New Boiler - 1 weeks old and problems already need some help

[mbell]

I have recently opted to have my old (28 yrs) boiler and hot and cold water tanks replaced for a Potterton Performa 30HE. I was told this would give me hot water on demand and would be a huge improvement from my old system. I was also told that a third floor attic room would now be able to have a rad fitted as it would all be on mains pressure with the new combi boiler!
After the work was finished i was happy the rad where working and the new rad on the third floor was making a once cold room very hot
However I have always been someone who enjoys having a really great shower and the old system had a really great pump fitted under the bath and a thermostatic mixer bar shower. This pump also pumped the water to the bath taps and it was fantastic the shower was one of the best pressure power showers I had ever used and the bath filled up in 2 -3 minutes. Anyway i was promised the new system would be the same if not better but oh no it is worse the pressure in this bathroom through my old shower which is now mains connected is terrible with a lot less pressure and the shower is luke warm on the highest setting in fact i have had to turn the water temp gauge on the boiler to the maximum and this is still not making it any hotter. Also when someone flushes the toiler in my upstairs bathroom or washes the dishes or puts the washing machine on the shower goes cold or hot! Can anyone give me some ideas as to what i need to do to get this working better as I feel like the old haggard bulky system worked great and now the modern one is not doing the job.
I wondered if the boiler just isn't good enough or if something has not been fitted correctly. someone told me you can by pass the shower control temperature if this is correct how would i do this? thanks for any help that can be offered!

 

[Dan Robinson]

You are expecting too much from the boiler. Not necessarily the boilers fault but that of the installer who did not explain the capabilities of the boiler and no doubt didn't measure the mains supply.

 

[swidders]

I have recently opted to have my old (28 yrs) boiler and hot and cold water tanks replaced for a Potterton Performa 30HE. I was told this would give me hot water on demand and would be a huge improvement from my old system. I was also told that a third floor attic room would now be able to have a rad fitted as it would all be on mains pressure with the new combi boiler!

Not strictly true - the system is pressurised, which you will have to top up now and again. But there are not extra tanks in the loft.

However I have always been someone who enjoys having a really great shower and the old system had a really great pump fitted under the bath and a thermostatic mixer bar shower. This pump also pumped the water to the bath taps and it was fantastic the shower was one of the best pressure power showers I had ever used and the bath filled up in 2 -3 minutes. Anyway i was promised the new system would be the same if not better but oh no it is worse the pressure in this bathroom through my old shower which is now mains connected is terrible with a lot less pressure and the shower is luke warm on the highest setting in fact i have had to turn the water temp gauge on the boiler to the maximum and this is still not making it any hotter.

This comes from the design of the combi - it can only work with what it's given and can only heat water at a certain rate. If you want hotter water, then partially turn down the mains pressure into it (via the isolator valve near it if fitted). But bear in mind that mains water temperature does fluctuate throughout the year.

Also when someone flushes the toiler in my upstairs bathroom or washes the dishes or puts the washing machine on the shower goes cold or hot! Can anyone give me some ideas as to what i need to do to get this working better as I feel like the old haggard bulky system worked great and now the modern one is not doing the job.

By the nature of sharing water, this is always prone to happen

I wondered if the boiler just isn't good enough or if something has not been fitted correctly. someone told me you can by pass the shower control temperature if this is correct how would i do this? thanks for any help that can be offered!

Not sure what you mean here about bypassing - unless you mean adjusting the set thermostatic temperature within the shower mixer valve.

 

[mbell]

I have recently opted to have my old (28 yrs) boiler and hot and cold water tanks replaced for a Potterton Performa 30HE. I was told this would give me hot water on demand and would be a huge improvement from my old system. I was also told that a third floor attic room would now be able to have a rad fitted as it would all be on mains pressure with the new combi boiler!

Not strictly true - the system is pressurised, which you will have to top up now and again. But there are not extra tanks in the loft.

However I have always been someone who enjoys having a really great shower and the old system had a really great pump fitted under the bath and a thermostatic mixer bar shower. This pump also pumped the water to the bath taps and it was fantastic the shower was one of the best pressure power showers I had ever used and the bath filled up in 2 -3 minutes. Anyway i was promised the new system would be the same if not better but oh no it is worse the pressure in this bathroom through my old shower which is now mains connected is terrible with a lot less pressure and the shower is luke warm on the highest setting in fact i have had to turn the water temp gauge on the boiler to the maximum and this is still not making it any hotter.

This comes from the design of the combi - it can only work with what it's given and can only heat water at a certain rate. If you want hotter water, then partially turn down the mains pressure into it (via the isolator valve near it if fitted). But bear in mind that mains water temperature does fluctuate throughout the year.

Also when someone flushes the toiler in my upstairs bathroom or washes the dishes or puts the washing machine on the shower goes cold or hot! Can anyone give me some ideas as to what i need to do to get this working better as I feel like the old haggard bulky system worked great and now the modern one is not doing the job.

By the nature of sharing water, this is always prone to happen

I wondered if the boiler just isn't good enough or if something has not been fitted correctly. someone told me you can by pass the shower control temperature if this is correct how would i do this? thanks for any help that can be offered!

Not sure what you mean here about bypassing - unless you mean adjusting the set thermostatic temperature within the shower mixer valve.

