power shower or pump - advice needed

[rob_thomson]

hi,

just discovered this forum, looks like a mine of great information. this question might have been asked on here before but to save me trawling while i'm at work...

we currently have a Triton LP shower - it's rubbish! I want to upgrade, and am considering either a power shower or a pump. I've had a couple of plumbers in to give me an estimate, both of them tried to put me off the power shower & only really talked about installing a pump. One guy has given me a verbal quote of £800 (as I scraped myself off the floor he told me that for that money I would be "getting the best" (gee, thanks!) and I got the other quote through yesterday - supply & fit 1 x New Team twin impeller pump, supply & fit 1 x Triton HP valve- £620 + VAT - I priced the parts last night and reckon I could buy myself the same pump & an entire new Triton HP mixer shower for approx 300 quid, inc VAT, delivered - are these guys seriously expecting me to pay £400+ for the installation? How hard can it be?

Also - I don't understand why they seem so keen to go with the pump option rather than a power shower - is the pump easier to fit, or is it just easier to charge more for the pump option? I'm quite keen on a thermostatic power shower, something like a Mira Event XS, but like I said, both plumbers I've spoken to have tried to put me off. (I realise that if I change the actual shower I will need to put some new tiles up, this is not a problem) As far as the electrics go, we have lights (obviously) and an extractor fan in the bathroom, both controlled by a switch on wall just outside outside the bathroom door - presumably a sparky could take a spur off of this supply? As for the plumbing - we have a low pressure system, boiler in the kitchen, hot water tank in the airing cupboard (same level as bathroom), cold tank in the loft. The hot pipes come out of the airing cupboard, into the loft, & drop down behind a stud partition wall into the bathroom (it's this wall that the shower is mounted on)


Would really appreciate any advice from you guys

Rob

 

[kevplumb]

err the difference between fitting a pump and a power shower is ???????????????????????

 

[pannierstan]

I have just quoted for a New Team pump on a Mira shower and including everthing bar the power supply as he needs a sparky for that I came in at under Half you first quote.

My question is why do you need a new shower. Just put the pump on the one you have. It doesnt need to withstand High pressure as its only under pressure of the pump not the mains.

I might be totally wrong as I am not familiar with the Triton you mention but I think they are definatly on the high side.

Stan

 

[pannierstan]

err the difference between fitting a pump and a power shower is ???????????????????????

Quite right Kev .

The only powershower I remember is the old SUPAJET crap that BG used to install

Stan

 

[rob_thomson]

err the difference between fitting a pump and a power shower is ???????????????????????

that i don't know - i was hoping for some advice. i was leaning towards the power shower cos i'd heard that pumps can be noisy, and it'd have to go in the airing cupboard, right between 2 bedrooms. performance wise, is there much difference between the 2 options? (all i want is a good dowsing when you get in the shower, rather than the drip... drip.. we currently get - don't really care if this comes from a power shower or a pump)

stan - if a pump would give us good enough pressure i'd be happy to use the shower we have. but i guess i need to try & find out if the LP shower we have could handle the pressure from the pump.

whatever - it sounds like the guys i've had round are at it with their quotes

cheers for the replies

 

[kevplumb]

your so called "power shower" has the pump built in personally i would sooner have it remote

but such is life

 

[Sider]

rob.

Could have sworn I just posted this but have you considered installing an unvented cylinder ??.

 

[rob_thomson]

Sider – don’t really know too much about unvented cylinders, was just going on advice I’d been given which was install either a pump or a power shower.

seems like the pump is the way to go, although Triton have told me I will need to change the cartridge & housing on my current LP mixer shower to either a pumped LP or an HP mixer.
(still not convinced this warrants a quote of £620 +VAT)

 

[pannierstan]

If you check the specs for the Newteam Duraspeed for example it clearly stipulates that they can be used on LP shower installs.

Stan

 

[rob_thomson]

i found the spec for the shower we have & it states it's safe operating range is 0.1 - 1.0 bar, the Duraspeed pump is rated at 1.5 bar