Bar shower install

[richardd]

I am installing a bar shower this week on a gravity system.

I am using the hot connection of the top of the cylinder for the hot feed to the shower but for the cold I have the option of mws or cws from the tank for the cold connection for the shower.

Would it be best to use the cws to get equal pressures on the hot and cold.

Althought i dont want the pressure to be low when it comes to the shower head .

 

[dontknowitall]

The balanced system is much better (and is usually advised by the manufacturer) - requires a separate tapping in the CWSC.

 

[richardd]

The balanced system is much better (and is usually advised by the manufacturer) - requires a separate tapping in the CWSC.

It would be a big job to run a separate supply from the tank .

The cylinder is right behind the wall were the shower will be mounted (ground floor,good head of pressure )so there is a cws to the cylinder, which i could tee off.

I know this may effect the shower when there is draw offs in other areas.

I would have to advice the customer appropriately about cost and efficency.

 

[WHPES]

You will have to work out a separate supply from the CWS tank. You cannot install the cold onto the mains water. it MUST come from the header tank or the shower will not be balanced and not work properly.

Likewise do not rely on taking the hot water from the top of the cylinder - use an Essex flange into the cylinder for the hot supply.

If you don't do it this way, the likelihood of the shower working properly is slim and the customer quite rightly so will give you grief and a bad reputation over the job.

 

[richardd]

You will have to work out a separate supply from the CWS tank. You cannot install the cold onto the mains water. it MUST come from the header tank or the shower will not be balanced and not work properly.

Likewise do not rely on taking the hot water from the top of the cylinder - use an Essex flange into the cylinder for the hot supply.

If you don't do it this way, the likelihood of the shower working properly is slim and the customer quite rightly so will give you grief and a bad reputation over the job.

Yes an essex flange will be installed as standard. I dont intend to connect the mws to the cold shower inlet . I intent to take a tee of the cws from the tank which goes to the cylinder. To run a separate cws from the loft tank would be alot of work and cost for the customer. Will the tee of the cws to the cylinder be fine I am asking.

 

[dontknowitall]

If the cost is too great (or plumbing downright difficult/expensive) will an electric shower be an option?

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

balanced pressures from dedicated feeds is what is required

Plus if the customer decides to have a pump further down the line as well

 

[richardd]

If the cost is too great (or plumbing downright difficult/expensive) will an electric shower be an option?

They want to do away with the electric shower as it is old . They also say its hard on the electric bill. The cylinder is right behind the wall were the shower is to be mounted. So the connections are there except an independent from the tank but there is a cws supply to the cylinder which I to tee off. Would there be a problem doing that.

 

[WHPES]

You might get away with it if your mixer doesn't need too much water flow but be it on your head if you don't.

Another reason why you shouldn't is that supposing the tank ran dry, the cold supply would stop before the hot, so only hot water would reach the mixer. Connections to the header tank for the cold should be below the level fof the hot so that hot would run out before the cold. This is not a regulation but is best practice.

I guess you could try it first and warn the customer if it doesn't work then you will need to do it properly, but if it were me, I wouldn't go there.

Could you not run a length of plastic pipe into the loft for the cold water feed?

 

[philtheflush]

i would imagine that an electric shower would be cheaper, than to heat up a cylinder of water and the expense of putting a gravity system in.

 

[Gray0689]

i would imagine that an electric shower would be cheaper, than to heat up a cylinder of water and the expense of putting a gravity system in.

They have the cylinder in already like said needs to be balanced with cold feed coming from cws

 

[EricTheKing]

no idea

 

[KrAaZyIvAn]

I have found that a pumped DHW supply and CWMS can be used happily with a thermo bar shower as long as a 'non return valve' is fitted to the pre-pumped DHW supply. Obviously this is not ideal, but, works so far in the several I've needed to do where cost being an issue. A pressure regulator could be used on the CWMS but my way is cheap! Obviously also IMHO

 

[richardd]

i would imagine that an electric shower would be cheaper, than to heat up a cylinder of water and the expense of putting a gravity system in.

The gravity system is already there and the water would be warm anyway with the heating being on.

 

[WHPES]

You must make sure the customer acknowledges that you will bear no responsibility if it doesn't function properly if you go ahead and do it that way.