Hi

We have just installed a pump (1.5 bar, Varispeed 50) to increase the
pressure of our shower. However, although the pump does increase the
pressure, the change is quite small and the pressure in the shower is
still low. The plumber tells us that this is because our pipes are too
narrow to feed the pump at a high enough rate. Could this be the
explanation? Is there anything else we can try? The pump is positioned
less than 1m away from the shower, close to the hot water cylinder. The
cold water tank is in the attic.

cheers
Barry

wrote:
Hi

We have just installed a pump (1.5 bar, Varispeed 50) to increase the
pressure of our shower. However, although the pump does increase the
pressure, the change is quite small and the pressure in the shower is
still low. The plumber tells us that this is because our pipes are too
narrow to feed the pump at a high enough rate. Could this be the
explanation? Is there anything else we can try? The pump is positioned
less than 1m away from the shower, close to the hot water cylinder. The
cold water tank is in the attic.

What size are the pipes? The instructions with the pump are usually
quite helpfull about sizing and laying out the pipework so as to get
the best possible flow.

You did use an appropriate flange to connect to the hot water cyclinder
and use a new dedicated pipe from the cold tank with the outlet at the
correct height (below the existing one that feeds the hot cyclinder) so
that the hot water will always run out _before_ the cold water, rather
than just tapping into existing pipework, didn't you?

Andrew

wrote:

You did use an appropriate flange to connect to the hot water
cyclinder and use a new dedicated pipe from the cold tank with the
outlet at the correct height (below the existing one that feeds the
hot cyclinder) so that the hot water will always run out _before_ the
cold water, rather than just tapping into existing pipework, didn't
you?

Hi Andrew

Maybe I'm having a blond moment here, but what difference would a dedicated
pipe run make to the water flow? I can see the point about the hot running
out before the cold, but if you have existing 22mm pipes running to say the
bath taps, whats wrong with tapping into them (providing the bath taps
remain off of course)?


--
Dave
The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk
01634 717930
07850 597257

The message k
from "The Medway Handyman" contains
these words:

Maybe I'm having a blond moment here, but what difference would a dedicated
pipe run make to the water flow? I can see the point about the hot running
out before the cold, but if you have existing 22mm pipes running to say the
bath taps, whats wrong with tapping into them (providing the bath taps
remain off of course)?

Didn't we do this a while ago? Flow in the pipe dramatically reduces the
pressure. Take more from a pipe and the pressure will drop further. For
flow-critical devices like showers, take a new pipe right back to the
tank.

A few weekends ago we were at a music festival - one long pipe ran round
the campsite feeding a dozen or so taps. The few at the far end rarely
got any water at all, and then only because the upstream tap users had
all gone to bed.

--
Skipweasel
Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain.

The Medway Handyman wrote:
wrote:

You did use an appropriate flange to connect to the hot water
cyclinder and use a new dedicated pipe from the cold tank with the
outlet at the correct height (below the existing one that feeds the
hot cyclinder) so that the hot water will always run out _before_ the
cold water, rather than just tapping into existing pipework, didn't
you?

Hi Andrew

Maybe I'm having a blond moment here, but what difference would a dedicated
pipe run make to the water flow? I can see the point about the hot running
out before the cold, but if you have existing 22mm pipes running to say the
bath taps, whats wrong with tapping into them (providing the bath taps
remain off of course)?


The real point is that if you don't take a new pipes back to the tanks
then you haven't followed the instruction (at least all the
instructions I've read for pumps and power showers). So what other bits
of the instructions have you also not followed? Pipe sizing, nicely
flowed bends, etc? I don't mean you, personally, but the OP.

One very important point is to ensure that the piping is such that the
hot water will always run out _before_ the cold.

Andrew

"The Medway Handyman" wrote in message
.uk...
wrote:

You did use an appropriate flange to connect to the hot water
cyclinder and use a new dedicated pipe from the cold tank with the
outlet at the correct height (below the existing one that feeds the
hot cyclinder) so that the hot water will always run out _before_ the
cold water, rather than just tapping into existing pipework, didn't
you?

Hi Andrew

Maybe I'm having a blond moment here, but what difference would a
dedicated pipe run make to the water flow? I can see the point about the
hot running out before the cold, but if you have existing 22mm pipes
running to say the bath taps, whats wrong with tapping into them
(providing the bath taps remain off of course)?

Because at least in my last house other things are T'd off before the bath
taps (actually also true in my new house as was all obvious when I had the
kitchen ceiling down, a 22m feed came from loft tank and hot tank to bath
but toilet and bathroom sink were also connected to this 22mm feed) so in my
last house someone turns on hot downstairs and you loose hot pressure
upstairs in 22mm bath feed.

In my last house a pump was fitted under the bath made a lot of noise but
little pressure difference. Also if sink tap was on whilst pump was on, tap
sucked in air and you got an even noisier pump and very imtermittant
variable temperature shower, quite dangerous really as you would get a hot
"spike" before thermostatic valve kicked in and reduced temperature.

Replaced with a proper job, proper 22mm feeds, proper pump (WaterMill),
proper valve (Mira Excel) and basically the shower removed the hair off your
body if turned on full !!!!

wrote:
Hi

We have just installed a pump (1.5 bar, Varispeed 50) to increase the
pressure of our shower. However, although the pump does increase the
pressure, the change is quite small and the pressure in the shower is
still low. The plumber tells us that this is because our pipes are too
narrow to feed the pump at a high enough rate. Could this be the
explanation? Is there anything else we can try? The pump is positioned
less than 1m away from the shower, close to the hot water cylinder. The
cold water tank is in the attic.

cheers
Barry

This is to tell you of what happened to me. I had a 1 bar shower pump,
but the pressure was pathetic. I switched it to a 3 bar pump and it
still wasn't up to much.

I then decided to swap over the mixer unit, and discovered that hidden
behind the cover plates on the mixer were two isolating valves. These
were almost closed!

I now have a very powerful shower which I have to keep turned down to
conserve water.