Thermostatic shower - cold mains + hot gravity = nightmare!

[ezman]

Hi, I so hope someone can help me. Sorry for the length of this post but I'm at my wits end!

My bathrooms being done out right now. I chose and bought the shower, Mira Stylus and now realise that it's not really suitable for my water system. The manual states the pressures should be nominally equal where as my hot is gravity and cold is mains. It also states that it is suitable for 0.1bar pressure and anecdotally works well even at this low pressure.

I need a solution fast.

Now, from my research there are a number of options
1) the best solution: take a supply out of the cold storage tank
Pros: Equal pressures
Cons: My bathroom fitter isn't comfortable doing this. He looked at the tank and said it was galvanised or something. I know this isn't ideal but we're too far down the line to change now and he's doing a great job in all other areas!

2) fit a pressure reducing valve on the mains cold.
Pros: Cheap
Cons: They only seem to go to a minimum of 1 bar, whereas I reckon the hot is at about 0.25 bar. I've seen some that go to 0.5bar but none seem available from PTS, plumbcentre etc.

3) fit a pressure equalizing valve
Pros: these seem to balance out at 0.2 or 0.3 so should do the trick
Cons: None seem locally available. Pricey

4) choose a different shower!
Pros: Get rid of this headache
Cons: What to get instead? I like the Stylus, I want the Stylus!

Any ideas, has anyone successfully achieved option 2 or 3? These are the two I'm drawn to the most. My bathroom fitter thinks the PRV should do the trick but we're really not sure!

Any advice would be really gratefully received believe me! I probably need to make a decision tonight due to bath fit-out schedule.

I'm in Leeds.

Many Thanks,
Ezman

 

[seco services]

1. would be my first choice but then you'll probaly
need a pump as gravity showers aren't to powerful.

2. prv won't go down to anything useally lower than 0.5 bar and if your
showers only just below your loft you'll be lucky to get 0.2 bar off the
gravity supplies.

3. that would be my 2nd choice but then you'll still not have a powerful
shower on only gravity pressures as the cold will be brought down to
the hot pressure

4. your choice but any mixer you may need a pump unless you went
digital or trevi boost which uses cold mains and hot gravity.

 

[ezman]

1. would be my first choice but then you'll probaly
need a pump as gravity showers aren't to powerful.

I'm thinking my first option would be to get a proper plumber to do this job, hopefully the bath fitter wouldn't be offended - is it usually big job? More than an hour or two?

3. that would be my 2nd choice but then you'll still not have a powerful
shower on only gravity pressures as the cold will be brought down to
the hot pressure

Somehow it apparently gives acceptable results even at low pressure, only seen this said on other forums so can't be sure. Also instructions say OK at one bar.

If I go with the cold water feed as a starter, are my options open to fit a pump at a later date if I felt the need?

Many thanks again,
Ezman

 

[seco services]

is it usually big job? More than an hour or two?

not knowing the job but to run the pipework, pump, fused spur etc a good few hours.

Somehow it apparently gives acceptable results even at low pressure, only seen this said on other forums so can't be sure. Also instructions say OK at one bar.

well give it a go by all means.

If I go with the cold water feed as a starter, are my options open to fit a pump at a later date if I felt the need?

Ezman

yes by all means.

 

[ezman]

thanks, that's cleared my mind up quite a bit! I am going for a quote from a plumber tomorrow to get a cold feed off the tank. I'll see how I go with that and if the pressure's too poor will go for a pump.
Thanks again.