Hi all,
I have a Greenstar Junior 28i combi boiler in my house. We moved in in May, and after putting in a thermostatic shower mixer upstairs, found that the hot water temp/pressure was poor but just about usable. We put this down to having a small boiler (the house is 4-bed, which seems a wee bit too large for a boiler this size). We recently endured about two months without the shower, due to a leaky connection on the valve virtually destroying the tiling job, leading to a protracted repair job (protracted because we were skint, and couldn't afford the quick repair). Now that the leak has been fixed and the wall retiled, I've been unable to get a decent shower out of it. When the hot water is coming through, it's tepid at best, and it doesn't take long for the hot to switch off altogether. If I open up the valve to full pressure, it will only give cold.
So, long story short, shower was below average, out of action for a while, it's now not usable at all. The water pressure hasn't changed much, but it's considerably colder.
My layman's diagnosis is: mains pressure is too high. I don't have any figures, but the cold pressure is significantly higher than the hot. The shower experience is noticeably colder now than it was three months ago because the cold water is a lot colder, thereby reducing the overall temp. Is this a daft conclusion?
Can anyone shed light on the likelihood of alternative causes? Could it be the diverter valve (I have run the hot water continuously at the kitchen tap, and seen the burner switch off after thirty or forty seconds, though this might be normal for all I know)? Is the boiler just too small? Could the valve be buggered?
If the mains pressure is too high, will a pressure-reducing valve improve the shower experience, or could it kill it off completely?
And before anyone asks: yes, the temperature control on the valve is all the way over to the hot side, and is not being stopped by the over-ride switch.
Many thanks in advance for your help, and apologies for any vagueness.
I have a Greenstar Junior 28i combi boiler in my house. We moved in in May, and after putting in a thermostatic shower mixer upstairs, found that the hot water temp/pressure was poor but just about usable. We put this down to having a small boiler (the house is 4-bed, which seems a wee bit too large for a boiler this size). We recently endured about two months without the shower, due to a leaky connection on the valve virtually destroying the tiling job, leading to a protracted repair job (protracted because we were skint, and couldn't afford the quick repair). Now that the leak has been fixed and the wall retiled, I've been unable to get a decent shower out of it. When the hot water is coming through, it's tepid at best, and it doesn't take long for the hot to switch off altogether. If I open up the valve to full pressure, it will only give cold.
So, long story short, shower was below average, out of action for a while, it's now not usable at all. The water pressure hasn't changed much, but it's considerably colder.
My layman's diagnosis is: mains pressure is too high. I don't have any figures, but the cold pressure is significantly higher than the hot. The shower experience is noticeably colder now than it was three months ago because the cold water is a lot colder, thereby reducing the overall temp. Is this a daft conclusion?
Can anyone shed light on the likelihood of alternative causes? Could it be the diverter valve (I have run the hot water continuously at the kitchen tap, and seen the burner switch off after thirty or forty seconds, though this might be normal for all I know)? Is the boiler just too small? Could the valve be buggered?
If the mains pressure is too high, will a pressure-reducing valve improve the shower experience, or could it kill it off completely?
And before anyone asks: yes, the temperature control on the valve is all the way over to the hot side, and is not being stopped by the over-ride switch.
Many thanks in advance for your help, and apologies for any vagueness.