Any plumbering/shower experts out there?

Kronos

Kronos

Kronos

Soldato
Joined
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Location
Edinburgh
We had a new boiler installed a couple of years ago an upgrade from the woefully inadequate back boiler method of heating water. But though the new boiler, now on a wall in the kitchen is far more efficient it is unable to work with a wonderful Mira power shower. This would flay the skin from your bones with its hot water jets but now I still have a Mira but a pathetic electric one which is akin to having a light summer rain shower on my skin.

Can I improve things, can I have somthing installed that will give me a more exhilarating experince? I am trying to get an idea of what my options are if any before approaching a plumber(s) for quotes.
 
First thought is a pump but how that would fit in with an electric shower I don’t know. Presumably what you have is compatible, perhaps check the specs. I would hazard a guess at a few hundred all things in to buy and have installed a pump - to include supply and a days work to fit.
 
Can you describe your system in more detail? Do you have a more traditional system with a water cylinder and vented tank in the loft or is your new boiler a combi, and all your water is heated on demand? It sounds like you have replaced a cylinder system with a combi, a feature of those being that you cannot fit a pump for a "power shower".

Also, do you have both hot and cold feeds to your shower?
 
Zefan said:
Can you describe your system in more detail? Do you have a more traditional system with a water cylinder and vented tank in the loft or is your new boiler a combi, and all your water is heated on demand? It sounds like you have replaced a cylinder system with a combi, a feature of those being that you cannot fit a pump for a "power shower".

Also, do you have both hot and cold feeds to your shower?
Click to expand...

No we do not have a storage tank any longer and it is just a cold feed. And yes it is a combi boiler.
Would a Thermostatic shower mixer be of any use?
 
If it's an electric shower, it will have cold water feed only. The shower heats the water, it's nothing to do with your boiler.

It's not clear from your description what shower your talking about.
 
You could fit a mixer but this would involve running a hot feed to the a valve. What, if any access do you have behind the shower wall ?
 
Mr.E. said:
You could fit a mixer but this would involve running a hot feed to the a valve. What, if any access do you have behind the shower wall ?
Click to expand...
access is not an issue as there is the old hot water tank storage cupboard behind the wall where the shower is.

Would a Thermostatic shower mixer be of any use?
 
I went from an electric shower to a mixer after getting a new combi boiler fitted, the difference is night and day.
 
Your previous Mira had a pump, which is incompatible with a combi. You now have an electric shower, which heats the water internally, and is usually very poor (even a powerful one will give you only 7/8 l/m). You want a thermostatic mixer shower and the hot plumbed in from your combi. Depending on your combi boiler, you should be getting around 10-12 l/m hot.

Assuming your incoming main is able to delivery 15 - 20 l/m, this will give you a very good ~40 degree shower at around 16 l/m, which you'll find far better than your existing electric, and probably on par with your previous Mira pumped shower.
 
I'm not sure why you can't stick with the same old power shower. I'm assuming it also took only a cold feed. If so, I can't think of a reason why you couldn't use one now. As far as I know, only the hot water feed incompatible with a pump on a combi system.

:edit: just properly read the above. If you have both hot and cold feeds then you definitely want a mixer.
 
There is a reason why but I cannot remember what it was but I do remember that when the new boiler was installed so was the electric shower.
 
Power showers are generally designed to be used on low pressure mavity systems hence the need for the pump.

As you had a combi fitted, your hot and cold supplies will be mains pressure so not suitable for a power shower.

Best thing you could do as others have said already is install a mixer valve type shower. Depending on current pipework it might not be too much hassle to swap over and something like a Bristan Artisan is decent and not too expensive.
 
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