Plumbing advise needed

[chris]

Evening all one for the plumbers. I have just fitted an electric shower and the low pressure warning is coming on. So I know I have now got to get a pump to up the pressure in the line the shower needs at least 0.8 bar so my questions are

. What reasonably priced pump do you recommend
. Is it wired up permanent live or just when shower pull cord is on
. Is there any point in getting a 2 bar pump or would 1 bar still provide a decent result
. And any other advise would be really appreciated

Thanks in advance:)

[Andrew Cooke]

Is there a restrictor in the inlet that can be removed?

[chris]

Is there a restrictor in the inlet that can be removed?

Do you mean on the shower or on the cold water feed pipe?

[JRP]

Measure your water pressure around the house with a weir cup, easily got hold of.

See what you get, seeing as its an electric shower I guess it runs off the cold supply, can you turn the mains up?

I assume its mains fed and not tank fed from the loft? If its tank fed then did you get the correct shower for height/head of water?

Is there a gate valve or similar on the feed pipe to the shower? Even a kink in the pipe?

:£

[chris]

Measure your water pressure around the house with a weir cup, easily got hold of.

See what you get, seeing as its an electric shower I guess it runs off the cold supply, can you turn the mains up?

I assume its mains fed and not tank fed from the loft? If its tank fed then did you get the correct shower for height/head of water?

Is there a gate valve or similar on the feed pipe to the shower? Even a kink in the pipe?

:£

Yes just a cold water supply I ran new pipe work in the loft so alls good the cold water in kitchen isnt the most powerful so how can I turn the mains pressure up ? And how much is a weir cup? I put an isolater in the line so I could work on pipes with water on for rest of the house but thats definitely ok. Thanks for help really grateful

[Guybrush]

Yes just a cold water supply
Don't think you can add a pump to the mains supply, only to a water storage tank...


I put an isolater in the line so I could work on pipes with water on for rest of the house but thats definitely ok.

Full bore isolator?

[chris]

Yes full bore isolater mate. I am stuck really as what to do

[JRP]

Where does the cold supply for the shower tee off from? Water tank out let or before ball valve in loft?

Make sure isolator is full open, maybe remove.

[JRP]

Grundfos do a bronze pump for clean/ tap water but its run on hot water side, normally in bigger houses so pressure is even, or smaller houses with no head if water.

Not something I'd put on a cold side as mains is normally enough, is your mains strong or not?

Mains can be turned up on main stop cock, or out in the road under a small cover at pavement about 8 inch by 6.

But no point doing all that if you have tee'd the supply to the shower off the supply to hot water cylinder (after ball valve)

[chris]

Right just been up there the feed for the shower is gravity fed from tank which is why i have low pressure?? so what my plan is now is break into pipe going to stop cock and use that to feed my shower which will then mean i have mains pressure going to shower? makeing that old tank redundent?? sorry for all the questions:)

[JRP]

Turn the mains off, turn on lowest tap to drain water out of pipes, you will still have some in pipe. Take the feed for shower from before the ball valve, I mean as far from if poss ;) then you should have better pressure.

Where it is now I could wee quicker

[chris]

Turn the mains off, turn on lowest tap to drain water out of pipes, you will still have some in pipe. Take the feed for shower from before the ball valve, I mean as far from if poss ;) then you should have better pressure.

Where it is now I could wee quicker

thanks for your help mate you have saved me alot of money really grateful thanks mate

[Guybrush]

if you have poor mains pressure you'll not be further forward.
as it's currently fed from the tank, you could add a pump.

if you are going to tee before the ball valve, i'd put a couple of full bore isolators in - just in case you need to play around later on.

[chris]

if you have poor mains pressure you'll not be further forward.
as it's currently fed from the tank, you could add a pump.

if you are going to tee before the ball valve, i'd put a couple of full bore isolators in - just in case you need to play around later on.

I cant put my thumb over the tap downstairs but I can over feed to shower abit of a crude way of measureing but hopefully it will improve I am going to buy some full bore isolaters just incase but if this doesnt work themnI will have to pump

[JRP]

I cant put my thumb over the tap downstairs but I can over feed to shower abit of a crude way of measureing but hopefully it will improve I am going to buy some full bore isolaters just incase but if this doesnt work themnI will have to pump

If it don't work, get a shower pump on the outlet from your cylinder and sell power shower.

Key with a shower pump is it works via a flow switch, only activating when required. A stand alone pump will need a circuit.

[chris]

:yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah

All good thanks for help put it into main feed to house turned it on low pressure light went out and Iits heated up. Thanks alot for help guys

[JRP]

if you have poor mains pressure you'll not be further forward.
as it's currently fed from the tank, you could add a pump.

if you are going to tee before the ball valve, i'd put a couple of full bore isolators in - just in case you need to play around later on.

Rubbish, even a poor main pressure is normally better than a feed from a tank like that.

[JRP]

:yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah::yeah

All good thanks for help put it into main feed to house turned it on low pressure light went out and Iits heated up. Thanks alot for help guys

Win ;)