Mixer shower problems - Help!

[GirlyGirl]

Hey was wondering if someone could please help me with my mixer shower problem? I know jack about plumbing and desperately need help as I am sick of baths. Ok, here's the problem. I got a guy out to quote me on getting my bathroom re-done and also a combi boiler installed. I asked him to go ahead with the bathroom job and he recently fitted my mixer shower (after 3 weeks). Anyway he says it won't work properly until I get my combi boiler and he showed me that only a dribble of cold water was coming out. Now I had a fiddle about with the shower and managed to get full-on power, although still only cold water. I'm annoyed as I'm having to wait another 2 weeks without a shower, and I'm concerned cos I think he's trying to con me so he can get the combi boiler job too. But I hate the thought that i'm being lied to. I am a girlygirl, but I'm not stupid. So what's the deal?

 

[newbie1]

firstly is he a gas safe registered engineer as if not the boiler will be illegally installed and have no warranty with manufacturer and if any problems house insurance will be void as well
what system do you have at present as even with old system you should be getting hot and cold water out the shower
a combi boiler works by cold water inlet pressure and hot water then gets sent to the outlets in your house
do you have a combi at the moment or a conventional system with a hot water copper cylinder
why do you need a combi/new boiler some thermostatic shower cartridges are different to ones used for conventional systems

 

[Puddle]

what make model of shower is it,maybe hot still on tank until system changeover (combi boiler) and cold on mains
If so you will have to be carefull as when shower on ,cold mains could back up hot pipework into tank and cause to overflow
If you are having all works done why not quoted for all together ?

 

[Bernie2]

Do you live in a self contained flat?If you do, the chances are cistern stored water supply is lower than the shower head. You can easily tell, if you turn the shower on and let the hand set dangle down as low as it will go, then the water may very well come out much faster, than if you lift it up as high as it can go. If that happens, the Plumber is probably right in what he says, it will not work properly until you get a combi fitted or alter the position of the existing stored water cistern/tank to a higher position. And as Puddle says if the cold is off the main water the situation is probably made worse.

 

[GirlyGirl]

At the moment I have a drip-fed gravity system (I think that's what it's called). He is a gas registered engineer. The mixer shower is a Triton thermostatic control. I was wanting to get a combi boiler as the boiler in my house is pretty old, and I'm sure won't last much longer. Just confused as to why my mixer won't work until I have a combi boiler. Hope this helps.

 

[Plucky]

I wouldnt worry. The shower he has fitted will be a high pressure unit designed for either mains pressure or pumped water from gravity tanks.

Once the combi boiler has been installed you will have mains pressure water so shower will work as it should do.