Which type of shower?

[andymac01]

Hi
Id like to fit a new over-bath shower unit, but am unsure what type of water system I have.

There is an immersion heater in the bedroom cupboard, a water tank in the loft (dont know if hot or cold).

My water pressure is very low - so low that if my next door neighbour runs ANY cold water my existing shower (simple mixer tap type) boils me alive

Ideally Id like a power shower, but I dont know if I need just a pumped mixer or a pumped electric shower?

Hope some of this made sense, Im a bit of a diy novice.

 

[JohnD]

from what you say it appears you have a cold water storage tank and a hot water cylinder. You can pump hot and cold from these to run a shower. However it will deliver quite a lot of water so you will need a good sized store. Measure your tank and cylinder (they may have labels on giving volume in litres or gallons)

you say that when you neighbour runs his tap your shower goes hot. Unless he shares your cold water storage tank, this means that his tap, and your shower, come off the water main. this is wrong if the hot is tank fed since the pressures will always be different. it sounds like you need to run a cold feed from the tank to your bathroom. you are not allowed to pump water direct from the main. you can buy an electric shower pump that wil feed a mixer shower of your choice, or there are some showers with their own pumps but I am not familiar with them. I am just a householder not a plumber.

heating the hot-water cylinder with an electric immersion heater is slow and expensive. Haven't you got a gas boiler?

there is useful background information on the first few threads on //www.diynot.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=7

 

[andymac01]

heating the hot-water cylinder with an electric immersion heater is slow and expensive. Haven't you got a gas boiler?

Fraid not,
Im in a (really old) rented house, out in "the sticks", and we dont have gas out here.

Thanks for your reply, Im still not sure what type of shower I need tho... I might just get a plumber round to do a quote

 

[Technotim]

http://www.new-team-showers.co.uk/Newteam-NT-1000-XT-Power-Shower.html
If its a rented house if you are buying then you do not want too spend that much and if your landlord is contributing then he wont spend that much (not that landlords are tight), I would get a plumber in to give you a quote as you will need a cold water supply (tank fed) plus a gravity hot supply from the cylinder and a small electrical power supply.

Also get the thermostat checked for the immersion as these showers do not like stored water too hot...

If you do not know a Plumber then use IPHE web site.
http://www.iphe.co.uk/iphememdb.html

 

[JohnD]

"only £138.00 "

seems very inexpensive. Is it any good?

 

[Technotim]

Hmm!!

They are okay if used daily they will last 4-6 years should deliver 10 liters per min for shower which is fair but rolls royce they are not.

It is a cheap solution as electric shower which will give you 4-7 liters per min can be expensive to install (electrically) and sounds like you may have pressure problems on the mains side so at a guess I think it maybe the cheap and simple choice.

They do the Nt1500XT which is slightly better or for about £180.00 you can get 12 liters per min with the Nt201 Power shower or if you are feeling flush get the Aqualisa Aquastream@ £300+ that will give you about 18 liters per min. but they are all pumps in a box so the wear rate is similar.