"Bjorn" wrote in message
om...
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 ?
They exist. Not a dribble, but not startling either.
Venturi shower - Seem to be mixed feelings on these
Get a good and make sure it works on the correct mains pressure.
Pump - Do I site this next to the hot
water tank or by the shower ?
Wherever convenient.
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.
A twin. One hot one cold. The hot from the top of the cylinder using a
Surrey flange and cold off the tank in the loft.
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 ?
Unvented cylinders are pressure reduced to approx 3.5 bar for steel and 2
bar copper. A combi is not reduced. A heat bank is a far better solution
than an unvented cylinder.
Also any reccomendations on shower fittings ?
Looking at Hansgrohe,
Mira, Grohe, Aqualisa.
Any good one.
You say you are keeping the existing gravity fed system with a tank in the
loft. If the tank is fine then keep it. Replace the cylinder with a quick
recovery model. Try the Telford Typhoon 115 litre model as it will do two
bathrooms when the boiler is set to max and using a priority system. The
problem now is the high pressure shower. So get a condensing combi and use
the water section for showers only. The Ideal Icos is good, and sabout the
same price as the eqiv system boiler.
http://www.discountedheating.co.uk/shop/acatalog/
This eliminates a power shower pump. A good pump is £200-250, so the combi
ways is the best and no vibrations and noise. Have the CH side of the
boiler act as a normal CH/DHW (cylinder) system.
If the tank has to go then consider a combi cylinder with a quick recovery
coil of 115 litres hot and 115 litres cold. See Telford, who will make one
to suit as will Range.
http://www.telford-group.com/trident.htm
http://www.range-cylinders.co.uk
Many other cylinder makers may help you.
A combi cylinder can go in the airing cupboard and eliminate the cold tank
in the loft, or go in the loft and liberate an airing cupboard.
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