Decisions, Decisions...

mikazza · 15 Nov 2006

Hi Everybody,

I really need some advice on which route to take. I recently ripped out my en-suite bathroom with a view to splitting it into a shower room and a walk in wardrobe.

Now im ready to fit the shower. I have cold water storage in the loft and a hot water cylynder in the cupboard with a gas fired water heater (which means no instant hot running water, booo!!

)

I planned to install a power shower and already have the cubicle. I read somewhere that the setup I have is ideal for a power shower pump, I dont know much about these things but would installing a power shower pump mean I had to heat up the water first before having a shower? I like the shower for conveinence, so this would be no good for me.

If this is going to be the case, what other style of shower/water heating would you recommend, I had a combi boiler in my previous flat which worked well. If I fitted a combi boiler instead would I still need to get a power shower pump.

Any help would be much appreciated.

cross thread · 15 Nov 2006

buy an electric shower,hot water on demand

mikazza · 15 Nov 2006

Wish I could, my wife has already bought in the shower cabin, it's one of them ones which has plastic walls and glass doors, and has a corner shower unit with multiple shower heads and a normal showr head.

There's no way to plumb an electric shower into this, so it will need a power shower pump or some other method to pump the water around.

cross thread · 15 Nov 2006

if u fit a combi u dont need a pump. but check what water flow your shower unit reqs, before picking your combi

JohnD · 15 Nov 2006

You say you have a hot cylinder? In that case, it stores hot water so you can fit a shower pump to squirt it at you. And the cold water from the tank in the loft. You will get a greater flow of water that way than from a combi, and much greater than an electric shower.

From what you say I don't understand how the cylinder is heated. Have you got an immersion heater? Have you got a boiler?

mikazza · 15 Nov 2006

To be honest I dont know how the cylinder is heated, I assume its a boiler as when I turn it on using the controls I can hear flames firing up. It's the same unit which heats the central heating water which heats the water for the cylinder.

The cylinder is right above this unit in the same cupboard. I only usually turn on the hot water when i'm running a bath or doing the dishes, would I also have to do this for having a shower in this setup?

JohnD · 15 Nov 2006

Can you post some pics of the boiler and cylinder?

mikazza · 15 Nov 2006

No problem, the boiler is called a Marathon 50C...

Thanks

ChrisR · 15 Nov 2006

FIne - use a pump as suggested.

Put it under the hw cylinder. HW comes from a "flange" of some sort (do a search on that) and cw should come from a separate pipe from the tank in the loft.
If you go abpove about 2 bar you'll empty the hot water very quickly though.

JohnD · 15 Nov 2006

You said you only turn the hw on when you want a bath or to wash up?

That's a modern insulated cylinder you have there. It has a thermostat, you could reasonably let the boiler keep it hot for you (most people use a timer) it will keep hot for a day or so. I've wrapped a couple of red jackets round mine as well, but only because I happened to have them prior to the old cylinder being replaced by an insulated one.

If you had some shelves or hangers in there you could use it as an airing cupboard.

doitall · 15 Nov 2006

Cant see a lot of ventilation and plenty of soot marks on the wall behind the boiler.

You sure its safe.

mikazza · 16 Nov 2006

Thanks for all your help,

I agree there is a lot of soot, but the boiler has been there since the house was built (about 20 years) and I don't think previous owners took care to ever clean the cupboard. There is a ventalation pipe running up through the roof and a vent at the top of the cupboard which comes out into the hall.

I think ill invest in a new thermostat/timer which will give me greater control over how the water is heated.

Thanks again,

JohnD · 16 Nov 2006

I thought the blackish marks were dust that has stuck to the wall due to warm-air movement.

If you think it is soot, best to get a heating engineer to check the boiler for safety.

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Decisions, Decisions...

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