Popular even among interior designers, the shower drainage channel is a functional solution that also has an aesthetic appeal
Featuring topics:
- What is a shower drainage channel?
- How does a shower drainage unit work?
- Shower drainage channel: types and models
- Advantages and benefits
- Customisation
- The best shower drainage channels of 2021
- Shower drainage channel: prices
Even when it comes to furnishing the bathroom, elegance and practicality never take a back seat. The choice is always rewarding, especially when preference is given to functional solutions that also offer aesthetic benefits. This is precisely the case with the shower drainage channel, a little revolution for the new generation of enclosures, increasingly refined, visually attractive and practical like those proposed in the Ercos collections.
What makes it so special? Let’s discover everything you need to know and why it should be a key element of your shower enclosure.
What is a shower drainage channel?
Currently there are different types of shower drains: the most common and conventional ones are those with a drain trap or a siphoid drain in the middle of the shower tray. Over the last few years, as an alternative to the more traditional systems, shower drainage channels have become popular, especially for large shower trays or flush-to-floor showers.
What is a channel? Also known as a gutter, this is simply an innovative shower drainage system, designed to allow water to flow sideways out of the tray through one or more grooves, more discreetly and in a less visible way.
How does a shower drainage unit work?
The operation of a shower drainage gutter requires the presence of a groove, often sloping, that allows the water to drain and collect in a channel connected directly to the domestic plumbing system. It is usually fitted with a removable steel or aluminium grating, which performs the dual function of allowing the water to flow out and collecting hair and debris, preventing the drain from clogging up.
The structure is created so that the drain trap is almost invisible, giving a better aesthetic result than traditional systems. The most innovative types are equipped with a swivelling trap that adapts perfectly to the structural requirements of the shower enclosure. Tileable shower drains are preferable, since they allow the drain to integrate perfectly with the material of the shower tray or floor.
Shower drainage channel: types and models
Depending on their structure and where they are installed inside the enclosure, two main types can be distinguished:
- floor shower drainage channel, placed along one or more sides of the tray or flush with the floor;
- wall-fitted shower drainage channel, to be installed directly into the wall cavity for an even more minimal and discreet solution.
Advantages and benefits
If you want to make a comparison with traditional models, you might ask yourself: why opt for a shower drainage channel? The answer lies in the many advantages and benefits of this system. The main ones are:
- reduced visual impact: by keeping the drain hidden, it provides a discreet, functional solution that is perfect for the most elegant and refined furnishing choices;
- hygiene and safety: the removable grating makes it is easy to clean and allows dirt to be filtered and collected easily and safely;
- easy to install: especially if it has an integrated slope, it is easy to install and almost always has an interlocking structure that makes it even easier to assemble;
- adjustable: the drainage system can be easily adjusted in length and adapted to the size and specifications of the shower for which it is intended.
Customisation
Another advantage of shower control units is that they can be customised for a wide range of needs. As mentioned previously, it is possible to use a cover for the drain made from the same material as the shower tray, the floor or the wall on which it will be installed, providing a better aesthetic result. From stone-effect porcelain stoneware to the most common ceramic tiles, with the possibility of reproducing mosaics and other decorations.
Other customisation options are provided by drain grates, which are now available in a range of materials and finishes or with holes with decorative motifs. There are also “double-face” grates, which are chrome-plated on one side and can be filled on the other (they have a C-shaped cross section) using the same tiles as the floor, cut to size. A series of solutions that can be integrated harmoniously into the design choices for your bathroom.
The best shower drainage channels of 2021
If we want to draw up a list of the best shower drains of 2021, we need to take various factors into account such as cost, material, ease of installation and design.
The most popular models at the moment include shower gutters with a tileable panel made of stainless steel, for greater strength, and fitted with an anti-odour trap, hair filter and floor drain. Another sought-after model is the stainless steel shower gutter with drainage outlet and perimeter flange. Shower drains with a self-cleaning filter for maximum hygiene are also very popular.
Shower drainage channel: prices
Prices of shower drains can vary considerably depending on the model chosen, the material and the type of installation required.
On average, the price can vary from about EUR 50 for drainage channel models with a flat aluminium trap to more than EUR 250 for design versions of shower drainage channels made with high quality materials, refined finishes and anti-odour and self-cleaning filtering systems.