Low Water Pressure at Both Showers

[Silvergiraffe]

Hi all, A while ago I asked for some advice about replacing my showers to go with a Combi Boiler. I am still prevaricating as I dont know if the showers are just rubbish or if there might be a more sinister problem. I dont want to replace both showers only to find the problem is still there.

I have had the water board out to check flow rate and pressure as the water comes into the property and both are top notch. The boiler is pretty new and well serviced, it provides 12 Ltr per min of dometic water so that seems fine. The flow at both showers however is awful. The 'overheat' light comes on, on one and the water is like steam sometimes. The other is not so hot but the flow is still poor. Both are cold water fed electric showers and both upstairs.

Is there any way I can check the flow rate between the boiler and the showers?

Am quite happy to draft an expert in to provide expert diagnosis but would love to solve it myself if possible.

Many thanks in advance for your time.

 

[seco services]

if they are electric showers they won't have nothing to do with the boiler as they come straight off the cold mains.

what make/models are they ?
did the showers both fail at the same time ?

 

[Silvergiraffe]

Hi seco, many thanks for swift reply,
I didnt realise the feed for the showers would come straight off the mains. They are: Galaxy G9000 (the one that overheats) & Aquatronic 4.

Yes they both seemed to lose their pressure at the same time.

As a rough estimate I checked the time it took to fill a 10ltr container from the cold tap in the kitchen and again at the showers. At the kitchen it took 45secs, the Galaxy took 145secs and the Aquatronic took 135secs. Not the most scientific I know but a rough idea of differences at the different points.

PS - the showers were in when we bought the house so they may well be getting on a bit and if they are rubbish please feel free to say so, we wont be offended.

 

[muggles]

Even a very good electric shower will have a far lower flow rate than your mains unless your mains is particularly poor, so I'm not surprised they're slower to fill the bucket.

Has there been any work done on the local mains recently? It could be that some sediment has got into the pipework, and is now sitting in the inlet filters of the showers, which would explain why they've both lost performance at the same time. Have you checked? It may only be a very small amount, remove them and gently scrape with a small flat-bladed screwdriver or similar, then rinse through in the opposite direction to the normal flow direction

 

[seco services]

As a rough estimate I checked the time it took to fill a 10ltr container from the cold tap in the kitchen and again at the showers. At the kitchen it took 45secs, the Galaxy took 145secs and the Aquatronic took 135secs.

which is about 4 l/m about right on a electric shower.