Hi, we are having a new ensuite bathroom and a separate kids shower room fitted and wanted advice on the best showers please! We have had many problems with low pressure and the shower almost stopping completely if someone runs a tap/shower or flushes a toilet elsewhere in the house. We had a new unvented cylinder fitted just over a year ago and it is better, if not perfect. Our current ensuite shower often goes from scalding to freezing but it is very old so we are hoping it is just a problem with the shower valve!
We want a cheap-ish one in the kids shower room but are prepared to spend around £500 to get a great shower in the ensuite. Have been looking at Aqualisa gravity pumped showers but not sure if that would work as the unvented cylinder is not in the loft but on the same level as the ensuite shower. Or is Mira or Grohe...or any other better? We would prefer it to be concealed to make cleaning easier but there are so many showers, it is rather overwhelming to know which one to go for! Any advice please?
Thanks!
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
Hi.
If you have unvented cylinder gravity isn't needed any longer and if your thermostatic mixer can't settle right temperature might just mean that hot and cold water supply pipes are connected other way round to mixer. All you need is swapping mixer pipes at some point and it should become normal. Pressure should rise as well.
You can check it yourself by setting mixer to hot and then to cold feeling water going out, if hot isn't hot and cold neither cold you got answer or checking supplying pipes if possible, hot should be on the left cold right.
Manufacturers inform that wrong connecting mixer can damage actuall valve and affects warranty but I've never seen faulty from new thermostatic mixer valve even when connected opposite it always is in pipework or combi boiler if there is one, even old ones just seizing or leaking but still going. Thats why always when possible use bar mixers to avoid water damage caused by concealed units frequently as well usually cheaper and accessible in case.
About which name to choose - well known and inexpensive. High standards generate high costs.
Hope it solve your problem without unnecessary stress
If you have recently had an unvented cylinder fitted then this should have improved your hot water pressure very significantly - normally to similar pressure to the cold.
A very old shower fitting may struggle with this change in pressure.
If you are getting new showers for an unvented system you would normally go for high pressure fittings, not gravity fed.
Aqualisa are a great shower and I normally recommend. One benefit of them is the digital box sorts out the temperature for you so you dont get frozen / scalded - but you may get a change in flow if hot / cold supply pressure fluctuates - eg if someone turns on an appliance / tap somewhere else in the house
If your unvented cyclinder has not improved the hot water pressure it may be that the water it is receiving is not under enough pressure to supply the unvented system properly. The people fitting the cyclinder should have checked this and any plumber should be able to check your current cold water pressure.
It sounds like you have an issue on the existing shower with either the hot and cold water pressure changing, or if it is a thermostatic mixer, the wax thermostat requires replacing.
I recommend you get a tradesman in to check and advise accordingly.
With regards to your choice of new shower, the old adage of you get what you pay for is true although a reasonable shower doesn't have to cost big bucks.
