Fitting My Own Shower

[eskimo39]

Hi Guys, I am actually a qualified Sparky but have done a little bit of plumbing in my own house (Replacing Sinks, Bath etc) but have now decided I would like a shower in my bathroom.

I have an Ideal Isar boiler which is situated directly behind a plasterboard wall in my bathroom, I have checked the pressure on it and it shows as just under 1.5.

The hot feed from it is a 22mm copper pipe and the cold seems to be 15mm.

I have been looking at a Combi Pressure Balancing shower as I don't want an electric shower and instead would prefere a 'Rain Head' type with a wall mounted mixer tap.

Can I just cut the hot & cold outlets directly under the boiler, insert Yorkshire tees ( 1 @ 15mmx15mmx15mm, and one at 22mmx22mmx15mm) to re connect them and then take a pair of 15mm copper pipes directly to the mixer tap (Which goes through the bathroom wall and comes out directly next to the boiler?

Can this be done and if so is 1.5 bar enough pressure to create a good flow?

Many Thanks in advance

 

[BrianL]

Hi eskimo

The pressure your looking at is the heating system pressure 1.5. The incoming main 15mm copper will have or could have a different pressure and your hot 22mm out will have a different pressure from your cold, most showers require an equal pressure on the hot and cold in, you should refer to the manufacturers installation instructions to see if it's ok to fit unequal pressures to the hot and cold inlets, not all boilers will work effectively with a shower fitted also refer to the boilers instructions.

Brian

 

[TRAINEE_PLUMBER]

Hi eskimo im only a trainee plumber but my only answer i can give that your hot water pressure is to low to compete with ur cold water and if you do still go ahead with it and install a mixer shower most proberbly only cold water will come out.

You can only get an electric shower that works from only cold water supply and since your a sparky you should have no problems with connecting it from the consumer unit

or you'll have to install a shower pump to increase the hot water pressure to balance them both.

Good luck mate and hope my advice helps you or if not there should be a proffesion plumber on here to advice you.

 

[HTB]

The ability to successfuly fit a "Rain Head" or drench type shower outlet will depend on the Kw rating of your boiler. I installed a similar type recently for a client but their Combi wasn't up to the flow required for the shower head they had bought. I had to swop it for a more conventional spray type which had a bit of back pressure to it. I have a rain head type at home and it works ok as it is fed by a Salamander pump from stored hot and cold.

BTW Trainee plumber,,,you can't fit a pump to a Combi system.

 

[Dal5band]

In short , your hot and cold are both at mains pressure, the hot flow will be less because it goes through the boiler but there are millions of showers around the country connected like this. (the pressure guage on the boiler is for the CH pressure).
Check the heat rating of your boiler - becaue the boiler heats the water as you use it, it needs to be quite powerful to get a decent shower but most combie will give an acceptable shower.
You should take the cold feed for you shower from a point further back than where it goes into the boiler as is may effect the flow and pressure to the boiler if it is too close.

 

[plumbbobshan]

hello, i will go with what dal5band says . And for trainee plumber , keep training son .

 

[TRAINEE_PLUMBER]

lolzzz cheers guys thanks for the advice my next exams are coming up soon and its based on hot water systems so i'll keep in mind that you cant install a shower pump ON A COMBI BOILER.