Aqualisa Pumped Shower with Immersion Hot Water Tank

[CatLuver8]

Hi,
I have recently had an Aqualisa pumped shower installed in my flat however the only way to heat water, in the flat, is via the immersion tank. However, the immersion tank, although old, continues to be very efficient. I am concerned that, once my Fiance and I move back into the flat, that the hot water supplied by the immersion tank will not be able to cope with us having one shower after the other.
Any ideas?
Thanks!!

 

[muggles]

Fitting a longer immersion heater may help

 

[holty]

dont have long showers one after the other

 

[picasso]

shower together

 

[CatLuver8]

Thank you for your replies!

Yes, I have told my other half he will have to get up 1 hour before me so by the time I have my shower, the water will be hot again
Seriously though, If I had a new Immersion tank installed (exisiting must be 25 years old!), I just need to get a long immersion element to heat the water more quickly?
What would you suggest the alternatives are? (Perhaps I should have saved money to by a combi boiler and have an electric shower, but that would be very expensive...ce la vie!)

 

[CatLuver8]

Just wanted to say, after reviewing the web, I think a longer immersion heater is the way to go...thanku

As my tank is so old, would you suggest I consider getting a new tank and new immersion at the same time?

Is there any alternative way of heating a greater store of hot water?

 

[OilLecky]

If your shower is "thermostatic", as the temperature of the hot water falls, it will decrease the amount of cold added to the hot at the shower head automatically for some time, until it cannot control any more.

Before going for the longer immersion heater option why not have a practice long shower. Have your normal shower and then you can simulate a woman washing her hair etc by sitting outside the shower cubicle reading "War and Peace" while testing the water temperature regularly. Good Luck!
If it passes that test then you are OK.

 

[JohnD]

A longer immersion heater is no faster than a short one. What it does, by reaching deeper into the cylinder, is heat a greater volume of water over a longer time.

If you are going to fit a new heater, you might consider a dual-element one. This has a short element, that heats a small amount of water quickly, and a long one, that heats a large amount of water slowly. They have a sink/bath setting. You can't use both elements at the same time.

They are quite a bit more expensive than ordinary immersion heaters, and you need a different switch.

Or, if you are buying a new cylinder, you might consider buying the largest one that will fit, with an upper and a lower immersion heater. These are mostly used by people on Economy 7 or similar electricity tariffs, as they can heat a large amount of water cheaply overnight, that you hope will mostly last you through the day, but with the ability to top-up at peak cost when it runs out. A pumped shower delivers a lot of water, and will quickly empty your cylinder (cylinders usually hold about 100 lites of water, and an immersion will not usually heat all of it)

However electricity is an expensive way to heat. Can't you get gas? A gas boiler can typically be ten times as powerful as an immersion heater.

 

[CatLuver8]

Thanku OilLecky and JohnD for your replies!
I will certainly try the War and Peace option and see how I go, however my concern is if two people of showers one after the other i.e. I will empty the tank and my other half will be left with a cold shower unless he waits for an hour for the immersion to heat water back up again.
I do currently have two elements, one for "sink" and one for "bath", which is handy but the sink version is probably not for suitable for the shower.
Yes, the shower has a digital processor which mixes the cold and hot to reach the desired temp....

To be honest, I reckon the plumber should have run a normal electric supply from the cold mains without a pump, as I do have good cold water pressure (although not sure whether it's pressure or flow I would have needed for this?). They seemed to be very against this option though and, as I didn't know any different at the time, thought the electric shower drew water from the cold tank, not the mains and went along with them saying I needed a pump?!
I must admit I am not sure what type of gas boiler I can get installed. There is a gas supply to the flat. I have heard Combi boilers are very expensive to supply and fit (and cannot be used with pumped showers)and I have no knowledge of other types of gas boilers. JohnD, can you suggest what type of gas boiler I could investigate?

 

[JohnD]

you mustn't mix Mains Pressure cold with Tank pressure hot, in a mixer shower.

the question "what is the best boiler to buy" crops up two or three times a week on this forum, you can read a few. I am no expert, though I chose a boiler with a Stainless Steel heat exchanger for my own home, which cost a bit extra. Modern budget boilers can have quite a short life.

however most boilers heat the radiators as well as providing hot water. i think you will have to start a new question about what you need as it is getting away from immersion heaters.

BTW if you think about an electric shower, be aware that they give a very poor flow of hot water, even worse in winter.

 

[CatLuver8]

Thanks JohnD,

I have electric radiators hence the immersion heater.
Yes I've heard electric showers can sometimes produce a poor flow rate.
I will take your advise and start a new question....

 

[JohnD]

sometimes