Alternative to gravity fed shower

[ssb1973]

Question. Does a power shower increase flow rate or pressure? i.e. having 0.1 bar pressure currently from header tank (1 metre height from bottom of header to top of shower).

Cold water tank in loft feeds into bottom of copper boiler in 22mm pipe, hot water is heated from downstairs system boiler (Vaillant Thermocompact). Then returns to copper boiler for storage until used for shower and taps.

Will a power shower increase the pressure to at least 0.35 bar, or does it only increase flow rate?

Would replacing with a sequential thermostatic bar mixer provide better shower pressure?

My current shower head requires at least 0.35 bar pressure to work effectively, currently I'm assuming it's 0.1 bar due to the height between bottom of header tank to top of shower head.

 

[polesapart]

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[dilalio]

Why a Quartz digital rather than a modern quieter power shower? Is the extra expense justified, as the power shower will deliver the increased pressure at a lower cost.

Ultimately, its up to you. I've fitted every type of shower kit you can think of and I like the quartz digitals, mira are also OK but need a good signal to the processor as the remote controls are wireless. A power shower will boost at the outlet (within the shower enclosure) but doesn't look great compared to the quartz and also takes up more room in the enclosure and you have to get hot and cold into the enclosure, if you don't already have. Again, up to you

 

[Madrab]

Does a power shower increase flow rate or pressure

It will increase both - you would need to check the MI to see by how much. Loads of material out there to give the info needed and videos to show how noisy they are.

 

[ssb1973]

It will increase both - you would need to check the MI to see by how much. Loads of material out there to give the info needed and videos to show how noisy they are.

Thanks,

I've narrowed down to the above thermostatic sequentia bar mixer or power shower.

There's pros and cons to both, the power shower needing electrical wiring and gives more pressure, whereas the other one is straight fix and no wiring but may give less pressure. The pressure on the hot water taps is very good, so I'm assuming it could be a cartridge issue on current set up.

Currently I have both hot and cold feeds into my old Trevi mixer shower (with cartridge inside the wall). I'm assuming as my current shower is old, the cartridges might be battered and restrict flow. I'd rather not replace the cartridges on current Trevi shower.


So I presume for a low cost fix for increased pressure, without needing upgraded cabling a power shower would be the way to go to increase the pressure.

Would there be much increased pressure if replacing it with a thermostatic sequential bar mixer shower instead, as I presume the pressure and flow isn't restricted.

 

[dilalio]

You... Need... A... Pump!

 

[Madrab]

Don't get confused between pressure and flow. If there is a hot water cylinder fed from a cold water cistern and there is 1m between the cold cistern and the shower head then you're correct, you only have 0.1bar

You may have great hot water flow at the moment as the pipework is larger and you have full flow taps. The minute you attach it to bar mixer though, as it has narrow waterways and a thermostat to push through, that flow will suddenly disappear if you only have 0.1bar at the shower.

Your only options really are to pump the supplies with either a dual pump or power shower or convert over to mains pressure hot and cold.

 

[bernardgreen]

 

[ssb1973]

Don't get confused between pressure and flow. If there is a hot water cylinder fed from a cold water cistern and there is 1m between the cold cistern and the shower head then you're correct, you only have 0.1bar

You may have great hot water flow at the moment as the pipework is larger and you have full flow taps. The minute you attach it to bar mixer though, as it has narrow waterways and a thermostat to push through, that flow will suddenly disappear if you only have 0.1bar at the shower.

Your only options really are to pump the supplies with either a dual pump or power shower or convert over to mains pressure hot and cold.

Thanks Rob, I'll go with the power shower. Many thanks for your help, appreciated.