Thanks for this info when i meant about the temperature bypass i thought you can play around with the temperature setting on the shower thermostat just dont know how to get the end of it by the temperature control it is one of them chrome bar like ones! thanks again - oh yeah also can a megaflow be added to a combi system and can this improve as i have a second bathroom i want to have this refurbished and want to put a very powerful walk in shower in. Any help ideas on this would be great. Believe me the old shower pump was great!

 

[Dan Robinson]

Did your installer know about the second bathroom?

Yes a megaflo (if you must) can be added to the system later.

You need to know the capacity of your mains supply first.

You need to give more details of your shower. Some can be over-ridden.

 

[mbell]

Did your installer know about the second bathroom?

Yes a megaflo (if you must) can be added to the system later.

You need to know the capacity of your mains supply first.

You need to give more details of your shower. Some can be over-ridden.

yes he knew about the second bathroom he ripped out the old tanks from this room

I can't find any serial number on the shower but am going to the shop where i purchased it but that was about 3 years ago.

How do i find out the capacity of my mains supply?

The installer mentioned that he could look at checking if the mains pressure stop tap to my house by the front path can be turned up! Is this right or will it do anything?

 

[swidders]

some bar mixers can be adjusted by removing the temperature knob (scre under plastic cap) and repositioning the knob or turning a grubscrew within.

not much you can do about the pressure now - unless you replace the incoming mains pie, but then you still have the problem of how quickly the combi can heat up the water.

 

[swidders]

How do i find out the capacity of my mains supply?

The installer mentioned that he could look at checking if the mains pressure stop tap to my house by the front path can be turned up! Is this right or will it do anything?

Pressure gauge to find - er - pressure
Flow rate - time how long it fills a bucket.

 

[Dan Robinson]

Put the pressure gauge on the washing machine valve, then run a tap - see what the pressure changes to.

The bigger the drop the bigger your problem.

It you can do the same but with the pressure gauge upstairs.


Same thing - if the pressure drops to nothing then you are stuffed.

You want about 3 bar (2 is a miniumum) and hardly any drop.

If the pressure starts off high and then falls dramatically you need to upgrade the water main.

 

[powermaxer]

that reminds me of a job i had done many years ago by,no i am not going to mention them but their core business was to sell natural g?s.
had a vulcan boiler,cylinder and pumped hot & cold to 2 showers.
sales man sold me a worcester wall mounted combi with 2 pumps.1 for heating and 1 for pumping hot water,his actual words.
after fitting no flow to showers,got them back and i was told it was working correctly as ample hot water to bath taps.
anyway i got legal advice and got a quotation to restore showers,this involved fitting an unvented cylinder at a cost of £2000.00.
above unmentioned company setteled in 5 days,yes they sent me a nice cheque.
salesmen only sell.
good luck.

 

[Agile]

Your stupid combi boiler is limited by its ability to heat wtaer fast enough. About 13 litres per minute.

That pronlem is matched by your limited mains water supply flow rate which is pretty much the same.

That means a megaflow is going to have the same limitation as the mains water supply is providing all the pressure and flow.

The only correct solution is to add a new cistern, open vented cylinder and shower pump! You will then get your shower and bath filling performance back.

I really dont know how these totally inadequate installers get away with it!

Tony

 

[Dan Robinson]

What about a break tank system?

Or even an accumulator.

 

[mbell]

Your stupid combi boiler is limited by its ability to heat wtaer fast enough. About 13 litres per minute.

That pronlem is matched by your limited mains water supply flow rate which is pretty much the same.

That means a megaflow is going to have the same limitation as the mains water supply is providing all the pressure and flow.

The only correct solution is to add a new cistern, open vented cylinder and shower pump! You will then get your shower and bath filling performance back.

I really dont know how these totally inadequate installers get away with it!

Tony

Thank for this useful informartion i am to blame a little as i always thought combis where better but now i know better. this cistern and open vented cylinder and shower pump can all of this be added to the new potterton boiler ? I am becoming more frustrated each day and today ended up showering at my local gym becuase the water pressure and temprature is incredibly bad. Having spent all of this money i have gone backwards and still have the second bathroom to refurb and want a super shower in here which i presume is now impossible.
If anyone can advise exact modifications required to get this whole system back up to a decent standard.
My installer mentioned the shower i have is probably a cheap one however i disagree plus when it was connected to the old tanked system with the showermate shower pump it was fantastic, the temperature changing and pressure was brilliant! anyway look forward to your advise.
Cheers, Mark

 

[Agile]

The only correct solution is to add a new cistern, open vented cylinder and shower pump! You will then get your shower and bath filling performance back.

Tony

this cistern and open vented cylinder and shower pump can all of this be added to the new potterton boiler ?

Having spent all of this money i have gone backwards and still have the second bathroom to refurb and want a super shower in here which i presume is now impossible.

If anyone can advise exact modifications required to get this whole system back up to a decent standard.

Cheers, Mark

The vented cylinder can supply two bathrooms, better to have agood size cylinder though, and can be heated ( with the right controls ) by your existing combi.

The combi can be left feeding the kitchen and also a downstairs clockroom.

Tony

 

[bhm1712]

no unhelpful posts or abuse here.... unless the guys combi boiler was offended by being called stupid

my mother was going to have BG install a combi and they were not going to check the mains water pressure or flow, she had the local plumber measure and the water pressure was less than 2 bar and had a drop of almost 1 bar when running a tap downstairs, needless to say she was advised to have a regular boiler instead, BG however didnt see a problem with 2 bar and 1 bar drop!
it goes to show that certain installers do not care about the end product and do not care about the quality of workmanship, which only leads to a bad reputation in time