistake, is because the actual walls of the shower pod protrude from the walls about 2 inches right the way around, and also the whole corner (maybe 4/5 inches lost) is out of use as this column is filled in, meaning that there is much less space than a conventional shower of the same dimensions, and we noticed the space loss immediately, once the shower was in use, especially when bending down and hitting the walls, etc.

Therefore, we advise caution when choosing the size!

Is the shower pod waterproof?

We have had the shower pod fitted for around a month now, and yes, we can honestly say that the pod is waterproof. We had initially thought where the seams between the top and bottom half of the pod met would carry water along to an exit point, but this has not happened, and so far the shower pod has been totally waterproof, and we don’t expect this to change at the time of writing.

There is a very slight splashing under the doors onto the floor, but that is nothing to be concerned about. As a waterproof shower the pod definitely does it’s job.

Value for money?

Let’s make no bones about it, the shower pod is VERY expensive, but if your main concern is to have a waterproof shower at any cost, then I would recommend it. I am not sure why the cost is as high as it is, because the ‘parts’  themselves would not cost a great deal to manufacture. I think the price is high because Coram have branded themselves as sellers of premium products.

Additional Information:

I must admit, that there were a few niggles I was not happy with, and this was pointed out to Coram who did offer to rectify, but the hassle would have been far more than the problem itself. The issues were that the top part of the pod did not exactly line up with the base, so there was not a perfect straight profile which was disappointing.  Also, the door stop positions are too premature in positioning, which means the door opening is limited, and although I did ask Coram if it were possible to drill additional holes without invalidating the warranty, I never received a reply.

Conclusion of the Coram shower pod?

All in all, the shower does what it was designed to do. It is waterproof, but at a high cost. Please take note of the size recommendations, and issues we had. Would we fit another one? Tricky question, as like I mentioned earlier, if price was no object then this product does what you need, but there is no hiding the fact that the cost is the same as could be paid for a decent second hand car. It really depends on your situation, and finances. Also, to consider, is the fact that the shower pod does come with a lifetime guarantee, which for the price it definitely should!

The main problem I see with the pod, is the water pipes, because once the shower is in place, and screwed and siliconed in, the pipework becomes completely inaccessible. Therefore, if the water pipes were to split, or leak behind the pod, you would have major trouble removing the shower housing quickly to correct the fault.

The above problem, I feel is the main downfall with the Coram Shower Pod.

 

Comments (7)

are they not the same things that you get in caravans. the ones I have been in when on camp sites usually have splits and stuff. are these better build. let me know your findings please.

How easy is it to fit????

I too am interested in how this turns out as am wanting a shower that does not leak.

7 times we have had our silicone seal break on our shower, so I would be very much interested in how this works out with the Coram shower before I buy.

There are a few I am looking at, but this one I need to know is worth the price.

J Watson

I fitted one of these pods myself in my student property last summer, as I was fed up with constantly repairing the silicone seal on a standard shower (with 5 students plus guests in a house the shower was in pretty constant use).

The unit was very strong and well-made, and I have been very pleased with how it has performed, with no problems since fitting. Not at all like a caravan shower, as this is truly heavy-grade fibreglass, not thin plastic. Jim Nardone was very helpful and was available to give advice as needed during installation.

A few small issues I came across:-

There were 3 different sets of installation instructions, which seemed to relate to different parts of the unit and /or different models. I had to keep re-reading to see what related to my version and rationalising the instructions would certainly have simplified things for me.

Installation of the back panel is definitely a 2/3 man job, it it large and awkward to handle as it is a big piece of fibreglass and needs manoeuvring carefully onto the base unit to avoid any damage.

The Speedfit connections to the valve at the back then become completely inaccessible so need to be assembled with care and ideally tested first. I had no problems with them and if you are paying a plumber he will test them, but at the time I had no pressure tester available. You can buy a proper pressure tester for about £30 (also needs a car tyre pump) if you are concerned.

Jim advised me to make really sure the walls are true before fitting which was great advice in retrospect and I spent quite a lot of time installing wooden packing on one wall which leant in a lot (old Victorian house!) You will not get the unit steady and stable, and the doors working properly if you skimp this.

The door stops were not really strong enough for the weight of the heavy duty glass doors hitting them and plastic covers kept popping off. Simply fixed though with a good glob of silicone sealant inside the stops, and no problems since.

Jim also told me to make sure the plumbing is well flushed out before fitting the thermostatic valve, as they are very sensitive to plumbing debris. If you are getting a plumber to do the fitting, make sure he does this properly for you.

MakeMoneyForum Admin

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the excellent review on the shower pod.

Regards

Admin

We have had a Coram 850 fitted and its very small inside from the back corner to the glass front it only measured 67 cm. Anyone large BEWARE
We are in the process of getting it replaced its not suitable.
We are dealing with Showeright and they are not being very helpfull.

Would this pod be suitable for a 600 year old cottage with wooden floor in bedroom and wonky walls. Have been looking for a shower pod for a while. Nervous about leakage?

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