What is my bar pressure?

bluemoon_3

Hi,
I have a combi boiler and I want to get a thermostatic mixer shower installed over the bath. The combi boiler is downstairs and the bathroom on the floor above.

The showers I've looked at specify a few different requirements for minimum bar operating pressure. How can I tell what I have? The dial on the front of the combi boiler is at about 1 bar. In the boiler manual it has the following values: Domestic hot water Maximum Inlet Pressure 6.0 bar, Minimum Inlet Pressure 0.15 bar. It also has Minimum Flow Rate 2.5 l/min.

We've been using one of those plastic push-on showers for the last couple of years and the flow rate has been fine.

If anyone can give me any guidance as to which figure to go with for 'minimum operating pressure' when buying a shower I would be very grateful. And will I need a pump?

Secondly, I was going to buy a 'deck-mounted' thermostatic mixer shower - which replaces the bath taps. At the moment, my bath taps are positioned hot on the right, cold on the left, which is the opposite to the showers I've looked at. When I get the shower installed by a plumber, the pipes will presumably have to be moved/extended/adapted. Is this a fairly straightforward job?

Thanks for any advice.

EliteHeat

No one will know, without doing a dynamic test, what kind of water pressure you have. However, since you can pressurise your heating system to at least 1 bar then the minimum requirement for the shower has been met.

6 bar of pressure is about 100lbs per square inch. If you think that you have this then (1) consider yourself very lucky and (2) get a pressure reducing valve for about £30

Canucklehead

Hi

You might find this useful http://www.bathroom-academy.co.uk/pdf/domesticwater.pdf Page 12 combis.

You can't use a pump as it's mains pressure already.
The pipes should be crossed to give hot/left cold/right ,flexible connectors would make it a quicker job.
Consider the size of the tap! I have fitted some mixers which had quite a big 'footprint' and once fitted left little or no gap between tile and tap making it a possible dirt trap .I've seen some filled with silicon and it looks awfull.

Corgi Guy.