Electric Shower - Cold Water in the morning, hot later

[echoes]

Completely agree with bernard^^^.

We've just moved into a house...

A combi gives a very good shower until someone else turns on a hot tap, as I can attest.
An unvented cylinder, or a vented cylinder with a shower pump does not exhibit this behaviour, and gives the advantage of immersion backup when the boiler breaks down.
Another option is to have a combi supplying hot water to a shower only, and run the rest of the hot taps off a vented cylinder.

Any of these options would give a far better shower than 7kW electric.

 

[newbiediyer]

[/quote] A combi gives a very good shower until someone else turns on a hot tap, as I can attest.
An unvented cylinder, or a vented cylinder with a shower pump does not exhibit this behaviour, and gives the advantage of immersion backup when the boiler breaks down.
Another option is to have a combi supplying hot water to a shower only, and run the rest of the hot taps off a vented cylinder.

Any of these options would give a far better shower than 7kW electric.[/quote]

Does this mean I'll need to have 2 boilers?? Can we get rid of the water tank in the loft and have the upstairs cold taps running off the mains?

(I feel like I need a lie down now ... too much to process )

 

[echoes]

Bit of a plumbing/heating digression, but....

I'm very desperate to get rid of this hot water cylinder / cold water storage in the loft because I don't like not having hot water on demand and also trying to retrain the kids not to drink water from the taps upstairs because its been sitting in a cold water storage tank for goodness knows how long? Is there any other system you'd recommend?

I grew up with hot water on demand and had similar plans when we moved a year ago, and similar fears about running out of hot water. I was basically talked out of a combi by a couple of decent gas installers, and by some advice in the plumbing forum.

As a result I have a system with a simple boiler, electric backup, easily replaced and accesible components (pumps, valves etc), and no problems with low pressure.
I have a standard (120L) vented cylinder, a 1.7 bar shower pump and have never run out of hot water, even when 4 people take back-to-back showers.

I also plan to re-plumb mains cold to the bathroom basin in the near future so that I can get drinking water upstairs.

 

[echoes]

Does this mean I'll need to have 2 boilers?? Can we get rid of the water tank in the loft and have the upstairs cold taps running off the mains?

No - a combi can heat CH AND heat a cylinder AND supply hot water on demand, with an extra valve or 2.

You can always connect your upstairs basin tap to mains cold to have drinking water available there, irrespective of your hot water system and having a cold water storage tank. Careful choice of tap here though f the hot and cold pressures are much different. . Bath tap as well if you like.

If you really must get rid of cold water storage (why?), then a combi or an unvented cylinder would both achieve that. Both require adequate mains pressure and flow.