DIY Doctor UK DIY Forums

I am looking to upgrade both main bathroom and ensuite this year and dreaming of having a great shower experience in both, without noisy pumps! I therefore started to contemplate things because of this and planning for retirement, as well as intending to stay in our property for the next 10 years!
So, would it be a worthwhile investment replacing my current vented, low gravity feed heating system for an unvented one? Will it be more cost effective as part of an overall heating system upgrade in the long term?
Some background:
Our property was built in 1993 and has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms; ensuite with a 9.5Kw shower (looking to go up to 10.5Kw or thermostatic mixer shower?) and main bathroom with just a bath (keeping bath and adding a thermostatic mixer shower). There are 10 possibly going up to 11 radiators.
Current heating system is an Ideal Main 24HE condensing boiler, around 10 years old with an immersion heater in the airing cupboard that has been in since the property was built (30 years). Cold water mains pressure into the house is good, but hot water pressure not so.
Am I really future-proofing/improving by changing or is it still possible to achieve everything by sticking to the vented system we have? HELP!!

Kind regards.

Hi jarvo,
Suggest you go for a mains indirect hot water cylinder and get rid of the electric shower. This assumes you have a good reliable mains pressure.
Regards S

Hi jarvo,
Suggest you go for a mains indirect hot water cylinder and get rid of the electric shower. This assumes you have a good reliable mains pressure.
Regards S

Thanks for the reply Stoneboy. As an indirect hot water cylinder can be part of vented or unvented systems, which would be best to opt for with my circumstances and would you have an electric immersion heater one as a back-up? Thanks.

The problem with higher pressure is lock shield valves can leak. And losing the storage means hard to add solar, there are heat exchangers that do allow mains pressure without pressuring whole cylinder so no need for annual tests.

But cost v saving is hard, I use electronic TRV heads so unused rooms not heated, but these start at £20 and go to £80 the question is where you stop.

Hi jarvo,
Keep the CH of your system as a vented system, fit a mains fed indirect HWC so you get mains pressure hot and cold supplies.
Regards S