Shower upgrade - electric to mains powered

Arfa__

We currently have a basic Triton 9kW electric shower in downstairs bathroom.

I'm thinking about the option of running a mains shower off our combi boiler, with an automatic thermostatic control thingy. Its a BG branded Worcester RD532, situated in loft, fed directly off mains - no cold water tank.

Some vital stats for 'domestic hot water':-
Min Heat Input: 8kW
Max. Rated Heat Output: 32kW
Max. Rated Heat Input: 32kW
Hot water temp range: 40-60 C
Hot water specific rate 30C rise: 14.5 l/min
Max. Hot water flow rate: 11 l/min

Am I correct in saying this boiler can provide adequate hot water?

Will this option be cheaper to run that my current electric shower? Even though they'll be greater flow.

Are there any good brands/models that are recommended? I have no idea yet how this is going to cost me, so no fixed budget yet.

cddc

I have a similar boiler with a thermostatic shower. It works very well.

Mine is an Aqualisa Quartz which is far from the cheapest but I can heartily recommend it!

keystone

Arfa__ wrote: »

Am I correct in saying this boiler can provide adequate hot water?

Yes but like all combis one drawoff in nuse at anyone time.

Will this option be cheaper to run that my current electric shower?

Yes because gas is cheaper than electric every day of the week but if the boiler breaks you will have lost the flexibility of the electric shower.

Even though they'll be greater flow.

I think I know what you mean but perhaps you'd be good enough to expand.

Are there any good brands/models that are recommended? I have no idea yet how this is going to cost me, so no fixed budget yet.

Grohe, Aqualisa, Mira.

Cheers

Arfa__

keystone wrote: »

I think I know what you mean but perhaps you'd be good enough to expand.

Can't find it now, but I was reading around the net and stumbled upon a site that reckoned a gas combi boiler driven shower is actually more expensive to run than electric, because a greater flow of water was involved. i.e the shower is more powerful, more water flows through, more water needs heating thus more energy is required. The site reckoned the extra water needing heating outweighed the saving from gas being cheaper than electric.

I really wanted to confirm this from other sources. Can't trust everything you read on random websites...

Basil1234

Are there any good brands/models that are recommended? I have no idea yet how this is going to cost me, so no fixed budget yet

i'm just in the process of doing same with my bathroom the crictal thing with have one on in a combi boiler same as me is pressure most shower mixers require 1bar of pressure to run. looking at your boiler figures look very similar to mine so you should be fine.
cost wise the one i was going to get from wickes was in £400 region but got from elsewhere got a hudson reed one in a sale for £245 but now has jumped back upto £370 a week later.
but the real benefit to me will be the 18cm shower head also the one i got is telescopic compare with the wickes one so is adjustable for different height people as my missus is really tall.
one iv'e got
Hudson Reed Minimalist Thermostatic Bar Valve & Pro I Telescopic Shower Kit

which i bought from here
also use google shopping once you know what you want.

a good site i used to find what i wanted was victorian plumbing

hope this helps basil :beer:

bobthedambuilder

Don't forget to factor in the cost of taking the hot water supply to the shower, which might mean retiling etc. Most electric showers work off a cold supply only.

Arfa__

bobthedambuilder wrote: »

Don't forget to factor in the cost of taking the hot water supply to the shower, which might mean retiling etc. Most electric showers work off a cold supply only.

Yep, taken that into account. We're looking at gutting our bathroom as a whole, so re-tiling is on the cards anyway. Current shower isn't even mounted on the tiles, a very specific shaped hole was cut out for it. Previous failed showers leaked behind and of course the last couple of replacements have been the same model again to fit the gap perfectly and save extending pipework out an inch...

I'd also like to swap an electric towel rail to a central heated water one at same time. So new hot water pipes will be going in left, right and centre.