And the power of an electric shower vs a combi boiler is.....?I think that'sone of the reasons why families with more than one teenager (or older equivalent!) often go for electric showers
9600 WATT shower - I want to have 2 fitted & advice need
- Thread starter wilburwilbur
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I was told my boiler was not a combi and would not be suitable for 2 showers.
Wilbur, I'd still be exploring the possibility of two showers, one electric and one via the boiler.
Lets nail this down and get some idea of the boiler and existing hw function.
Could you post up the make and model of boiler, and the make and model of the tank in the loft.
When you run the hw only from a tap, and the run the cw does the pressure appear the same, or is the hw noticeably low pressure?
Lets nail this down and get some idea of the boiler and existing hw function.
Could you post up the make and model of boiler, and the make and model of the tank in the loft.
When you run the hw only from a tap, and the run the cw does the pressure appear the same, or is the hw noticeably low pressure?
A combi is NOT suitable for supply direct to more than one shower as the temperature of the hot water is change when the flow rate through the boiler changes. Some combi boilers are better than other combis at controlling temperature when flow rate changes but they seem to be much more expensive.
If more than one shower then a hot water tank and heat only boiler ( heat to rooms and hot water tank ) is the better option if you want showers that do not suddenly change temperature.
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I want constant temp really on both showers. The Hot Water comes only from the Immersion in the loft (from what i understand). This is why i wanted two Electric Showers - I really do not want to alter the plumbing system (other than feed the cold to the showers).
It could be that the hotwater is elec only, although it could also be that the boiler can heat it as well, with the imersion for topup, the latter typically being prefrable.
You can get a good shower out of a instant electric, but at the price of a hell of a load at the time that its on, which as said, would push your electrical system to its limit or over it and need permission.
Minor alterations to the hotwater system, and or a new tank, may well be cheap easlier and provide a better end solution so I wouldnt jump straight to your number one thought. Best shower I know of is at my parents house of a mains pressure stored hotwater system with a decent thermostic wall mixer.
However certainly if your still set on instant showers the first port of call has to be to confirm the DNO is prepaired to allow it and or the network can take it.
Daniel
You can get a good shower out of a instant electric, but at the price of a hell of a load at the time that its on, which as said, would push your electrical system to its limit or over it and need permission.
Minor alterations to the hotwater system, and or a new tank, may well be cheap easlier and provide a better end solution so I wouldnt jump straight to your number one thought. Best shower I know of is at my parents house of a mains pressure stored hotwater system with a decent thermostic wall mixer.
However certainly if your still set on instant showers the first port of call has to be to confirm the DNO is prepaired to allow it and or the network can take it.
Daniel
I am at a total loss to understand why you are seemingly being so belligerent about the potential use of hw or stored hw via the tank.
Plumbing wise you have hw and cw feeds in to the bathrooms, so picking up hw shouldn't be a massive undertaking.
Power shower pumps work very well and for shower use are more than adequate. We have a system pump and run both showers from the one pump.
You have been told that the 2 x electric showers will cause potential electrical system overloads and that you MUST seek dno approval.
Lets look at costs.
2 x dedicated 45 amp 10mm feeds £500
2 x electric shower units £300
2 x cw water feeds £300
Plus potential upgrade of suppl charges from the dno.
Now for a more prudent solution, 1 x electric shower (half cost of the above) will be about £550
Now for less than £550 you would get a pump, plumbing and mixer valve.
I fear I can offer no more to you request for help since you seem to have your head firmly stuck in your intended solution, and are not prepared to look outside that box.
If you can't help yourself, how can anyone here help you?
Plumbing wise you have hw and cw feeds in to the bathrooms, so picking up hw shouldn't be a massive undertaking.
Power shower pumps work very well and for shower use are more than adequate. We have a system pump and run both showers from the one pump.
You have been told that the 2 x electric showers will cause potential electrical system overloads and that you MUST seek dno approval.
Lets look at costs.
2 x dedicated 45 amp 10mm feeds £500
2 x electric shower units £300
2 x cw water feeds £300
Plus potential upgrade of suppl charges from the dno.
Now for a more prudent solution, 1 x electric shower (half cost of the above) will be about £550
Now for less than £550 you would get a pump, plumbing and mixer valve.
I fear I can offer no more to you request for help since you seem to have your head firmly stuck in your intended solution, and are not prepared to look outside that box.
If you can't help yourself, how can anyone here help you?
I can only assume its blind ignorance to the fact that you can have a cracking shower from a stored hot water system, either with a mains presure tank, or a pump on the deliver.
There also appears to be an understanding the stored hot water is 'old hat' and electric is the way to go, which was certainly advertised to be the case in the 80's but if certainly no longer the case, look at a new builer, there all on stored mains hot water, cracking showers, not crappy combi's to go wrong, job done!
Daniel
As your quoting indicated, the comparison upon which I was commenting was between an electric shower and use of stored hot water - combi boilers weren't part of that equation or comment.And the power of an electric shower vs a combi boiler is.....?I think that'sone of the reasons why families with more than one teenager (or older equivalent!) often go for electric showers
Kind Regards, John
I agree completely. I have several showers in my house run off stored hot water. They are great and, under all normal circumstances, are more than adequate. However, I do also have some electric showers. They are very rarely used but exist for those occasions on which 'the house is full' and the stored hot water all gets used up faster than it can be reheated. That probably only happens once or twice a year.
Kind Regards, John
It true that in "exceptional circumstances" such as christmas there is milage in being able to heat water at the rate of use, which be definition an electric shower will, and most immersion heated tanks wont.
Although as far as im aware most boilers will have a stab at keeping up with heating a hotwater cyclinders, certainly the equipment spec'ed in my mates 2bed wimpy homes flat will allow 10-15 of use to show for 2-5mins a peice at around 60% duty cycle if he turns it from 'a short blash in the morning' to 'heat it when it needs it'.
Daniel
Although as far as im aware most boilers will have a stab at keeping up with heating a hotwater cyclinders, certainly the equipment spec'ed in my mates 2bed wimpy homes flat will allow 10-15 of use to show for 2-5mins a peice at around 60% duty cycle if he turns it from 'a short blash in the morning' to 'heat it when it needs it'.
Daniel
Indeed, and that's why I have the electric showers - as I said, they get used only a small number of times per year (often at Christmas). Of course, the real killer for the stored hot water approach arises when (usually at Christmas
) one or two of those around decide to have (generously full) baths!Kind Regards, John
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Just for info, when I first started out, a customer with a 60A main fuse asked me to install a 50A shower. I said 'you need to get the DNO out to check and probably upgrade the fuse'
They duly came, sucked teeth and said, 'just get on with it and don't bother us again....'
They duly came, sucked teeth and said, 'just get on with it and don't bother us again....'
Logic says that an average combi ought to be able to supply 2 showers better than 2 electric ones, because the average combi is at least as powerful as, probably a fair bit more powerful than, 2 electrics.
In the OP's case you'd have to have a combi with a DHW output of less than 19kW for it to be less capable.
It's just a plumbing problem.
So probably not susceptible to logic.
In the OP's case you'd have to have a combi with a DHW output of less than 19kW for it to be less capable.
It's just a plumbing problem.
So probably not susceptible to logic.
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