Plumbing advice needed

[Small pumpkin]

Electric shower. I will now try to explain the problem and the cause. Then you lovely people can give me the solution

In summer you can't get the water temperature down enough without it being on it's low pressure setting. This means you have to run around in the shower to get wet! ( I'm getting sick of 3rd degree burns)
In winter you can't get the water temperature high enough. It's on high pressure setting and temperature is as high as it will go. This means I still have to run around in the shower to get wet & cold ! ( I'm getting sick of pneumonia)

We do not have mains water supply. It comes from the burn up the hill at the back of the house into a 2000lt water tank halfway up the hill, then into the house. Hot water tank standard size in airing cupboard on ground floor. ( not that hot water makes any difference to electric shower)

Other half's idea is change it to a 10.8 kW I think we only have an 8. Something at the moment. But we may need to re wire if we get one of those. That's a lot of work and a lot of money for something that might not make any difference!?

Hopefully all that is understandable and someone can advise. Thank you

[Guest]

Not that I have any words of wisdom, but is there a reason you want to stay with electric rather than 'the other type' (really can't think what you call them - non-electric )

[Small pumpkin]

(really can't think what you call them - non-electric )

You call them pants! (Especially When you don't have a very high water pressure). We had a thermostatic shower in last house. Horrible thing with even less temperature control

[bearded bloke]

Gravity NG


Yep you are most likely going to need a wiring upgrade from 6mm to 10mm cable if you go for a larger electric one, if that's the case then it's a new curcuit & to comply with current wiring reg's must be installed by a suitably certified person.
Thermostatic gravity or a pumped shower would be my thoughts.
I dare say potty will be along with more detailed advice, it might help him if you could work out how high above the shower head the base of the water storage tank is, also where is the expansion tank for the water cylinder, also what type of boiler do you have.

[bearded bloke]

You call them pants! (Especially When you don't have a very high water pressure). We had a thermostatic shower in last house. Horrible thing with even less temperature control

Have a look at Aqualisa, they do excellent gravity fed thermostatic showers that work on 3ft of water head, having said that what sort of hot water system do you have ?

Have a look here ........... Showers & Water System Compatibility Information| Aqualisa

[Guest]

Gravity NG
.

Sorry, I thought you were being rude Penny has just dropped. TY - gravity fed shower

[Tripmeup]

All the showers in our house (admittedly relatively new) are pressurized with thermostatic mixing valves and are great!

Can you look into changing your water pressure?

[Small pumpkin]

Can you look into changing your water pressure?

Potentially, but that does involve moving our 2000lt water tank farther up the hill and the pipes either side of it. Which isn't as easy as it sounds.

[Guest]

It boils down to how much you want to spend but it is either electric and rewire cost or gravity shower with a pump. I don't think there is a cheap fix IMO.

[Small pumpkin]

It boils down to how much you want to spend but it is either electric and rewire cost or gravity shower with a pump. I don't think there is a cheap fix IMO.

You're probably right! But I'm ever hopeful for a plan B, C or even D

Other half will answer some of the technical questions that have been asked later. He's gone to pick up half a pig

[Aberdeenplotter]

You're probably right! But I'm ever hopeful for a plan B, C or even D

Other half will answer some of the technical questions that have been asked later. He's gone to pick up half a pig

Hopefully, it will still be attached to the other half

[jonny the plant pot]

Does your cold water go into a storage tank above a hot water cylinder .
If so switch your standard electric shower to a power shower .
Flow rate will be more even and you won't need to upgrade your wire from 6mm to 10mm

[Potstubsdustbins]

Make of shower would be a start, followed by how high above the shower rose is the top of the water storage tank and then is the tank always topped up?

An 8.5Kw shower will usually deliver about 5lts of warm water but this does depend on the temperature of the water entering the shower.

If you can take a pic of the front of the shower I may be able to go into specifics.

First bit of advice don't jump the gun, I have just priced up for a shower change from an 8.5 to a 10.7. Shower unit top of the range Mira as near to £300 as makes no difference, upgrade from 6mm to 10mm cable with circuit breakers electricians price £480 and then there's my lads labour. You don't want to be spending that sort of money if the water supply is not up to scratch.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Oh, one more thing you say the hot water cylinder is on the ground floor, is this fed by a separate cold water storage tank in the house or direct from the 2000ltr tank and is the bathroom on the first floor.

[Bobh]

OK, I'm the other half in question here so I'll hopefully be able to answer some of the questions.
The system we have at the moment is a private water supply fed directly from the stream coming off the mountain/hill behind us (therefore giving a vast range in temperature of the incoming water)
The water is stored in a collection tank which is about 40-50 feet above the level of the ground floor bathroom (would I be right in thinking this gives about 1 ½ bar?)
The water passes though a pair of string filters and a UV before entering the house.
All the cold water in the house is then fed directly from this, as is the thermal store (Thermal Store | McDonald Engineers) which is heated using either an immersion heater or the back boiler of the 4kw wood burner. From this tank 2 small radiators fed as well.
The only cold water store is a very small header tank for the radiators.
At present we have an 8kw electric shower.
I've looked at getting either a power shower or a larger electric shower, my thoughts are that the 140 litre thermal store may prove to be too small to fit a power shower, I don't want to be in a position where the radiators end up cold after a couple of people have had a shower.
As mentioned to fit a 10kw+ electric shower would require an upgrade to the wiring but I'm currently thinking this would be the cheapest option. A 10.8kw shower is available from around £140 which I'd fit myself, plus the cost of the electrician to rewire (obviously before the new shower was fitted .&#128512
To fit a power shower would require a pump fitted, with its associated wiring costs, and a reasonable amount of plumbing work (which I'd do but there's still a cost of parts etc)
Any thoughts/suggestions on any of the above would be greatfully recieved.
Bob