Hi all, I have just signed up after almost every web search I've made has brought me to one of the many posts in this very forum. I've learned a lot from reading it all but hoped to presume for a little advice on my specific situation from some of the very helpful people here. I have a small handful of questions, related and not and my gratitude in advance for your advice.
I've just bought my first home, a 3-bed semi in NW. London. At present it has a (traditional) boiler (in the very small kitchen) with a hot water cylinder in the sole bathroom and storage tanks in the loft. I very much would like to get rid of the lot and get a new combi installed in the loft (once it's boarded and old system removed).
After so much research on the web I've come to understand that showers with a combi can be tricky and seem to be almost wholly dependant on mains water pressure which I gather can vary and understand by law cannot be pumped. I know neither what my mains water pressure is, nor how to test it.
In order of preference my priorities are:
Consistently good shower pressure
Hot water on demand
Long-term savings on energy bills
Upfront costs
I've just learned about the Megaflo system and further from this site, the Alpha Flowsmart system. What I don't understand is how these various systems interact and the negatives to each. Would a top of the range combi (Worcester Bosch, Vaillant presumably?) with a megaflo suit my needs? How might they be fitted to best utilise them? What about the Vaillant 937 boiler that has some sort of storage system? I'm of the mindset that perhaps if I have a system that can cope with every water outlet being on simultaneously then I would never need to worry. Is there a downside to overspeccing beyond the upfront costs?
Further, I'm considering having a wet underfloor heating system installed throughout the ground floor (approx. 30-35 m2). Would this affect my choice of boiler?
Lastly, and unrelated to the above, I'm hoping to install a W/C under the stairs (pending what looks like some complicated electrical relocations). It's made complicated by the hall being on the shared wall, not the outer wall and while I don't mind the floor being dug up to run new pipes, I've been advised that there may not be enough of a gradient for the pipe to drop, so might consider a Saniflow system. What is the downside of having a saniflow installed? There is approx. 4 meters from the location to the nearest available drainage and a drop of about 300-350mm without digging anything up. Is that enough for normal pipes?
My apologies for the bulk of text above, I'm a very fast typer. Any advice from the knowledgable professionals or experienced homeowners would be very gratefully received.
I've just bought my first home, a 3-bed semi in NW. London. At present it has a (traditional) boiler (in the very small kitchen) with a hot water cylinder in the sole bathroom and storage tanks in the loft. I very much would like to get rid of the lot and get a new combi installed in the loft (once it's boarded and old system removed).
After so much research on the web I've come to understand that showers with a combi can be tricky and seem to be almost wholly dependant on mains water pressure which I gather can vary and understand by law cannot be pumped. I know neither what my mains water pressure is, nor how to test it.
In order of preference my priorities are:
Consistently good shower pressure
Hot water on demand
Long-term savings on energy bills
Upfront costs
I've just learned about the Megaflo system and further from this site, the Alpha Flowsmart system. What I don't understand is how these various systems interact and the negatives to each. Would a top of the range combi (Worcester Bosch, Vaillant presumably?) with a megaflo suit my needs? How might they be fitted to best utilise them? What about the Vaillant 937 boiler that has some sort of storage system? I'm of the mindset that perhaps if I have a system that can cope with every water outlet being on simultaneously then I would never need to worry. Is there a downside to overspeccing beyond the upfront costs?
Further, I'm considering having a wet underfloor heating system installed throughout the ground floor (approx. 30-35 m2). Would this affect my choice of boiler?
Lastly, and unrelated to the above, I'm hoping to install a W/C under the stairs (pending what looks like some complicated electrical relocations). It's made complicated by the hall being on the shared wall, not the outer wall and while I don't mind the floor being dug up to run new pipes, I've been advised that there may not be enough of a gradient for the pipe to drop, so might consider a Saniflow system. What is the downside of having a saniflow installed? There is approx. 4 meters from the location to the nearest available drainage and a drop of about 300-350mm without digging anything up. Is that enough for normal pipes?
My apologies for the bulk of text above, I'm a very fast typer. Any advice from the knowledgable professionals or experienced homeowners would be very gratefully received.