Hello,

I am installing/getting installed a new boiler and new bathroom with
shower, and am after some advice to find my way through the miriad of
possibilities. I have found lots of good advice in the archive but
have some specific queries.

The existing system is a gravity system with a 25 year old boiler
situated in the bathroom. It works well enough (with occasional
hiccups) but I want to move it and it seems a good moment to replace
it.

The house is a large 3/4 bedroom Victorian terraced house with one
bathroom (shower in bath) and there are 3 residents - 2 adults, 1
child. I would like to build in capacity for an additional bathroom
with shower.

I am concerned about energy consumption and cutting my fuel bills so a
Condensing boiler seems the way to go.

The next question is Combination or Conventional boiler. I had a combi
in my last house and liked the convenience. Against that I am
concerned that the pressure I would get wouldn't be that great (a
local plumber says that mains pressure is variable in the area and has
dropped recently) and whether a combi would be up to the task. I have
a Gravity system at the moment that works so I suppose if it aint
broke don't fix it ? So Conventional boiler it is.

Reccomendations for Condensing Conventional Boilers? From searching
the archive, in my budget, the Vaillant Eco range and the Keston
Celsius 25 get good press. Any comments ? How do I work out what Kw
rating I need for my house ?

I like a decent shower. It is good at the moment a mixer tap with a
victorian rose head , giving low pressure but a flow rate of approx 20
l/min. This is achieved by a 22mm feed from hot water tank on floor
above. The cold water tank is in the attic, two floors, approx 3m
above the shower head.

I have been looking at thermostatic mixers and they seem to need more
water pressure than that. What I don't want is to change everything
and find that I have a much worse shower.

So I believe the options are low pressure thermostatic mixer, venturi
shower, installing a pump or indeed a Unvented system. One by one:

Low pressure thermostatic mixer - Do they exist ? Would they just give
a dribble ?

Venturi shower - Seem to be mixed feelings on these

Pump - Do I site this next to the hot water tank or by the shower ?
Single ? Twin ? Negative ? Positive ? What does this all mean ? Is an
integrated power shower a better idea? Could it pump water for
possible second bathroom too.

Unvented system - What pressure would this actually give ? Same as
mains in which case similar problems to Combi ? Pipe from street is
15mm, upgrading is possible, is it effective ? very expensive ?

Also any reccomendations on shower fittings ? Looking at Hansgrohe,
Mira, Grohe, Aqualisa.

Apologies for length of query, just trying to give all the info. All
help much appreciated.

Bjorn Ventris
(Remove the NOSPAM).