Replace vented cylinder with electric boiler and mains booster
Anonymous user 09/03/2024 - 3.07 PM
Hi,
I'm looking to convert my loft and build a second bathroom. At the moment I have a gravity-fed system with a water tank in the loft and a vented cylinder (200 litres) in the bathroom downstairs.
My mains pressure is very weak, not even 1 bar. At the moment I have a Stuart Turner pump attached to my shower.
The builders think the entire system should be replaced with an electric boiler and the mains should be pumped so the boiler can operate.
Is it better to use a pump to boost the mains or an accumulator?
If I opt for an accumulator, can I keep the mains in the kitchen unpumped and only attach the accumulator to the two bathrooms?
Would you recommend an electric boiler with a cylinder or without a cylinder? How much hot water would I get if the electric boiler doesn't have a cylinder?
I'm slightly afraid of running out of hot water while I'm showering as I heard electric boilers cannot heat up much water for longer periods and I like long showers or baths. Is this correct?
Thank you!
Pamela
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
get a qualified plumbing and heating engineer to sort this out for you,mains booster will boost pressure but will not give you greater volume,contact your water board about increasing size of incoming main.
The best option is to remove the existing gravity fed with an unvented hot water cylinder. Convert cold to mains then you'll have equal pressure. Do you know if your neighbours have good pressure? Check to see if maybe it's just you? Perhaps you have lead mains which sometimes get bend or collapse restricting flow. The cheapest option is to boost with a couple Pumps, 1 to pump mains and convert all cold to mains and only use the cold water tank to feed cylinder for hot water. Then boost all the hot from the hot water cylinder, You will need a Surrey flange that tees to both showers.
Answered9 March 2020
1
Anonymous user
If your mains pipe is lead it should first be replaced with blue plastic pipe. This my increase pressure slightly. If you have more then 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms it would be better to get a system boiler with a cylinder. Cylindees range in size up to 500 litres. The whole point of the tank is to always store 500 litres of water for continuous use. While the boiler just handles the heating side. So you could have an electric system boiler but gas is more efficient. Also as your new system will be mains fed dont forget to make all your water mains fed. Remove the tanks in loft and bypass any pipes to the mains. Otherwise you will have water mixing problems with water being too hot.
Answered29 February 2020
0
Anonymous user
You carnt isolate a pump on one half and not the other as the system is 1 its flow and return the only out come i would recomend is a full new system and boiler to take the comphcitity of the psi. I.e pressure for the load of the house pending on the size of the house. The system you have now is sending the water down it would be much better to be sending it up with a pump.thanks lee
