Yet another power-shower question

[scooby56]

Hi board,
Im sorry if this has been answered before, ive looked for posts on the subject but always seem to find old posts (200-2003) that dont quite answer my specifics.

My hot water is supplied by combi
I would like to install a power shower if possible but doubt i could manage/justify installing a hot water tank purely for this. I could however - with help install a cold water tank in the loft.

Is there such a thing as a 'power-shower' which pumps and heats cold water supply (tank fed) and mixes with (non pumped) combi boiler fed hot water? This would provide good pressure, no?

If so - then can anyone provide an example cos id like to buy one.

If not - thought on why? -
I should invent it

Cheers.

 

[Dan Robinson]

My I humbly suggest you search a little harder...

//www.diynot.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=95725

 

[scooby56]

Thanks for your reply Dan,

My query is slightly different -
He would like a unit supporting cold feed only.

I was thinking of something that combines heated/pumped tank feed (cold) with combi fed hot for improved flow...

outcome = power-shower requiring only 1 tank
Cheers

 

[ChrisR]

WHat are you going to heat the water from the cold tank with - how about a second combi!?

The limit to the shoosh in the shower is the hot water availability, in other words the power of the combi

 

[Dan Robinson]

heated/pumped tank feed (cold)

whats that then?

You can not pump mains water.

You can not (practically) draw two hot sources. Especially one from the mains and one pumped from a tank.

Why do you need all this anyway? Whats wrong with your current shower?

What Kw is you combi boiler? Even a lowly 24kW boiler should give you a passable shower @ 9 litres per minute.

There is a difference between pressure and flow - I suspect you are confusing the two.


There are various rules that would prevent you inventing one - backflow prevention would be an issue for starters.

 

[scooby56]

whats that then?

I have seen pumped electric showers recomended by some.

You can not pump mains water.

I neve suggested pumping mains - I realise this is illegal.

You can not (practically) draw two hot sources. Especially one from the mains and one pumped from a tank.

Fair comment - this is why I'm here.

Why do you need all this anyway?

You wouldn't make a good salesman - why does anyone need a powershower.

Whats wrong with your current shower?

I will be soon replacing my bathroom suite - I prefer to shower so would like to improve this experience. - my current electric shower bareley rinses loose hairs off. The combi has been there since we moved in and is not the best.


Im maybe best going for a regular mixer shower cold fed from header and hot from current combi. Can you see any issues with this?

Just trying to make the best with what ive got.

Cheers.

 

[Steady]

No offence intended but you do not seem to understand the various showering options available to you.

If you have a combi boiler then your mixer shower would take cold from the mains and hot from the boiler- both supplies are at mains pressure so your showering experience should be far superior to an electric shower.

You do not need or want a cold tank in the loft ,a pump or any other cr*p.
Just take the shower off the combi- 5 million users can't be wrong!

Never come across anything similar to what you are proposing. Am sure other contributors will say the same.

 

[scooby56]

...you do not seem to understand the various showering options available to you...

Im no plumber, I'm trying to get a grip on the options i have.

It would appear im wrong in thinking a seperate header for cold would be better because it would allow full access to mains bandwidth

These questions may seem silly to some but you see - if I knew the answers, I wouldn't need to be here - maybe theres a forum for people with less knowledge on plumbing.

Mains in my area seems to have pretty good preasure. My problem is hot water in my house is quite poor (down to combi - i know). I was hoping this peformance could be improved with some sort of mixer with heating capability

Just to confirm - Mains supply is good to supply combi simutaneously as cold supply to mixer.

Thanks for help guys - Ill go for this.

 

[Steady]

Remember that even though the hot supply from your combi at your taps might seem poor this won't be so noticeable at your shower- even 8 to 9 litres per minute from the combi (which is low by current standards)provides a good shower.

 

[Softus]

scooby56, people are trying to help you, but you haven't stated your basic problem at all clearly. For example:

My hot water is supplied by combi
I would like to install a power shower if possible but doubt i could manage/justify installing a hot water tank purely for this. I could however - with help install a cold water tank in the loft.

...doesn't actually give anyone anything they can get their teeth into.

This forum doesn't need you to have any plumbing knowledge, just an ability to say what's wrong and to describe your existing installation.

It would be much easier if you said whatever the problem is that you're trying to solve. For example, do you have an existing shower running from the combi, but are disappointed with it? If so, which combi do you have?

Or have you decided that you want a pumped shower, at any cost, and you want advice on how to achieve that?

Or what?

In the meantime, the answer to this question:

Is there such a thing as a 'power-shower' which pumps and heats cold water supply (tank fed) and mixes with (non pumped) combi boiler fed hot water? This would provide good pressure, no?

...is "no".

If so - then can anyone provide an example cos id like to buy one.

If not - thought on why?

Because this setup would mix hot water with hot water and deliver nothing but hot water onto your rapidly melting epidermis.

If you have your heart set on pumping then you need to store either cold water or hot water. If you decide to store cold then put a break tank in the loft and use a Mira Elite. If hot, then you have an almost unlimited choice of pumps and valves.

 

[Dan Robinson]

old posts (200-2003) that dont quite answer my specifics.

Having read your last replies Scooby; I would say tha tthe above statement is very wrong. This answer has been answered.

You will simply need to get rid of your cr@ppy electrci shower, install a half decent mixer valve with mains cold and combi fed hot. You'll get a much better shower experience/

Then, if and when you change the boiler, you can upgrade that to a more powerful and efficeint model and get an even better shower experience.



Problem solved.

 

[scooby56]

Dan,

I will take your (an others) advise.

On that note can anyone recomend a mixer shower or are they all much alike?

for example I (think I) read somewhere that a thermostatically controled shower reduces flow.

If thats bullpoo, I like the look of this:
http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/1050-17295

with this suite.
http://www.plumbworld.co.uk/1767-16988

anyone know of any deals at the moment or recomend a retailer?

Thanks everyone for you input.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Definately use a thermostaic shower - it'll be much more confortable (assuming you have afully modualting combi - make/model?

Aqualisa and Mira are fine. Crosswater are excellant.

 

[scooby56]

Dan,

Shower:
gainsborough impulse 9.5kw

Boiler:
Saunier Duval, Theila 23. manual (pdf).
From the looks of things, this is less than a lowly 24kw specimine.

quick squint on ebay turned up this crosswater shower kit and valve... would i need anything else?.... id like to keep close to 200 notes for the shower if possible.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Shower looks fine. You could always change the head if performance is not quite what you like.

Seriously think about changing that wreck of a boiler in the near future too.