Water Pressure advice!

[schellings]

Hiya, advice needed! We recently installed a new bathroom and although we had a new pump for the shower, decided not to fit it as we had a corgi engineer coming to replace the boiler with a combi which would mean we would no longer need the pump. We also bought our new bath and sink tapes with the new bolier in mind. Anyway, have just been told that the corgi engineer cant make it now before we put the house on the market and although I've phoned round a few, have not got anyone able to look at it for at least 6-8 weeks, plus they are quoting a lot more. As we are selling we dont want to pay to much and the first corgi engineer said we wouldn't need our pipes replaced, and that he'd just bypass the tanks upstairs so we'd get mains pressure for the bathroom? Is that true or was he full of ****? Is there any pump or similar that can be fitted just after the hot water tank to give me the presure in the bathroom? If so, I know a few plumbers I can ask but dont want to bother them if there is nothing they can do! My cold water tank is in my loft, but my hot is on the same level as my bathroom. I have a two bedroom house and my pressure in the bathroom has always been poor. Advice greatly appreciated! for info, I was previously quoted about £400-£450 for the boiler and about 1-2 days work which would have been a max of £900. oh yeah, its a thermostatic shower that has been fitted!

 

[oilman]

As we are selling we dont want to pay to much..........

Sounds like someone wants to inflict the benefits of quick and dirty job on the next occupant.

We recently installed a new bathroom.............

Confirmed. This sounds even more like a "property development" job.

the first corgi engineer said we wouldn't need our pipes replaced, and that he'd just bypass the tanks upstairs so we'd get mains pressure for the bathroom? Is that true or was he full of ****?

Sounds reasonable. Why your nasty tone of question?

Is there any pump or similar that can be fitted just after the hot water tank to give me the presure in the bathroom?

There are many, and this is where they are fitted.

I was previously quoted about £400-£450 for the boiler.....

I can't understand why the guy was charging what he propably paid for it.

Anyway, have just been told that the corgi engineer cant make it now.........

I wonder if detected that the relationship would be a bit difficult..........hmmm.

 

[schellings]

I didn't mean to sound nasty - the thing is the guy is someone I know and I got him in for a quote at the start of April - my mother and father in law were over for a visit from South Africa (two bloody months!) and I guessed he was not comfortable with them. I suggested buying a boiler from one of the plmbers merchants on Ebay and asked the Corgi Engineers advice. He said he could get the same one cheaper at the local plumbers merchant and not to get one from Ebay as he'd sell it to me for cost price as he makes decent enough money off his £250 a day labour charge so doesn't see the need to fleece me with the boiler. When he came round he said it would be in a few weeks as he was busy just now - I should have remember what he was like when he did my mums central heating - he was always promising then missing days and coming up with strange excuses but he got the job done and showed her all the receipts for the parts which I thought was good. Anyway to cut a long story short he was round at my mums two weeks ago and when she asked him about my boiler he asked if my inlaws were gone and when she said they were, said good, and that he hoped to be at mine the following week/weekend. Anyway, was back round at my mums this weekend and when she told him my hubby would be back in about 10 days he suddenly turns round and says he doesn't think he'll have time to do it now as he is flat out busy. I know this part will be true as corgi engineers are in demand I just resent that he couldn't have told me this back in April or set a date as I asked - he just said it would be a few weeks as he had a few jobs on just now - he's always been very difficult to tie to specific dates. I even asked him in April if I should just put the pump in and buy low pressure taps but he said I'd be best going with the combi. All I want is some advice! And as for the quick and dirty job - its just that I move into my new house at the end of July and really need to get this one on the market asap as I know the bank ain't going to be happy at us having two properties for long! Also, I thought improving the bathroom by extending it and putting in a shower cubicle as well as double glazing, new doors, new kitchen was not classed as a quick and dirty job. I had fully intended on the new boiler but believed the guy when he said he'd fit it in, hence why I am not on the forum asking for ADVICE!

 

[oilman]

All I want is some advice!

seems to be contradicted by:

hence why I am not on the forum asking for ADVICE!

However, putting in a pump would be cheaper than changing the boiler, and I see combies as a good money earner. Does that suggest anything?

You can spend what you like on "improvements", but the heating and hot water system is THE critical service in a house. (See what happens when it doesn't work) so attempting anything with cost as a major factor will give someone a problem. How would you feel if you inherited such a system?

