Shower help!

Musty Pie

Musty Pie

Musty Pie

Soldato
Joined
6 Jan 2009
Posts
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Location
Hertfordshire
Good evening all, for those who do not know (as per my other thread) I have just purchased my first house.

Now after taking a few showers in the new place I am a bit disappointed with the water pressure from our shower.

I am a complete plumbing novice but we have a pretty simple set up from what I can see.

Our boiler is a Combi Boiler: Worcester greenstar 28i junior.
Shower is a mixer shower : Mira Minilite eco

We only have 1 bathroom which is downstairs and the only places with open running taps are all downstairs too (kitchen and bathroom)

The water pressure to the taps seems ok. The stopcock tap is fully open but the pressure it just rubbish in the shower.

Is this because its an eco model shower? Would changing the head give a better flow? Would I need a new shower? Is there anything I can check?

Help please, I am so used to an invigorating shower, having a wet hot trickle is not doing it for me :D
 
Also in addition to this I have checked the manual for our mixer shower online and it looks like there is a pressure flow regulator in there to restrict flow and save on water. Seeing as its only me and the misses and I shower once a day, and so does she, would it be safe to looking into removing this valve to see if we get better flow?
 
This is why I always avoid anything that says 'eco' in it. I care about a decent shower, not about saving water while I'm showering :rolleyes:.

I would definitely try a normal shower head. The flow restrictor is a bit trickier as it may be required to balance the hot and cold supplies. I'd download the PDF manual from Mira for your valve and read what it says about flow restrictors, then remove if appropriate.

Edit - just to clarify the above, iirc my Mira Pace EV mentioned something about a restrictor being required if pressure is very high on one or both supplies.
 
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Yeah I checked the Mira site and it looks like the temp is set via a different valve. The flow regulator is just to restrict water flow.

I will do a bit more digging before I go and commit to anything drastic (like ruining the current shower or replacing it.)

Any plumbers want to chime in with their 2 pence?
 
How is changing the shower head or removing the flow restrictor(s) drastic?! How can you ruin it by removing a small piece of plastic from the inlet or connecting a different shower head?

Just get it done. Your combi is more than capable of delivering a very good shower.
 
Mira Minilite eco mixer valve has different colour flow restrictors, the orginal black one is rated at around 6 ltrs a minute, there was supplied with the shower a additional restrictor which gave around 9 ltrs a minute, can't remember the colour.

Check which mixer valve / shower head you have, there are at least six or more different restrictors available/ fitted depending on the model.

EDIT: See link, user guide, more details there about flow/ restrictors.

http://www.mirashowers.co.uk/onlinecatalog/detail.htm?productNumber=1.1663.239
 
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Well I don't want to restrict flow more... Its pap already but at least its warm so I know the boiler is igniting?

Will check it out a bit more tomorrow.
 
28I junior delivers 10L/sec @ 40degrees so the flow rate from it should be fine. Our 40cdi does 17L/sec and it runs two showers comfortably.
 
LOAM said:
28I junior delivers 10L/sec @ 40degrees so the flow rate from it should be fine. Our 40cdi does 17L/sec and it runs two showers comfortably.
Click to expand...

But, with some Combi's they can't heat hot water fast enough if you draw it off very fast for a shower, & sometimes problems arise when taps used at same time, with reduce flow & luke warm water.

The more powerful the boiler, will usually give a higher hot water flow rate.
 
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