The Ramzans have a 4-bed detached in the PR1 postcode of Preston — new build, 2015, en-suite off the master, family bathroom, downstairs cloakroom and a utility sink. The original developer-fit Ideal Logic combi was fine when it was two adults and a baby. Six years later, with three growing kids running two showers at 7:30am on a school morning, it was flat-out struggling.
The property
Modern 4-bed detached on one of the Cottam estates off Tag Lane, PR1. Cavity insulation, uPVC glazing, 10 radiators, two showers plus a bath, cold-water mains at a healthy 3.2 bar. Water hardness in PR1 is soft-to-moderate — about 165 ppm — so scale wasn't a factor. Demand was.
Why a combi wasn't enough
A 30 kW combi can only deliver hot water to one outlet at full flow. When two showers ran simultaneously, both ran lukewarm. The obvious fix was more kW — a 40 kW combi — but even that hits its ceiling at two outlets. For sustained multi-shower demand, a system boiler with an unvented cylinder is the only correct answer.
The fixed-price quote
We specified a Worcester Bosch Greenstar 8000 Style 30 kW system boiler paired with a 250L Megaflo Eco unvented cylinder in the utility. Total fixed price: £4,850, including a Hive Active Heating smart thermostat, both zones (upstairs / downstairs) wired independently, and the full 12-year Worcester warranty registered from day one.
The install
- Day 1: Isolated services. Removed the Ideal Logic combi from the kitchen wall. Cut new pipework for the cylinder feed / return in the utility.
- Day 2: Mounted the Worcester 8000 Style in the same kitchen position. Fitted the 250L Megaflo Eco in the utility with its full G3 kit (expansion vessel, tundish, T&P valve, D2 discharge to outside). Ran the two-zone motorised-valve wiring.
- Day 3 (morning): Chemical flush across all 10 radiators. F1 inhibitor dose. Fitted the Hive Active hub + upstairs / downstairs thermostats. Commissioned to Worcester spec.
- Day 3 (afternoon): Handover — walked the Ramzans through the Hive app, showed them zone control, left the Benchmark book, registered the 12-year warranty and G3 certificate.
The result
Three showers can now run simultaneously without a temperature drop. Upstairs and downstairs are separately zoned, which typically cuts gas use 15-20% on family homes because you're not heating the bedrooms while everyone's in the living room. Mrs Ramzan texted us the next Monday: “First morning in six years everyone got out of the house on time.”
Why PR1 needs the right kit
Preston's new-build estates have healthy cold-water mains pressure — perfect conditions for an unvented cylinder to shine. But most developer-fit combis are undersized on purpose (cheaper to fit, ticks the building-reg energy box). If you're in a 4+ bed with 2+ bathrooms and everyone leaves the house at 7:30am, a combi is the wrong appliance regardless of kW. Upgrade to a system + Megaflo and you future-proof the house for 15 years.
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