 

[schellings]

Sorry about the typo! Forgot to mention - the reason I queried the first engineers judgement was because I have phoned round to try to get people to come round and when I spoke to some Corgi Engineers they told me it was 'Impossible' to change out a boiler without changing ALL the pipes for the radiators too, hence why I was confused as I get two different stories from various qualified Corgi engineers. Due to past experience with tradesmen I feel they always talk to us females as though we know less than nothing about anything technical, and often overcharge us. Sorry to those who don't - I know that the scallys can be in the minority - I just seem to pick their names out of the yellow pages!

Anyway, have decided to go for the cheapest option - put the pump I was previously going to put on with the shower, and replace the taps with the old ones. After all the gas central heating works fine and hot and cold water wasn't the issue - just the pressure in the bathroom which was an issue when I stayed there hence why I replaced the original shower as it didn't have any pressure so even this improvement (along with the seperate shower and double glazing)is better than none. After all, as I've been told many times - you cant second guess what a prospective buyer wants in a house when they buy it - I could put a combi in and they may decide to rip it out and put a condenser in. Same with my fence, my preference would be for a 6ft one but the 'new people' might prefer a shorter one, or even a wall. When I bought the house it had single glazing, a grotty old bathroom etc and a council fitted kitchen but the money I have spent on the house in the last year is not something I will make back in the sale due to it being ex-scottish special and me not being the lucky bugger to benefit from the discount.

 

[AdamW]

the heating and hot water system is THE critical service in a house.

After broadband, of course See how quickly someone panics when the water gets turned off due to a burst main. (See how quickly I panic that should read!)

 

[schellings]

Hiya, I know the central heating is important but the windows were single glazed and on the estimate of £1000 I got from my mate the corgi engineer who was going to swap out the boiler we worked out we'd do up the kitchen, put double glazing and new doors in, re-fence the whole garden and landscape it, redecorate the house in 'House doctor' neutral shades, extend the bathroom and put a shower cubicle and new suite in, and that would be a big improvement. As I'm going to have to stop work in November due to being pregnant (not perfect timing but have been waiting to fall pregnant since I lost one last year so can't really grumble can I!) and salaries and house prices aint that brilliant up in the North of Scotland, I could only afford the £1000 I had budgeted for the Boiler swap out and cannot afford the extra that I'd have to pay to get an engineer at short notice! Never mind the pump is better than nothing and as long as we leave it easily accessible then the new folks can decide what kind of boiler and radiators they want to upgrade to, after all they are getting it in a lot better state than they could have!

As for broadband, thats a sore point with me as my new house is not due to get broadband till March 2005 but I'm a systems analyst so might just set up satellite broadband in the local village and rent it out - I have a friend who did that in the next village along and he rents it out to the school, church etc and will reduce costs once his costs are reimbursed a bit though think with this being my first brat and the husband working abroad that I'll probably have my hands full without trying to run the villages internet access!

Have just had a call from my sister - thank god my mother couldn't afford a tv license and had so many of us! - her husbands friend got his corgi certification 3-4 months ago and will come and see if he has the guts to tackle a project on his own - if not, at least he can look into the water pressure side for me. If he can do the gas boiler then he will jump at it as I will be paying him a day what he usually takes home after a week (he works for a boss so so only earns in a week what most of you guys earn in a day) Also, I know if he can't get good dicount at the plumers merchant that the guy who was originally going to fit my central heating will get it for him. Plus he will talk him through what he needs to do and let me know if he thinks he can handle it - he's a bugger for letting me down but he's not a bad guy and he knows his stuff. So could be a happily ever after story after all - hope so as this pregnancy lark after one miscarriage is bad enough without the house to do up and worrying about finding a solution for the bathroom!

Anyway, thanks everyone for your advice and comments - am off to bed before my alarm goes off!

 

[oilman]

Piping does not have to be changed to fit a combi. The system might benefit from pressure testing though. If you can run a shower from a combi, you have enough pressure to run an electric shower. If you can't run an electric shower, you probably can't fit a combi. Combies are not a panacea, they are not any more efficient than standard boilers.

Do some searches on this forum for more information. I know of many problems of combi installations particularly in Scotland.

Money spent on double glazing is probably the most expensive way of saving heat next to solar heating.