Hello,
I am installing/getting installed a new boiler and new bathroom with shower, and am after some advice to find my way through the miriad of possibilities. I have found lots of good advice in the archive but have some specific queries.
The existing system is a gravity system with a 25 year old boiler situated in the bathroom. It works well enough (with occasional hiccups) but I want to move it and it seems a good moment to replace it.
The house is a large 3/4 bedroom Victorian terraced house with one bathroom (shower in bath) and there are 3 residents - 2 adults, 1 child. I would like to build in capacity for an additional bathroom with shower.
I am concerned about energy consumption and cutting my fuel bills so a Condensing boiler seems the way to go.
The next question is Combination or Conventional boiler. I had a combi in my last house and liked the convenience. Against that I am concerned that the pressure I would get wouldn't be that great (a local plumber says that mains pressure is variable in the area and has dropped recently) and whether a combi would be up to the task. I have a Gravity system at the moment that works so I suppose if it aint broke don't fix it ? So Conventional boiler it is.
Reccomendations for Condensing Conventional Boilers? From searching the archive, in my budget, the Vaillant Eco range and the Keston Celsius 25 get good press. Any comments ? How do I work out what Kw rating I need for my house ?
I like a decent shower. It is good at the moment a mixer tap with a victorian rose head , giving low pressure but a flow rate of approx 20 l/min. This is achieved by a 22mm feed from hot water tank on floor above. The cold water tank is in the attic, two floors, approx 3m above the shower head.
I have been looking at thermostatic mixers and they seem to need more water pressure than that. What I don't want is to change everything and find that I have a much worse shower.
So I believe the options are low pressure thermostatic mixer, venturi shower, installing a pump or indeed a Unvented system. One by one:
Low pressure thermostatic mixer - Do they exist ? Would they just give a dribble ?
Venturi shower - Seem to be mixed feelings on these
Pump - Do I site this next to the hot water tank or by the shower ? Single ? Twin ? Negative ? Positive ? What does this all mean ? Is an integrated power shower a better idea? Could it pump water for possible second bathroom too.
Unvented system - What pressure would this actually give ? Same as mains in which case similar problems to Combi ? Pipe from street is
15mm, upgrading is possible, is it effective ? very expensive ?Also any reccomendations on shower fittings ? Looking at Hansgrohe, Mira, Grohe, Aqualisa.
Apologies for length of query, just trying to give all the info. All help much appreciated.
Bjorn Ventris (Remove the NOSPAM).