what is the best pluming fittings

[quickfit]

hi all, i`ve had enough of lack of hot water coming out of my shower which is combi fed, i`m going to rip the mixer valve out and put in a electric shower, what i would like to know is apart from solded fittings, what other joints would you recommend and the name of such joints to use in my modification, all tips and advise welcomed, cheers, mick

 

[swidders]

hi all, i`ve had enough of lack of hot water coming out of my shower which is combi fed,

What's up with your combi?

:i`m going to rip the mixer valve out and put in a electric shower

this will almost certainly give you a slower flow rate of warm water

:what i would like to know is apart from solded fittings, what other joints would you recommend and the name of such joints to use in my modification, all tips and advise welcomed, cheers, mick

Assuming you're not into soldering, use either speedfit or compression to blank the end of the current hot pipe and adapt the cold feed for connection to the electric shower, which may only be connected to the electricity supply by a qualified electrician.

Personally, i think you need to resolve the issue of your combi.

 

[bengasman]

biggest electric shower you can buy is 10.5 kw.
smallest combi you find is about 24.
not to mention the fact that your average electric is about 9 and a standard combi about 28 which would make it 30 to 1.
do your really think you will improve your hot water supply if you halve the power or worse?

 

[quickfit]

hi guys, the problem is the thermostat control valve in the mixer valve, in 12yrs i`ve replaced about 5 of them, the first you know when it`s packing up is the cold showers all of a sudden, and the wife always seems to be first for the cold one ,also i think it could be a pressure problem with the combi as one of my post stated but the british gas engineer say`s that all is ok, so that is why i`m considering replacing the mixer with a electric shower or that`s what i`ve been told i`m going to do , cheers mick

 

[mogget]

What makes you think that the mains pressure is inadequate? An electric shower would come from the same water supply, so would suffer the same problem. I suspect it wouldn't be much more reliable either.

I don't know what make of shower valve you've been buying, but a good one should last for many years. If your mains water is hard, it's a good idea to descale the showerhead once in a while.

It could also be a flow problem. You don't mention which combi you have, but at lower flow rates the burner will modulate (slow the gas rate down) so that the water doesn't become too hot. There are limits though and if the water flow drops too far the burner will stop altogether before cycling on and off.

Another possibility is that debris in the water supply is accumulating in the shower valve. Often there are little filters in the shower valve to catch any crud, or external filters can be fitted.

I think it would be best to sort out the problems with the current setup before considering the electric option.

 

[quickfit]

hi mogget this was my first post on the subjectquickfit




Joined: 20 Dec 2008
Posts: 8
Location: Lincolnshire,
United Kingdom
Posted: Sat Dec 20, 2008 12:27 pm Post Subject: worcester 350 combi hot water fault (shower)



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

hi all, new to site, i have a meynell 8/3 mixer thermostate control shower running off the combi but the hot water just trickles out of the shower head if at all, i`ve replaced the cartridge in the mixer a couple of times and adjusted the temperature on it but still only a trickle if i`m lucky sometimes it might deside to work but you have to be quick to shower before it goes off again to a trickle,there does seem to be enough pressure for the sink taps and hotness but not my shower, i had british gas round to service the boiler and the engingneer said all is o.k, so you see my problem, myself i think it`s a pressure problem at the boiler my wife says i should listen to the gas engingneer but i think he his wrong, all replies wellcomed, cheers mick
i know a electric shower will work ok because i have one in my main bathroom, cheers mick

 

[mogget]

If you get a good pressure / flow from the taps in the house, it sounds like there's a restriction somewhere between the rising main and the showerhead. Several things come to mind.

- filters / strainers blocked
- shower hose internal bore too small (cheap ones are often around 7mm)
- incorrect shower head
- possible flow restrictor in boiler
- long runs of 15mm or smaller pipe to the shower
- stop tap not opening fully
- service valves to shower with restricted bore.

It would be helpful to know the static mains pressure.
Also, you could try taking off the hose and showerhead to see how the flow is from just the valve on its own.