Replacing hot water and heating system - but what with ?

[Talay]

Currently I have a gas boiler feeding the central heating on radiators (8) and towel rails (2) plus 2 bathrooms with showers and 1 kitchen sink.

It is an old fashioned tank fed system with a store of hot water (limited and not enough) and an immersion backup.

I have elsewhere and want unlimited hot water. My understanding is that if I go down the combi route, operating two showers at the same time might be a problem whereas with in situ electric showers, that problem is overcome.

What is the best modern option ?

 

[motorbiking]

You start by measuring your mains cold water flow rate. This will determine what you can do. 12-15 litres per minute is where you want to be.

 

[Talay]

You start by measuring your mains cold water flow rate. This will determine what you can do. 12-15 litres per minute is where you want to be.

Thanks.

I assume this is with a prospect of moving everything from tank to mains fed ?

 

[winston1]

Currently I have a gas boiler feeding the central heating on radiators (8) and towel rails (2) plus 2 bathrooms with showers and 1 kitchen sink.

It is an old fashioned tank fed system with a store of hot water (limited and not enough) and an immersion backup.

I have elsewhere and want unlimited hot water. My understanding is that if I go down the combi route, operating two showers at the same time might be a problem whereas with in situ electric showers, that problem is overcome.

What is the best modern option ?

Electricity is 4 times the cost of gas. Also running 2 electric showers at the same time may not work depending on your mains flow rate.

 

[Talay]

Electricity is 4 times the cost of gas. Also running 2 electric showers at the same time may not work depending on your mains flow rate.

A requirement will be to be able to run 2 showers and a kitchen tap and have no disruption to the hot water availability or the temperature.

I have run those before from a 300/400L Megaflow on economy 7 electric with mains feed but there was no gas at that property. Now we have gas in this one, I would like to take advantage of the cheaper costs but only if the system can deliver the requirements.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

All sorts of options. As above, get dynamic pressure and flow measured, no point chucking a Megaflow at 1 bar 12 l/min.
A sensible size combi will run 1 shower ok but not 2. You can run a cylinder etc on a combi boiler (it's another heatsink) so, for instance, you could run kitchen and one bathroom from the combi and the 2nd bathroom from the cylinder. If mains flow/pressure isn't brilliant then keep the gravity tanks, add a shower pump if you need to.