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Boiler or shower issue?

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We have an old Halsted quattro combi boiler, and a new Mira elements thermostatic mixer shower (since the summer) and all has been well up til recently. (the boiler is temperamental, and will be replaced next year-I hope)

A couple of weeks ago when it started to get colder the shower would get cold during a shower, no change in pressure (but if you switched a tap on elsewhere/flushed loo etc the pressure dropped-as I think it is meant to do with thermostatic shower to keep temp even?) It sounded like boiler stopped firing for 30s-min, then would start up again and shower would be hot.

Now since the even colder weather the shower is tepid all the time. I have increased the max temp setting as instructed in the manual but it is still just warm enough to stand under (and not for long)
If you run the hot tap in the kitchen, or the basin in bathroom water is very hot. If we run a bath with taps on full-water is tepid-we need to fill bath very slowly to get hot water.

So is it just the boiler can't cope with the fast flow rate? The shower only has on and off, you can't adjust the amount of water IYKWIM?

I have the boiler water set at max. Do you think it could be a dodgy shower? or is my boiler just rubbish? Do I need to get british gas out? ( I have homecare-I know its a rip off but they come out about 5-6 times a year to fix the boiler!! so worth it to me for the lack of hassle for a repair) Can anything be done, or do I just have ot wait for it to warm up again?

Thanks :)

Comments

  • keystone
    keystone Posts: 10,916 Forumite
    We have an old Halsted quattro combi boiler, and a new Mira elements thermostatic mixer shower (since the summer) and all has been well up til recently. (the boiler is temperamental, and will be replaced next year-I hope)
    You don't say which model Halstead Quattro.

    A couple of weeks ago when it started to get colder the shower would get cold during a shower,............
    Yes it will because the incoming water is that much colder so the boiler has to puff a bit more to get the water up to temperature. The Quattro has a max delivery rate of 12.3 litres per minute according to the specs and the Element offers a flow rate of just under 12 IIRC.
    .........no change in pressure (but if you switched a tap on elsewhere/flushed loo etc the pressure dropped-as I think it is meant to do with thermostatic shower to keep temp even?)...............
    I've snipped the rest of your post because I'd only be repeating what I'm about to say. Its flow rate that changes not pressure. You have run into the standard problem with a combi. Operate any outlet and it will affect the shower. You may have been slightly misinformed about the operation of a thermo shower. Yes it will do what you expect provided that it has a source that is separate from anything else. You can't expect it to deal with one of the inherent disadvantages of a combi installation. This is neither the fault of the shower nor the boiler.

    Cheers
    The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits. - Einstein
  • Yes I mean flow rate, rather than pressure, am just a lay person. With our last shower as you could adjust the flow rate as well as the temp we were able to compensate for the colder water in winter, we are not switching loads of other things on, was told that a thermostatic mixer shower safer as will not scald self....
    Is there any way we can slow down the flow rate (temporarily-I like having a powerful shower and it worked grand in summer!) so that we can have a warm shower?
    Its a Halsted Quattro gold btw.
  • keystone
    keystone Posts: 10,916 Forumite
    Yes I mean flow rate, rather than pressure, am just a lay person.
    LoL. You'd be surprised just how many professional's don't understand the difference either.
    With our last shower as you could adjust the flow rate as well as the temp we were able to compensate for the colder water in winter, we are not switching loads of other things on, was told that a thermostatic mixer shower safer as will not scald self....
    Doesn't look as thought the Element gives you that flexibility.
    Is there any way we can slow down the flow rate (temporarily-I like having a powerful shower and it worked grand in summer!) so that we can have a warm shower?
    Your installer should have included isolating valves in the feed pipework for the shower. Shut them a little. You'll have to experiment but make sure that they are both open the same amount. You could, if you want, leave them only partially open in perepetuity if you wanted. Alternatively you can shut the mains stop c o c k down ½ a turn or so but that will reduce your flow rate throughout the house including to the boiler.
    Its a Halsted Quattro gold btw.
    Thanks - as the discussion has developed I don't think I need that data any more.

    Cheers
    The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has it's limits. - Einstein
  • Thanks, I finally figured out today how to help the issue-I couldn't reduce the flow rate to the shower (the pipes have a screw section, presume its a valve of some kind but couldnt turn it) and didn't want to reduce everything in the house by turning the stop !!!!, so today I turned the cold tap on a trickle, this reduced the flow rate to shower cos its thermostatic and didn't want to scald me (yeah right water was tepid!) and then I had a lovely hot shower :D
    And although obviously having a tap running for no reason is not good, I reckon it was actually saving water as reduced the flow rate in both hot and cold water ;):cool:
    Did mean a less powerful shower, but what the heck, it was HOT :j:j:j
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