Plumbing and showers - silly question.::

[poppet27]

We?ve just moved into a 3 bed, 1 bath house. It has a new Worcester combi boiler, but not a very big one.

We were hoping to install a downstairs loo under the stairs, but otherwise, no plans for a second bathroom for at least 7 years.

Our current shower however, is like a dribble, so we?re having to use baths. It?s just a hose connected to the bath mixer taps. Is there any way to fix this in the short term or will we always have a low pressure problem with a combi system? As we?re updating the bathroom we would like to install a new standalone rain shower, but put off if it?s never going to be powerful.

Do we switch to a a cold water tank system, or is there another way? Thanks neighbours!

[Pickle]

Our shower pressure was awful (although we have a tank, not a combi boiler), so we put in an electric shower with built in pump. Amazing difference, and not overly expensive.

[red devil]

Personally, if you have the space, I'd future proof yourself and install a 'Megaflo' cylinder, which is used in conjunction with a bolier. The boiler heats up the water and it's stored in the cyclinder and released at a balanced pressure, i.e. no drop in pressure if a tap is run while the shower is on etc. The pressure is usually high enough for rain showers. No need for a cold water tank... https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/products/cylinders

[red devil]

More info... https://www.heatraesadia.com/products/cylinders-and-hot-water/unvented-cylinders.htm

[DirtyBox]

What's the pressure like from the bath taps? I recently moved into a new house and the shower was pretty pathetic but the bath was ok, I unscrewed the shower head from the hose and found a flow restrictor had been installed (to save water probably) which I removed and it's now pretty good - we also have a combi boiler.

[ruffers]

red devil Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Personally, if you have the space, I'd future

> proof yourself and install a 'Megaflo' cylinder,

> which is used in conjunction with a bolier. The

> boiler heats up the water and it's stored in the

> cyclinder and released at a balanced pressure,

> i.e. no drop in pressure if a tap is run while the

> shower is on etc. The pressure is usually high

> enough for rain showers. No need for a cold water

> tank...

> https://www.worcester-bosch.co.uk/products/cylinde

> rs

We have a megaflo, and it works perfectly.

[Townleygreen]

a shower pump can be inserted in your water supply to the shower, giving you a great power shower. We've got two, one on 1st and the other on 2nd floors. The ground floor one doesn't need a pump as the pressure from the water tanks on upper floors solves that problem.

[poppet27]

My issue is though, that we have a combi boiler, not water tanks. I don't think you can pump water from a combi boiler as the water is heated as its used.

Do you know if thr Megaflow can be used on a combi? I would really like a powerful shower!

[red devil]

I believe it can, something along the lines of connecting the combi to at least one tap, say a utilty room sink, but speak to a qualified heating engineer e.g. Peter Bennison, John Powers, McHow, all regularly recommended on here...

[poppet27]

Thanks, I will do.

[BoilerEngineer]

poppet27 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> We?ve just moved into a 3 bed, 1 bath house. It

> has a new Worcester combi boiler, but not a very

> big one.

> We were hoping to install a downstairs loo under

> the stairs, but otherwise, no plans for a second

> bathroom for at least 7 years.

>

> Our current shower however, is like a dribble, so

> we?re having to use baths. It?s just a hose

> connected to the bath mixer taps. Is there any way

> to fix this in the short term or will we always

> have a low pressure problem with a combi system?

> As we?re updating the bathroom we would like to

> install a new standalone rain shower, but put off

> if it?s never going to be powerful.

>

> Do we switch to a a cold water tank system, or is

> there another way? Thanks neighbours!

A combi boiler will not be able to produce all the hot water you need. This means you will not get enough hot water out of all of your taps at the same time. You would be better suited to a system with a hot-water cylinder. Combi boilers are not necessarily suitable for every home.

[malumbu]

Electric shower. Bit old school but heats up mains water. Need a separate high ampage powere supply. Would have done this mayself once. I know what I am doing but I expect in wet areas you need to be qualified to put in new electric cabling.

Here's some stuff

http://www.which.co.uk/reviews/electric-showers/article/electric-shower-installation-guide