Ideal plumbing arangement for Bath

[Moonshine]

I'm just about to tackle the Bathroom (Yes lots on!)

I got a new Cold Water Tank to put in loft to ensure I have sufficient head for gravity fed shower.

At the moment the bath has 22mm Hot feed and a 15mm Cold feed straight off the mains.

I assume I'm correct in saying it will be best if I change the cold feed to 22mm off the Cold Water Tank - especially as I'm fitting Shower mixer tap over bath?

Thanks

Cliff

[mike ring]

Moonshine wrote in news: [e-mail]:

This won't improve your head if you are just putting a new tank in to replace the old one

IMO that's quite all right as is - others may know better; you should get plenty of flow at mains pressure through a 15mm pipe; your problem wil be matching pressures for the shower

I think if the tank is only just above the shower head, say loft tank and

1st floor bathroom, and remember the shower head will be several feet avove the taps, that's only a few feet below the water level in the tank, you will not have enough head/pressure to run a shower without some form of boost; I would consider that before worrying about the piping.

mike

[Rick Dipper]

Thats what I do, the taps run at the same speed when you have finshed. I have no idea if its "correct"

Rick

[John Rumm]

Higher than the existing tank then I presume?

For an ordinary mixer tap the imbalance would not be a problem (modern mixers don't really mix in the accepted sense anyway). Adding the shower however makes it more complicated. The additional pipe from the cold water tank is a common solution to the problem, or, you could try a pressure balancing valve and keep the mains feed.

[Moonshine]

Yes sorry didn't say - current tank is in the Airing cupboard, so I know wouldn't be any good for shower without assistance.

Might fit pump anyway, so wanted arrangement to suit either situation.

Cliff

[Christian McArdle]

Do so. In my last house I installed a single impellor pump on the hot supply to the bath and shower. Cold was via mains. It all worked perfectly. Ensure the shower mixer is both a pressure balancing and thermostatic type. The pressure balancing will ensure that the mains supply and pumped hot are matched before the thermostatic mixer part has a go, even when someone downstairs turns on a tap.

Christian.

[IMM]

You are lucky then. If there is an imbalance in the pressure of the hot and cold, the mixing at the shower and mixers will not operate too well. You must have been about equal at both by luck than design.

[Christian McArdle]

By design. The shower incorporated a pressure balancing valve. The bath taps were not covered by the pressure balancing (as they were separates), but had remarkably similar flow rates anyway.

Christian.