'Whole House' water pumps

[Uno-Hoo!]

Anyone any experience of installing and using a 'whole house' water pump (as made by Salamander for example).

I'm about to start a complete bathroom replacement and presently have an electric 'power shower'. I'm considering replacing this with a Whole House pump so that I can use a normal shower mixer valve - and also improve water pressure (particularly from the hot taps) throughout the house.

Any problems, hitches, etc? Do the pumps work via a pressure switch so that any drop in water pressure (eg when a tap is opened) causes the pump to kick-in? Is there any safety device to prevent the pumps pumping gallons of water into the house in the event of a pipe burst?

Incidentally, if there is an 'airing cupboard' containing the hot water tank in a bathroom, is this considered a separate room - ie separate from the bathroom for the purposes of electrical regulations? The way my airing cupboard is constructed, with a proper internal door etc, it is, to all intents and purposes, a separate room!

Uno-Hoo!

[Palindrome]

They have an air displacement pressure vessel, which gives the required constant pressure with low/no demand and the required hysteresis. Yes they have a, usually adjustable, pressure switch.

They can use quite a bit of electricity as you will be pumping all the water used in the house, not just the water that you need at a higher pressure. They can be quite noisy.

They don't have any means of detecting a pipe burst - or a tap left on or just dripping (which can also use a lot of electricity).

You can put it on a time switch. Better, you can buy, for not a lot, a remotely operated main water stop valve, so that you can turn the water off whenever you leave your mansion unoccupied. Just put the remote next to the front/back door..

Cupboards are not rooms. Can you walk in and shut the door behind you?

[Brianb]

I did the same thing about 5 years ago. I have a Salamander Whole House Pump for the same reasons as yourself.

Good points:- Enough pressure for a power shower or even two. We have a Newteam Shower panel with several outlets and this works fine plumbed in 15mm. All hot water is pumped, so filling the bath is quicker as is the kitchen sink. I pumped the cold feed from the tank to the shower and bath to provide an equalised supply for both showers.

Bad points:- The pump IS noisy. Not so bad you can't live with it, but you can hear it. I have it in the airing cupboard which is on the landing above the lounge. I'm on my second pump, which Salamander wouldn't cover under warranty due to not meeting their installation instructions to the letter. Either install a large cold water tank or fit a float cut off switch to prevent cavitation.

I would consider installing a DPS heat store to replace the pump at some point but as all my pipes are 15mm I'm not convinced that this would provide the required flow.

In summary the WHP works and is simple to retro fit, but it isn't the best solution. As a guide a DPS heat store is about £800, and a Salamander pump about £250-300.

Regards Brian

[Uno-Hoo!]

Thanks for that Brian - most helpful. I'll make sure to follow Salamander's installation instructions!

Uno-Hoo!

[On Web]

Our was installed before I had a chance to get the plumber to raise it up so I could add some soundproofing/insulation/etc below it to deaden the noise. Currently it sits on the floorboards and is as noisy as hell.

If there's the slightest tap drip it will start up to reset the pressure - really annoying if you go to bed and ten minutes later the pump swings into action. I usually turn off the power to the pump when we go to bed. I wish the pump worked on flow rather than pressure. As a whole house pump we get noise if any tap is used (except the kitchen cold), whereas before it was just the shower.

Our electronic everything pump will shut itself off (eventually) if there's a drip.

Our plumber chastised me for choosing a Salamander because (he said) they are apparently complete sticklers about installation standards in relation to pump guarantees.

One day I might get worked up enough to try and re-arrange the pipework to sort out the noise issue by soundproofing.

Paul

[Uno-Hoo!]

Which model of Salamander do you have?

Uno-Hoo!

[Paul Andrews]

ESP 100 CPV twin.

[Uno-Hoo!]

Sorry for the delay in responding. Thanks for that. I've downloaded the installation manual for Salamander pumps and decided that it just isn't worth the effort in installing one. I will want a power shower - but a wall mounted one with integral pump (as I have presently) will be a much cheaper and simpler option and perfectly adequate. The only place in the rest of the house where I have a pressure problem is the hot tap in the kitchen which is a mixer tap that should only have been fitted to a HP system. As a result the mains cold flow is fine but the gravity fed hot water is disappointing. Again, it would be a much easier and cheaper option to simply buy a replacement mixer tap suitable for LP operation.

Thanks for your help however!

Uno-Hoo!