Total plumbing confusion - please help! All aspects of plumbing questions and answers, help, tips and information

[helen_369]

Am totally confused so really hope someone can help. We're decorating our ensuite (just bought the house) and replacing shower etc. We currently have a pump in our loft, a tank in our airing cupboard and an Ikon 60 - 80 CI boiler downstairs where we have to set hot water and heating separately. Know I'm talking in idiot terms and really sorry - I literally know NOTHING about this so just trying to make myself understood! :oops:

Anyway, we had a plumber in to look at our ensuite. Apparently, our tank in the airing cupboard in somehow connected wrongly (another plumber looked and agreed with this separately too) He says we can't now keep the pump in the loft cause that's against regulations - is that true?

Therefore we need to fit a pump in the airing cupboard by tank. Our water pressure in our bathroom is also TERRIBLE. Think this has been fitted in some way wrongly by previous owners as other water pressure is pretty good. We will eventually change the bathroom round so want it set up for another shower in there but in the meantime would like to solve pressure problem. Plumber said he can't guarantee anything would work without ripping it out and looking at pipes but we had two choices..
- either fit two pumps in the airing cupboard and change the pipework so it's correctly fitted.
- Fit a megaflow system (either 170 or 210 apparently)

He did try explain these to me but I am beyond confused about what's best. Mainly want my power shower to work well, to solve the pressure in the bathroom and set it up ready for a shower in there in the future too. What happens if I update the boiler in the future, which I'll imagine I'll have to? How does the megaflow affect my heating? Just don't understand what makes it worth the extra money really. Does it increase the amount of hot water I can use? Really don't understand so would be so, so grateful if anyone could explain this situation to me in idiot's terms!!!! Thanks so much in advance

[johnb]

hi helen h/water is fed from tank in roof therefor h/water pressure in upstairs bathroom is low compared to ground floor if this is your problem a pressurized h/w cylinder will solve it as long as you have good c/water pressure but beware these cylinders are larger than normal and very efficient ,to answer your question pumps are not a good idea in lofts all the best john

[helen_369]

Thanks very much for your reply. To be honest, the hot water pressure upstairs is pretty good, except in the bath - which the plumber thinks may well have been fitted wrongly by the people who had the house before us. Think he was just suggesting the megaflo - or similar - as an alternative to a pump for our power shower, but not really sure what benefit would make it worth the extra money as our water pressure is pretty good everywhere else (especially if the bath's pressure is down to something else entirely....)

[johnb]

hi helen two plumbers have said cylinder connections are wrong can you not just put this right with one of your plumbers as for pumps in roofs they should not be there for many reasons and two pumps is twice the problems sounds like megaflow is good idea as alternative to altering pipework plus two pumps which sounds heath robinson if you take this course your plumber should be able to guarantee bath pressure as for your boiler this will work with any h/water cylinder and any new boiler will work in future all the best john