Im in the process of trying to refit a bathroom - not alot of the diy
being done be me so far, but i may do some of the gutting out of the old
tiles.

Ive been looking around for a good shower as im planning to fit a
1200x900 shower tray and door in what used to be the old airing cupboard.

I was initially looking at something like the aqualisa 'quartz' shower...
but we were in a showroom looking at tiles and saw a setup that appealed

it had a 'drench' type overhead shower (8inch rose) and a separate rail
and small handshower for washing hair, kids etc.

It also had 4 body jets.

All in all this looked fairly appealing but it was not a thermostatic
valve which put me off a bit.

Further research this week has got me very confused....
If found i can get a similar setup (from BRISTAN) with thermostatic valve
and I have been given very different an conflicting stories about the
water/pump requirements (mostly from the sales people in the bathroom
showrooms).

I have ofch and a 30x18 inch hot water cylinder.

From various places (mostly bathroom showrooms) ive been told that this
should be fine with my current cylinder and a 2/3 bar pump for 2-3
showers.

And from others ive been told that this will drain my whole hot water
supply in about 3 minutes (at a claimed 30litres/min), and that i could
not do with anything less than a large pressurised hot water tank.

None of the shower manufacturers give any advice other than saying the
shower needs 1-5 bar - a very wide range.

Obviously i would not be using all three functions at once (except
perhaps a boost of the body jets for the last minute of the shower.

Can anyone comment on whether this is a pipe dream with my current setup
or whether i would really need to forget it and get a really simple setup
or get a much larger hot water tank.

Final question - does the shape of the shower head have a significant
impact on water usage or is the the bar rating of the pump ?

D

--
dkh

"dkh" wrote in message
. ..
Im in the process of trying to refit a bathroom - not alot of the diy
being done be me so far, but i may do some of the gutting out of the old
tiles.

Ive been looking around for a good shower as im planning to fit a
1200x900 shower tray and door in what used to be the old airing cupboard.

I was initially looking at something like the aqualisa 'quartz' shower...
but we were in a showroom looking at tiles and saw a setup that appealed

it had a 'drench' type overhead shower (8inch rose) and a separate rail
and small handshower for washing hair, kids etc.

It also had 4 body jets.

All in all this looked fairly appealing but it was not a thermostatic
valve which put me off a bit.

Further research this week has got me very confused....
If found i can get a similar setup (from BRISTAN) with thermostatic valve
and I have been given very different an conflicting stories about the
water/pump requirements (mostly from the sales people in the bathroom
showrooms).

I have ofch and a 30x18 inch hot water cylinder.

From various places (mostly bathroom showrooms) ive been told that this
should be fine with my current cylinder and a 2/3 bar pump for 2-3
showers.

And from others ive been told that this will drain my whole hot water
supply in about 3 minutes (at a claimed 30litres/min), and that i could
not do with anything less than a large pressurised hot water tank.

None of the shower manufacturers give any advice other than saying the
shower needs 1-5 bar - a very wide range.

Obviously i would not be using all three functions at once (except
perhaps a boost of the body jets for the last minute of the shower.

Can anyone comment on whether this is a pipe dream with my current setup
or whether i would really need to forget it and get a really simple setup
or get a much larger hot water tank.

Final question - does the shape of the shower head have a significant
impact on water usage or is the the bar rating of the pump ?

D

--
dkh


i have just fitted a 5 inch shower rose, 3 bar pump with thermo control. If
i have the valve fully open at max flow, i get through a whole tank of hot
water in a 7 min shower, and my tank is larger than usual apparently. if i
only partially open the valve, so as to get an adequate shower (still good
though) i can get 15 mins or more. i have no body jets.

i am seriously now considering a solar hot water heating system so i can
shower with piece of mind i am not wasting loads of water!

Steve

i am seriously now considering a solar hot water heating system so i can
shower with piece of mind i am not wasting loads of water!

Er, solar heating won't change your water usage, just the energy used to
heat said water.

Christian.

On Thu, 21 Sep 2006 18:11:16 GMT someone who may be dkh
wrote this:-

If found i can get a similar setup (from BRISTAN) with thermostatic valve
and I have been given very different an conflicting stories about the
water/pump requirements (mostly from the sales people in the bathroom
showrooms).

I have ofch and a 30x18 inch hot water cylinder.

In real units probably 750x450, 95 litres.

And from others ive been told that this will drain my whole hot water
supply in about 3 minutes (at a claimed 30litres/min),

If you are only using hot water, which is unlikely. Assuming 50/50
it would be around six minutes.

and that i could
not do with anything less than a large pressurised hot water tank.

The pressure under which the cylinder operates is a red herring. It
makes no difference to the speed at which hot water runs out.

Can anyone comment on whether this is a pipe dream with my current setup
or whether i would really need to forget it and get a really simple setup
or get a much larger hot water tank.

The hot water cylinder size is marginal. Is it a modern high
recovery unit, or some old badly insulated thing with slow recovery?

If there is space to fit a larger cylinder I would probably install
the shower and see how it goes. It will probably be alright,
provided people don't spend too long in the thing with too much
water and provided people don't want to shower in relays. If it is a
problem in your particular household then a better cylinder could be
fitted.

If there is not enough space to fit a larger cylinder then I would
have another think.

Final question - does the shape of the shower head have a significant
impact on water usage or is the the bar rating of the pump ?

The shape doesn't, but the number of holes and their size does.


--
David Hansen, Edinburgh
I will *always* explain revoked encryption keys, unless RIP prevents me
http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2000/00023--e.htm#54

"Christian McArdle" wrote in message
.. .
i am seriously now considering a solar hot water heating system so i can
shower with piece of mind i am not wasting loads of water!

Er, solar heating won't change your water usage, just the energy used to
heat said water.

Christian.



Absolutely correct...i want to save money!

Steve

David, tanks for all your answers.. much apprecaited


David Hansen wrote in
:

Final question - does the shape of the shower head have a significant
impact on water usage or is the the bar rating of the pump ?

The shape doesn't, but the number of holes and their size does.



Thanks for this, - original question was badly worded - what i meant was
does a drench head (wide spray pattern - less force out of the head)
necessarily use less or more than a smaller head from which the water will
eject at a much higher velocity..

so for example will and head like (large rose)

http://www.showerright.co.uk/Opto%20Shower%20Head.jpg

use much more than a head like


http://www.showerright.co.uk/FH3%20C.jpg (typical standard style head.