Megaflo vs traditional system with 4 bar pump?

[timtyrrell]

Hi

In my old house (typical london terrace) I had a conventional system with condensing boiler ground floor, big cylinder on1st floor and cold water tank in eaves on 2nd floor (loft extension)

I had a 4bar negative head pump next to the cylinder on 1st floor which fed showers on 1st and 2nd floors - the showers were great and I had loads of hot water (showers all connected with 22mm pipe from pump)

I am refurbishing a very similar property (normal terraced house to which i'm adding a loft extension) at the moment to move in to, and my contractor is really trying to sell me on a megaflo system, but I am worried it won't give me the same shower performance as I have at the moment, espeacially as I want to add a water softner to the set up this time (thinking a mini kenetic b....)

No matter what, I would also like to put all the heating components in the 2nd floor so - boiler/cylinder or megaflo /pump and cold water tank/water softener as there is some dead space up there which this would be a perfect use for. Can this be done with all the bits on the same level? Can pumps be used to sort things out as I know the cold tank usually needs to be above the cylinder. Thought almost anything could be done now adays

As for the megaflo from everything I have read, I am worried it won't give as good a performace as I have now as from all accounts you only get out what you put in. Ie. if its 2.5 bar mains pressure (roughly right for where we are in london) going up to the top shower will be weak as its going to lose 1 bar by the time it gets there, also at peak times when everyone on road is having a shower/bath the pressure will be less......

Really appreciate any thoughts you might have....
Cheers

tim

 

[BLOD]

Check the pressure and flow (litres per minute) static and dynamic, at the peak times before deciding anything.
It could be a costly mistake to make, and you could be dissapointed with the megaflo after your 4bar pump set up.

Blod

 

[timtyrrell]

Thanks - i'll ask the plumber to do it and make the call based on that - to be sure of a great shower, think it would be safest to stick to putting pump in as if I go mega flo theres nothing you can do to make it better if its not good enough....

 

[justlead1]

Hi An issue that needs to be thought through is the position of the cold water storage cistern in relation to the hot water cylinder if choosing a traditional vented with a pumped delivery. Unless the cold feed to cylinder is sized correctly in relation to the height above cylinder. The problem of air being drawn down vent when pump is running can be the result.

 

[Billy Bob Bob]

just done a install with a Stuart turner monsoon,massive house,what a performer to the two showers obviously this is a conventional set up as low pressure existing having seen this in action would not bother with a mega flow

 

[Dannypipe]

Yeah, I have 3bar Stuart Turner monsoon in my house so I know they're good. Unvented cylinders are great but I guess they're not always the answer.

That said, I kind of wish I had fitted an unvented cylinder as we'd have improved pressures throughout the house, not just in the shower. Not that this applies here.

 

[Dannypipe]

Oh and by the way, Mega Flow and accumalator....then you don't need to worry about peak demand...might be a solution.

 

[timtyrrell]

Thanks alot - I will stick with traditional vented with tank in the loft and put a 4 bar pump on it..... any tips on how big a cylinder - I was thinking minimum 210litres as I live in a house with wife + 2 daughters = heaps hot water needed as we all like a shower....