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Property/DIY

Very low hot water pressure/electric shower installation

14 replies

MooMaid · 04/05/2015 11:14

Hi all

Looking for your expertise

Just moved into a property and the hot water pressure is nigh on non-existent throughout the whole house. Previous owner briefly mentioned it but said the whole family took showers so I didn't imagine it to be too bad (did check taps upstairs and was weak). We haven't moved in yet but took shower yesterday.... well I don't know how the hell they got showers but we wasted more water trying to get a decent temp which then basically pi$$sed out of the shower head!! Clearly this isn't going to work!!

So my question - is there anything we can do to improve the water pressure and what would we need to do to get a power or electric shower installed?

I'm not in the house right now so I'll have to follow up any answers to questions later (no reception or wi-fi currently installed) but there is a tank of some description in the airing cupboard right next door to the bathroom, I believe this is an immersion heater as there is a switch outside that says immersion heater Grin.We have a Vaillant combi-boiler downstairs in the kitchen that I have not yet fathomed out how to work I don't know if there is a water tank somewhere but guessing there must be for the immersion heater to be in situ. Not sure why there is a combi-boiler and an immersion heater?

House is 7yr old, both been in place since day built. Fuse box is under the stairs, bathroom is at the front of the house (so not a million miles away).

Who would we contact to get quotes for the installation of a power or electric shower? Plumber, electrician or both? Rough estimate, excluding cost of the shower unit what sort of figures are we looking at? I know it's dependant on cabling, distance to unit/fuse box etc but if we're looking at £1000 it's a non-starter depending on how desperate I get but if it's £500 it's do-able.

Also, anything we can do to raise water pressure? Less concerned about this one if we can get shower installed but it's would take 10 years to run a bath..... or fill the kitchen sink thank christ I have a dishwasher.

Sorry for all questions but I'd like to get this done ASAP and have no idea where to start!!

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MooMaid · 04/05/2015 17:51

Anyone?! Sad

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PigletJohn · 04/05/2015 19:19

you are probably describing a hot-water cylinder. What colour is it?

I expect there is a cold-water tank in the loft, or possibly on top of the hot-water cylinder. Where is it, and is it black plastic?

You say you have a combi boiler. How do you know it is a combi? Modern condensing boilers are not necessarily combis.

Fill a bucket at the hot bath tap (not the shower). Time it. How many litres per minute does it deliver? Do the same with the cold bath tap.

When we know more, it's likely you will be able to fit a shower pump.

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MooMaid · 04/05/2015 23:25

Thanks PJ Smile

Will get the answers to your questions when I'm back at the house tomorrow and report back.

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MooMaid · 06/05/2015 00:12

OK so this is what I have so far....

In the loft is a tank wrapped in black plastic - we haven't been up there as no ladder/steps but got on a chair & this is what we saw.

In the airing cupboard there is a vented(?) hot water cylinder

It appears you was correct - the boiler is a vaillant ecoTEC plus open vent condensing boiler. No idea what this means/is.

Not had the opportunity to time the litres per minute as didn't have anything to put the water into so will have to get back to you on this, but hopefully provides a little more info!

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PigletJohn · 06/05/2015 00:16

what colour is the cylinder?

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MooMaid · 06/05/2015 00:31

It's green - I have pictures but don't seem to be able to upload them at the minute. Not sure why...

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MooMaid · 06/05/2015 00:34

Cylinder

Very low hot water pressure/electric shower installation
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MooMaid · 06/05/2015 00:35

Cylinder

Very low hot water pressure/electric shower installation
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PigletJohn · 06/05/2015 09:34

are you sure the house is only 7 years old?

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PigletJohn · 06/05/2015 09:36

the cylinder looks quite small. What are its dimensions? You might see its capacity on the label.

Also measure the litre-per-minute from the kitchen cold tap (and the garden or utility tap, if you have one)

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ToBeeOrNot · 06/05/2015 10:11

I would go for pumped shower if I had a hot water tank ( providing it's big enough) over an electric shower.

It sounds very much like the modern house which we used to rent where there was not enough fall to the shower head. The landlords suggested it had never been a problem but the wooden platform built in the loft to raise the cold water tank a bit higher suggested otherwise.

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MooMaid · 06/05/2015 10:35

Definitely 7/8 yrs old

Back at the house in couple of hours, I'll update with requested info. First picture shows side dimensions in mm. 1050 x 450. Is that what you was looking for? I probably just didn't get a good photo of it?

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PigletJohn · 06/05/2015 13:13

this big then about 140 litres

Amply big enough for a bath, although there will not be so much hot water if the boiler is out of action and the immersion heater is used (because the immersion heater will not reach to the bottom). I don't remember quite when blue cylinder insulation replaced green, but I thought it was more than 7 years ago.

I expect you will want a shower pump which is not a very difficult plumbing job. You will need a qualified electrician if it is in the bathroom. It might go in the airing cupboard. Do not pump the other taps because it will be noisy.

Put your thumb over the hot bathroom tap, then the cold. You will be able to stop the hot water coming out because it is low pressure. Can you stop the cold?

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Binkybix · 09/05/2015 07:22

We have a pump that does the whole house and it's uneccessary apart from the showers and bath. In fact our tap water pressure downstairs is too high! I would add though that it's useful for the loos. When the pumps not on the flush seems a bit rubbish.

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