Combi Boiler,Shower Pressure Crap and Pipes too Small

[shlondon]

Hi,

I am looking to install a new shower. I have a combi boiler on the ground floor a thermostatic shower on the second floor and pipes that feed it of 15mm...the pressure into the property is average (over the 1 bar requirement).

It has been recommended that I need to upgrade the pipes to 22mm and could either redirect the pipes off the mains and install a good quality electric shower or just upgrade the pipes to the current shower unit.

As the pressure is just OK and if I use any other water elsewhere in the porperty the shower reduces to a dribble I am tending to favour the electric shower option.

Does anyone out there have any recommendations or could provide a quote to do the job.....I am in SW2 and want it done by the end of January.

Thanks

S

 

[kevplumb]

1 bar is pressure you need to measure flowrate
ie not how fast how much if you fit an electric shower you will still have the same prob if another tap is on

 

[shlondon]

1 bar is pressure you need to measure flowrate
ie not how fast how much if you fit an electric shower you will still have the same prob if another tap is on

Sorry I am not a plumber....and a mere female at that!!! It was my understanding that 1 bar (or so many litres per minute) is the pressure / amount of water that comes in off the street and if this is not high enough it will affect your system whatever it is (unless a conventional boiler system that has a storage tank)

Are you implying that there is no way to improve my shower??

S

 

[kevplumb]

in a word no
making pipes bigger will reduce the resistance to flow it wont improve the pressure

 

[fitz1]

renew outside cold main.only sure way to improve pressure.wot is the manufacturers hot water flow rate for combi(in instuctions)or what boiler make and size.

 

[ChrisR]

Complete waste of time making your pipes bigger than 15mm inside the house. Combis are usually 24kW. Max electric shower is about 11 kW. ie combi shower is twice+ as good. Electric shower only uses about 4 litres a min of water though, so will be less affected by turning tap on elsewhere.

An aside - some combis don't work very well on only 1 bar. What is yours?

SW2 ugh! What's the parking like?