shower water pressure

tmnelson · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:56 pm Post Subject: shower water pressure

In summer when water pressure is low, the water temperature is scalding!! We have a gainsborough energy 2000x shower with a cold water feed[shower heats the water itself] from a combi boiler situated on ground floor. Can we install a pump to improve the flow ?? will be grateful for any helpful replies- Thanks.

Softus · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:18 pm Post Subject: Re: shower water pressure

tmnelson wrote:

In summer when water pressure is low, the water temperature is scalding!! We have a gainsborough energy 2000x shower with a cold water feed[shower heats the water itself] from a combi boiler situated on ground floor.

What?! Cold water doesn't come out of combi boilers.

And if you have an electric shower then you shouldn't feed it from the combi!

Quote:

Can we install a pump to improve the flow ??

Not unless you have some stored water somewhere....

tmnelson · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 8:16 pm Post Subject: shower water pressure

sorry I assumed that the water supply came via the combi boiler, not from a main feed. We don't have a tank in the loft though it was removed when the combi boiler was installed. the shower was installed at a later date, is this type not compatible ?

Spark123 · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 9:01 pm Post Subject:

I think what softus is meaning that you wouldn't feed an electric shower from a combi boiler as the shower heats the water itself. A normal electric shower requires a mains water feed, not from a header tank although it is possible to buy an electric shower which has an internal pump which must be fed from a header tank. These can be installed where there is a water pressure problem.
IIRC there is a rule which prohibits pumping water from the mains, our plumbing friends will likely know better.

Softus · Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2006 10:22 pm Post Subject:

The Water Regulations prohibit pumping from the mains at anything above a tiny tate (0.5 l/minute or something - I forget the precise figure). This is to prevent a low pressure condition in the mains that could drag in impurities and/or create a syphon elsewhere.

Are you saying that you can't reduce the temperature on the shower, to be below "scalding"? If not then the shower is faulty and needs to be fixed.

tmnelson · Posted: Fri Jul 21, 2006 11:40 pm Post Subject: shower water pressure

Usually when the weather is 'normal', the temperature/ flow rate is ok but in the summer even with the shower set to low and the gauge turned to cold, the water is still far too hot.

chrishutt · Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 7:03 am Post Subject:

Sounds like a fault with the shower. Could it just be that the shower head is blocked? Remove the head from the hose and see if the water temperature is OK then.

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tmnelson · Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 6:35 pm Post Subject: shower water temperature

Dear chrishutt, thanks for your suggestion, descaled the showerhead, but its made no difference, water still scalding !!, anyone else out there have any ideas

ChrisR · Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 9:32 pm Post Subject:

CHeck the input pipe to the shower - it should be COLD and not from the combi.
Then check the flow rate from the shower, whcih should go to something above 4 litres/minute. T hat rate you would get water at about the right temperature, assuming it's 10 kW or so.