Boiler nightmare HELP

[WrapTrap]

Hi

I have had a search on previous threads but cant quite find an exact answer so posting in the hope pigletjohn might read and provide some help as he seems knowledgeable.

We got keys to new house last Thursday. Had gas safety check done before exchange and completion-all ok. Boiler is reasonably new. Its a tank system with a shower pump. Tank is v old, we know it needs replacing.

Took a handful of showersand a bath for kids and shower pump went yesterday. Flooded landing. Shower pump feeds bath and shower in main bathroom and shower in ensuite. House is 4 bed, two bathroom and downstairs loo. 4 people in house, 2 adults, 2 kids.

Shower pump removed and capped by emergency plumber. Now in situation we need to sort this ASAP as finding v difficult to wash. Kids bathing in bucket outside.

Have been offered a few options.

1. New shower pump, like for like. Approx £700 parts and labour.
2. Get rid of shower pump and fit unvented cylinder. Water flow and pressure is good for this. I was leaning towards this option previously. One quote for this at 1700
3. Curveball by another plumber of a new combi, sack off cylinder. 28w combi is apparently enough? Had combi

In previous house with no issue so not opposed but thought only good in smaller houses?

I really need some guidance. Had anticipated this needing doing but not as soon as we moved in when trying to deal with smalls kids under five, plus social distancing due to covid vulnerability.

If someone has suggested a gas combi for a 2 bath house, sack them off. Also, get rid of them, for quoting you £700 to replace a shower pump. What shower pump was it that a like for like comes at such a high price?
It is always difficult to say what you need without inspecting your property, but as a temporary fix, you can always fit a new shower pump. They start from £80-£90 and can go up to £600-£700, but for most peoplesneeds, a £150-£200 pump should suffice. It varies though on what pump you need. Is it a twin or single pump, what flow rate are you looking for etc. I personally recommend this to most people www.screwfix.com/p/stuart-turner-showermate-eco-standard-regenerative-twin-shower-pump-2-0bar/60928?tc=HB2&ds_kid=92700046986170840&gclsrc=aw.ds&ds_rl=1241687&ds_rl=1245250&ds_rl=1245725&gclid=CjwKCAjwqpP2BRBTEiwAfpiD-5Oz82ul_2dW1U2dPJHZgiyT5DV6XzerdtPZidwDKjuNSI7Y_zdsiBoCiVUQAvD_BwE.
For the long term, definitely look at going for an unvented cylinder. It allows you to get rid of the tanks in the loft (which should cut down your building and contents insurance costs) and have a wider range of plumbing options for kitchens and bathrooms.

I think @Muchlywrong is giving good advice. The Combi boiler in a larger house is a waste of time. Lots of people are disappointed when fitted.

Sounds like the unvented cylinder is the way forward. Be aware you might need to change shower heads though depending on flow.

But as he pointed out, fitting a new pump isn't expensive....the one he showed you only needs flexible pipes so could be a straight swop? My DH does them in places we rent and is dead easy...but check....you are able to cope with the electrics...some have straight plus fitted but yours might be hard wired. Also check it has isolators from the hot water tank as otherwise you might need to drain it (should have)

Hi guys, thanks for replying it really is appreciated.

Old pump is aqualisa 3.4 bar. My issue with replacing the pump is that we were aiming for an unvented cylinder previously. This would do away with pump and it seemed counter productive to fit pump when we knew tank needed replacing.

Lets sack off combi idea then and go back to unvented. Ive been quoted 1700 for a 180l cylinder. How does this sound?

Fitting it ourselves really not an option. OH is not diy minded. If any5hing it would be me doing it. Whilst im willing to learn, i had issues trying to put pressure washer together yesterday with 18 m old hanging off my leg

Is the quote all from the same people? Just looking up a quick price. For a 180l unvented, indirect cylinder you should be probably looking at around £900-£1000. The rest then comes down to how long fitting will take and what will need doing for connection's. £700 seems a bit excessive, but not vastly overpriced. I would expect two people to take one day to fit it and drain down the tank in the loft. As MarieG10 said though, you will likely need to replace a few bits to deal with the increased pressure on your water. All of your toilet fill valves will need either replacing, or having a pressure inhibitor fitted, your taps may need replacing and if you have electric showers, they will need to be changed.
I would recommend getting someone else in to give you a quote, because there do seem to be a few issues in my eyes at least, as to what has been quoted. Normally for a house your size, a 200l+ cylinder would normally be a better recommendation, but they may have gone for a lower sized cylinder as your boiler output might be too low. If you are struggling to find someone else, look up the CIPHE, they are a trade association of heating and plumbing engineers and are normally a trust worthy group.
The smaller shower pump might be a good idea to keep you going over the weekend, if you can fit it yourself or find someone to fit it for you. It ideally shouldn't cost you more than £200 for supply and fit and will mean that you are in less of a rush to replace your hot water cylinder. You can then always sell it on ebay to recoup some money.