Booster pump or mains pressure tank.

[IJWS15]

Looking for some advice,

Hot water heated from boiler, indirect tank with header tank in loft (surface water level about 3ft above first floor ceiling). Cold water supply has a pressure reducing valve in the garage set at about 3-4 bar to limit the pressure in the house, the cold water pressure was very high without it.

Three bathrooms on first floor which all have showers, two have balanced feeds cold from header tank) and the third was added afterwards and is unbalanced with a pressure reducing valve in the cold supply to it. All working but not really great.

Would like to improve the showers so could either fit a booster pump for hot water (the cold does not need boosting) or change the tank to a mains pressure tank.

Tank could do with being a little bigger when we have visitors but generally there are only the two of us.

Now my gut feeling is change the tank which gives us three good showers but potentially more expensive to install and I can't fit it. The alternative is a whole house booster for hot water which I could fit but am wary of noise when it is running (the hot water tank cuboard is in our bedroom).

What does the panel think?

 

[picasso]

Unvented cylinder would be worth the effort.

 

[danfre]

Increase heigth of cold water storage cistern in loft

 

[Roger928]

Three bathrooms on first floor

but generally there are only the two of us

Decommission one of the bathrooms. I don't know of any home that needs three bathrooms. Even with 9 or 10 occupancy. Sounds like decadence on a grand scale.
And just raise the cistern as said. No need for pressure bomb unvented cylinders dependant on mains flow or noisy pump contraptions.

 

[Agile]

Would like to improve the showers so could either fit a booster pump for hot water (the cold does not need boosting) or change the tank to a mains pressure tank.

You imagine that!

But you seem to have forgotten that if the hot is boosted then the cold will no longer be balanced.

The best solution will be an unvented cylinder.

For three bathrooms I would usually recommend a 300 litre cylinder. But with only two people with only occasional visitors then a 210 litre would be a compromise. Whilst a larger cylinder is more expensive the installation cost is the same.

Before deciding on any unvented the dynamic flow rate needs to be checked but with a high incoming pressure that is more likely to be adequate.

Tony

 

[Agile]

The cheapest and quiet solution to give a reasonable improvement would be if you can raise the loft tank.

That is something you are likely to be able to do yourself.

When I fit them if there is an old galvanized tank there I fit them on top of that.

It is important to have a large enough outlet pipe diameter. Or several outlet pipes!

Tony

 

[picasso]

Decommission one of the bathrooms. I don't know of any home that needs three bathrooms. Even with 9 or 10 occupancy. Sounds like decadence on a grand scale.
And just raise the cistern as said. No need for pressure bomb unvented cylinders dependant on mains flow or noisy pump contraptions.

Back to the 70s with you mate, 25c stored water in the summer (legionella anyone) chance of freezing in the winter, a lot of work to give you 0.2 bar improvement on your showers , pressure bomb ? you making stuff up as you go along ?

 

[Agile]

The reality is that many people nowadays have more money than they need for basic living.

Consequently the trend to 20-30 minute rain showers using 14 litres per minute.

Then every bedroom needs an ensuite bathroom! Every house needs 2-3 spare bedrooms now!

Then every person in the house has to have the largest 4 x 4 car !

Dreadful the road blocking by 4 x 4s outside schools at 3.30 pm. Kids no longer have legs to walk home. Kids no longer allowed to go on the buses!

 

[Roger928]

The reality is that many people nowadays have more money than they need for basic living

And yet they still moan and complain.

 

[Roger928]

a lot of work to give you 0.2 bar improvement on your showers

Very little work to raise the cistern. Can be diyed and will be trouble free for decades. Legionella? pfft
Unlike pressure bomb unvented cylinders needing a yearly service and specialist trained operatives who charge high prices.
I wouldn't take the gift of an unvented pressure contraption.
You can lumber your customers with an inferior system. But thats your perogative.
I suppose when they pay out thousands of pounds they must think its something good.

 

[Newboy]

And yet they still moan and complain.

The reality is that many people nowadays have more money than they need for basic living.

 

[picasso]

Rodger928, water systems, big burner, doctor drivel, ect ect ect ect ect

 

[Roger928]

Yes a sludge bucket. The OP could always fit that. LoL.

 

[IJWS15]

D-commissioning a bathroom won't achieve anything for the showers in the other two, I have never noticed a problem with simultaneous showers, two are original and have separate hot/cold feeds from the tank, the other is fed from a combination bath/shower tap.

Three bathrooms - why not, we have five bedrooms. Two are ensuites and I thought that in this modern age we all showered every day - try that with one bathroom and 10 people in the house. Never been more than 3 Yorkshiremen in the house to my knowledge, my son was born in Derbyshire and my brother-in-law in County Durham.

The tank in the loft is already raised and would probably only go up another foot which would have little effect (IIRC 1bar is about 30ft of water height), it is also over a meter in diameter and there is an enormous structure supporting it - full it probably weighs a ton or more. Taking it out would simplify the loft insulation and I could also move the heating header tank out of the way.

My preference is to change the tank but wanting to check other options, will get a couple of quotes and see which way we go.

 

[Mottie]

........Unlike pressure bomb unvented cylinders needing a yearly service and specialist trained operatives who charge high prices.......

I've just had a pressure bomb unvented cylinder fitted. No mention of a yearly service. Is that right - they must be 'serviced' every year? What does that involve and how much is that likely to cost?