New combi boiler..which mixer shower..b and Q power rating??

[Jay8]

Hi

Okay so I am having a new combi boiler installed to replace my old tank system...unfortunately my current shower isn't compatible. As for water pressure:

1. My kitchen which is above the tank has fantastic cold pressure but poor hot pressure (why do they vary??)
2. In my bathroom which is below the tank the cold is a bit stronger than the hot pressure but by no means as much as it is in the kitchen (any reason??)
3. My combi boiler is going to be the British Gas 532 High efficiency boiler

So with this in mind and wanting the most powerful shower...am I correct to assume:

a) A mixer shower is my best bet?
b) Looking at the B&Q site the Mira Combiforce 415 EV has a power rating of 12 yet the best alternative one is 7...how do mixers vary in power if they are run off the mains??? and is it worth the expense of going for something like the combiforce or from the Mira discovery range which is cheaper but has a lower power rating

Thanks in advance,

Confused in Brixton!

 

[Agile]

Wait until the boilers is fitted and ask the advice of the installer.

The combi output will be at mains pressure for the hot water.

Its usual for installers to decommission the cold water storage and feed all cold taps from the mains.

If they do that you will have balanced hot and cold pressures and may find your shower works unbelievably well!

British Gas dont make boilers they just rebadge other makes. Anyone know what a "532" is inside?

Tony

 

[Jay8]

Thanks Tony.

Just a thought....my current shower which is a thermostatic power shower is as they tell me not compatible with the new combi boiler....I get that part. But just because the old tank boiler is being replaced with a combi does that necessarily mean that I need a new shower for sure i.e. does/can my current one run off the mains? Would it need to go through the combi?

Sorry..bit naieve as you can tell.

 

[JohnD]

If your power shower has a mixer on the wall, and a separate pump e.g. under the bath, then you could bypass the pump and flog it on fleabay.

If you have a wall-mounted box with the pump and mixer all in one unit (this is less common), buy an ordinary shower mixer instead.

Very likely both the hot and the cold water in your bathroom will be at mains pressure after the change to Combi and removal of old cylinder and tank.

Though you might find the "hot" water is less hot at high flow rates.

 

[Agile]

You cannot use a pump with a combi but the shower head part should work.

Perhaps they mean the shower uses 12 li/min ???

However, most boilers being installed will provide that.

My advice is to keep it until the boiler is fittted and then review the situation.

I get this strange idea that perhaps a subcontractor to BG is wanting to do extra work for you directly without going through BG. Please tell me this is not the case!

Tony

 

[kencan]

hi chaps, i hade a mira great shower just changed it for a new mixer from ebay very cheap but just as good, the reason i changed it the cartridge went on the mira after 4 years.the new one is guarantee for 5 years "happy days"

 

[Jay8]

I don't think they are trying to do extra work...it's just they said that my shower (Mira Thermostatic Event XS) won't work with a combi boiler and I think they assumed that's what I'd want.....so I thought.....

a) does it even need to be changed i.e. can it bypass the new boiler/would I want to if existing shower is great?
b) If not....with a combi and decent-ish mains pressure....what's the difference between mixer and electric showers i.e. which would likely give better power and what's an idiot's guide to how they work?

Thanks folks.

 

[JohnD]

"Mira Event XS Thermostatic
The slim and stylish Mira Event XS not only delivers safe and powerful showering, it is also one of the quietest mains voltage all-in-one power showers available today."

"Flow rate of up to 16 litres per minute at 0.1 bar pressure."

http://www.mirashowersales.co.uk/power/eventxsthermo.htm

Looks like the pump is integrated to the unit so you'll need a new mixer.

Should be cheaper than your old one was though

 

[Jay8]

Thanks John...so do you mean by a mixer shower or buy something else so I can continue to use my existing shower?

If a mixer shower....can you give me an idiots guide to why they are better for combi boilers than electric ones? Also Would something like the Mira Combiforce 415EV which has a high power rating be better than something like a Gainsborough Ambassador which has half the power rating but is half the price.

As I say I think my mains pressure is good so I'm intrigued as to how some mixer showers have higher power ratings thank others if they are off the mains?

Ta.

 

[JohnD]

If you're buying an expensive gas boiler which gives you heaps of cheap hot water, don't buy a weedy electric shower which will give less hot water and cost more to run, and will need a large new electrical circuit to be installed.

Mira is a good-quality maker.

Electric showers tend to last a few years and are throw-away items as it is not usually worth the cost of getting someone to repair them when they fail.

You just need a shower mixer (preferably thermostatic). You need your old integrated power shower removed as you can't use the pump any more. You may be able to sell it secondhand on fleabay as they cost a couple of hundred new.

 

[Jay8]

So what are the main differences with mixer showers vs. electric...and is there any difference between an electric vs a mixer in terms of power off a combi?

 

[JohnD]

An "electric" shower has a heating element in it like a kettle but bigger. It can only deliver as much hot water as the element can heat. This is not very much. The faster you take water out of it, the cooler it will be. In winter, when the incoming water is particularly cold, people often complain about electric showers. You don't need one if you are having a Combi boiler fitted, as it can probably deliver three times as much hot water as an electric shower.

A mixer shower takes the domestic hot water (in your case, from the combi boiler whhich will be at higher pressure than water from a Cold Water Tank in the loft) and blends it with cold water to give the temperature you prefer. You can expect it to give a better flow at good heat. As it is relatively simple it will probably last longer than an electric shower or a pump, as well as costing less (subject to quality of build, cheap things are usually not very good).

 

[Jay8]

John...you're a star...appreciate all your help!!