New ensuite but lost my powerful shower

[Deereay]

Hi

I've had an ensuite bathroom installed. I have a baxi 42 Combi boiler and had awesome pressure from my shower which was a Mira. My plumber thought I should get an orchard Wye shower system from Victoria plumb as my Mira was old. I've spent a fortune but seem to have reduced pressure in my shower. He says I just need new shower head but this has not returned it to the previous force. I like a very strong jet. What can I do to rectify this? Thanks

 

[JohnD]

perhaps the installers used ball-o-fix type valves, or flexible braided connectors, which are small bore and obstruct flow.

if you've got one of these things with a big drencher head, it will be trying to deliver lots of water; perhaps more than your boiler or plumbing can provide.

Run it into a bucket, time it to full, calculate how many litres per minute it delivers.

Then do the same at the cold tap at the kitchen sink, and the garden tap if you have one, and tell us the lpm.

 

[Deereay]

Thanks
My garden tap was 22 LPM. Kitchen 14 LPM and shower 10.5 LPM.

If this is down to poor shower choice, can I improve it and would all tiles need to be removed to change it

Or will larger bore hose or better showerhead be the way to go. I have 11mm hose and changed to Mira nectar head. Better with this head but still not as good.

I'm using handheld as rain shower not powerful enough for me.

Frustrated as replaced boiler and shower was awesome. As ensuite so old and battered it all got changed. Oh dear...

 

[Deereay]

My back Combi 42 is at 2 bar pressure. No idea if this matters

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

Unscrew the shower head and see what the lpm is out of the end of the hose?

 

[Hot&Cold]

Maybe ask this question in the plumbing section.With a photo of the shower and the expected water flow in lpm at the shower heads (info is in the makers instructions or the merchant can supply)

Never heard of orchard wye,do know who makes the shower ?

what has the installer/plumber done to rectify your concerns ?

 

[Deereay]

Without showerhead it's 10.5 LPM. Shower is on Victoria plumb. Can't find it elsewhere. Plumber says I can't do anything except change showerhead.

 

[Hot&Cold]

Is the picture supplied by JohnD your actual shower ?

 

[Deereay]

https://victoriaplum.com/product/orchard-wye-thermostatic-bar-valve-shower-system

Yes

 

[Deereay]

Ok shower supplier says

1 bar flow rate 11
2 bar Flow rate 16
3 bar flow rate 20

How do I know what bar I am. I assumed this was boiler reading but apparently not.

Thanks

 

[muggles]

You put a pressure gauge on your outside tap then run your shower and go out to look at what the pressure is reading.

The pressure showing on your boiler is your heating system pressure, which should be around 1.2-1.5 bar when cold, a little higher when hot.

 

[Hot&Cold]

Had a look at the shower installation guide,its a badly translated incomplete document just showing some very basic information.
As long as the hot&cold pipework is installed to give the best (balanced) flow possible to the shower valve and no flow regulators installed and filters clean then its down to the shower.

On combi systems have come across a few of these bar mixers where the diverter is incorporated in the on/off control (rather than a diverter on the riser) and have noticed poor pressure in the handheld shower but satisfactory pressure in the fixed overhead outlet.
On unvented systems the flow from both shower outlets is much stronger.

Its always a gamble fitting unknown plumbing products,especially when the supplied instructions are naff.

 

[Nige F]

Orchard wye -all the wye from China

 

[Deereay]

Oh no. So possibly poor shower. Can anyone recommend what showers I should be looking for to get my huge pressure my old Mira had. Any idea cost to replace. Expensive mistake I've made. Really appreciate your help all.

 

[Madrab]

Unfortunately, your downfall was listening to your installer when he recommended an Orchard Wye from Viccies Plumbs. Chinese made mince with narrow waterways and oversized shower head. I would suggest it's replaced and the installer chastised for recommending it in the first place and then blame the poor flow on the shower head.

Depending on how it was installed (pipe centres - needs to be 150mm) you may be able to just replace the bar mixer and riser/head with a more suitable setup.
I'd go for a Bristain/Mira/Hansgrohe/Grohe/Aqualisa - budget dependent.