New Shower Problem

[sisterk]

Hi,
I've just moved into a new flat, where the previous owner has fitted a new bathroom suite (possibly to help sell it). Unfortunately, it appears they didn't think the shower setup through properly. The hot water system is run from a gravity fed direct combination boiler in an airing cupboard next to the bath. The shower is a simple mixer shower running from the cold mains and the boiler for hot. This means however that there's no where near enough pressure to run the shower up so high. The shower works when held lower down in the bath, but once raised, the pressure drops off and the hot flow ceases.

Does anyone have any idea what options I have to increase the pressure? I don't need ridiculous power shower pressure, just something usable. I'd prefer not to rip out the existing shower setup, as it'll mean ripping out a lot of the tiles, so is there anything I can fit in the airing cupboard? Thanks

 

[ChrisR]

Choices - none great:

A Venturi shower (do a search on venturi) which uses the power of the mains to help pull the hot through

Take a pipe from the Cold tank so H and C are the same pressure, then pump both together. Needs a new pipe from the hw cyl to the shower pipe too, which may well not be separable so means the whole house - a pain.
Also depends whewre the cold tank is - may be too low in a flat.

Pump just the hot, and maybe put a pressure reducing valve on the cold mains. Imperfect.

Fat new wire from the Consumer unit and install an electric shower.

I've been told there's a thermostatic mixer which can cope with totally unbalanced supplies but I don't know it, and your HW supply woudl still piddle.