Combi Boiler - or some sort of storage tank?

[RandomMess]

Semi detached 60's property on 3 floors, will have 4/5 beds.

Water pressure, apparantly, isn't good.

Am I right in thinking that we would be best off with a water storage tank rather than a combi? Also is a thermal exchange tank the best thing for us?

What other considerations to take into account.

I need a decent shower and dh loves his baths...

What does it have atm?

Ancient gas boiler on the lower ground floor and hot water tank in the loft bedroom.

noddy how do you fancy a weeks holiday near the lakes to just tell us what to do about the property we've bought

It's a complete project so can change where things are etc.

I think in a biggish house with more than one bathroom a conventional storage type system is best. Combis are great for instant water especially in a flat or small house but over 3 floors I would go conventional.System boilers are very good as they pump the water too.

God looking around me I wish I could! I love a 60s house

Pretty please

I could send you a link to what we've bought but there is no floor plan, I tell you that was a shock after being down south. In fact the whole estate agent persona up here is staggering - they don't seem to be that bothered about selling you something???

megaflo if you can stretch that far (unvented hot water system) makes the pressure in a large house amazing.

Do you know if matters where you place the boiler and tank to improve the pressure the most or does it just depend on the pump thing????

Have you ever installed those natural light tunnel things - any good?

Any other top tips for a chalet bungalow built in 1960? Stunning view, strange house...

Oh yes send me a link!

Megaflows are amazing esp if no gas to a building as can run off electric or solar.

Link sent, we have mains gas. The front faces east, the back west so I'm wondering with solar electricity is worth going for or whether we won't be there long enough to make it worth our while

it sounds like you have not yet bought the house.

When you can, fill a bucket at the kitchen cold tap, and (if present) the garden tap and the utility room tap. Time it, and calculate how many litres per minute it delivers. The rate of flow is very important.

When you say pressure, you might mean flow. Or is it at the top of a hill?

Is it at the end of a country lane, or in a town or village?

It's at the top of the hill and at the end of the close! The building surveryor mentioned it specifically when chatted although perhaps I do mean flow...

Consider running a new, larger, plastic water pipe to the pavement. It will be a bit easier to connect if there is a water meter there, or a stop-cock in the pavement. This is almost certain to make a big improvement in flow.

It will involve digging a new trench, which is fairly easy if garden or gravel, and wooden floors; more tiresome if concrete. It need not follow the same route as the old pipe.

Discuss this with your installer, but do the bucket test first. A plumber or heating engineer will (should) measure pressure and dynamic flow, but the bucket test is a good start.

A combi is unlikely to be suitable in a biggish house with more than one bath/shower.

Thanks that is really helpful

If you are replacing your drive then definitely up grade your mains water. We did. Ours was already good and now it comes out like water from a firemans hose!
I am a big fan of combis but based on what you say Combi boiler is definitely not for you, one reason being even with high water pressure and powerful combi it will take ages to fun the bath.
Water from a combi would allow you to have one really ggod shower going at a time.

We have a combi in our a current home - small 3 bed mid-terrace (always warm!), one shower room and it is fine for that and the shower copes when someone else runs the tap/flushes the loo but I wasn't so convinced for a much bigger house.

No short terms to replace the drive but if it's really bad I will probably dig it up myself - I can't stand pathetic showers and they just don't wet my water-resistant hair!