Water heater suitable for bath filling ?

[Sean]

Anyone recomend anything suitable for this.

Basically an old house which i dont want to rip apart to install CH - currently (old and very large) wall mounted storage water boiler is mounted just adjacent to the bath and feeds the bath and wash basin - downstairs has a over sink electric heater.

The bath heater leaks and really is huge (but still works after 30 yrs use)- i'd like something smaller but still electric powered - are there any instant water heaters solid enough to run long enough to fill a bath or are they all storage?

thanks.

[Sparks]

How about an electric shower unit?

What wattage is the old unit? How difficult would it be to run a new electric feed to the bathroom? Do you know what cable size is there already?

Sparks...

[Andrew Gabriel]

The problem is that a domestic electricity supply is not up to the task of instant heating water at typical bath filling rates. Products exist and are used in some countries where 3-phase is routinely provided to homes, but that's rare in the UK.

Do you not have a gas supply?

[Dave Fawthrop]

| In article , | "Sean" writes: | > Anyone recomend anything suitable for this. | > | > Basically an old house which i dont want to rip apart to install CH - | > currently (old and very large) wall mounted storage water boiler is | > mounted just adjacent to the bath and feeds the bath and wash basin - | > downstairs has a over sink electric heater. | > | > The bath heater leaks and really is huge (but still works after 30 yrs | > use)- i'd like something smaller but still electric powered - are there | > any instant water heaters solid enough to run long enough to fill a | > bath or are they all storage? | | The problem is that a domestic electricity supply is not up to | the task of instant heating water at typical bath filling rates. | Products exist and are used in some countries where 3-phase is | routinely provided to homes, but that's rare in the UK.

IIRC all three phases are wired to UK homes, but only one is used. Installing a three phase meter should be possible, but I am not sure of the cost.

[Stephen Dawson]

You could you a Triton TW10i waterheater. Very expensive way of filling a bath though.

[jacob]

Got to be a storage system. We have an 9.5kw instant water heater for kitchen sink (temporary) and it is only just adequate. Filling a bath would be really slow and it would be cold before it filled. We also have 9.5kw shower which is perfectly OK . You could put one above the bath and just shower only.

cheers

Jacob

[Christian McArdle]

You have a choice of a 24kW instantaneous electric water heater, which will require at least a 2 phase supply. You can get versions that will run one

100A phase (must be the only device on that phase), or 33A each off three phases.

A 24kW heater will run an excellent shower, but will be slow (but possible) for bath filling, matching the smaller combi boilers. Don't write off the possibility of installing 3 phase if you don't have it. Ask your electricity company for a quote.

Alternatively, you need a storage solution. Practically any hot water cylinder, whether vented, mains pressurised or heat bank will work. However, they will take up much more space. Specify one with two immersions that can run simultaneously for faster recovery. You'll need at least 120 litres in size.

Christian.

[Matt Beard]

Some UK homes may have all three phases connected, with only one used, but this is by no means universal.

I believe that it is common to wire a street of houses up so that a

3-phase cable runs down the street and each house is supplied from one of the phases by a short spur. I think that they alternate the phases so, for example, number 1 uses blue, number 3 (next door) yellow, number 5 red, number 7 blue again.

I have also heard tell that streets with overhead supplies used to suffer from over-use of the blue phase as it was generally the bottom wire and so easier to tap (though this may simply be a myth)

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Don't think this is universally so. There's only one in mine. And I've seen some with two.

[Sean]

There is gas to the house but only runs to the downstairs cooker - much as i thought it's going to have to be a chunky electric supply and another large immersion type wall mounted heater fitted as the replacement.

Anyone had 3 phase fitted? - any ideas of the cost ? even an "ish" cost might help either put me off or consider it.

thanks

[Christian McArdle]

Use the gas. Running the pipe to a convenient location will probably be cheaper than installing 3 phase. Then use a 28kW (or bigger) combi boiler. Then, if you ever do want to install central heating, the boiler is sitting there just itching to be hooked up.

Christian.

[Doctor Drivel]

For a Japanese Rinnai gas multi-point which will fill a bath zippo. Best around.

[Doctor Drivel]

Nope. A gas Rinnai multi-point will do it.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

That will be electric, then?

[jacob]

Nope. OP asks for an electric solution. But yep - gas would be better.

[Christian McArdle]

Actually, I find myself agreeing with drivel. The house does have gas and it makes far more sense to connect to this than install an electric solution.

Christian.

[Doctor Drivel]

He has gas. Using electric is rather silly in installation and running costs. He properly doesn't know this. Now he knows of a superb gas multi-point, that can even be fitted outside if need be.

[Sean]

BUT - there is an esthablised route from the incoming mains point (electric) to the current immersion heater so replacing the cabling with something more chunky would not be an issues whereas running a gas supply (which enters the house at a different possible) to there would be very difficult.

Just trying to get some ideas of 3 phase installation costs now that i have found out any instantanious solutions will require it.