Anyone got a Wickes shower pump?

[Mike Hall]

I've inherited a power shower consisting of a Triton LP4000 thermostatic mixer and a Wickes twin impeller pump. Unfortunately I seem to have a little seepage from around the mixer cartridge, (which, incidentally is a new cartridge I have installed in the original housing). On contacting Triton, they suggest that the LP4000 is not designed to be used with pumped systems above 1 bar, but I don't know how much 'umph' our pump is in fact putting out.

If any one has a Wickes pump like this, and has any further information then I would be most grateful. The ID plate reads: "Wickes Twin Impeller, Product No. 414-805. 2A, 300W Max". Also, opening up the electrical cover of the pump reveals a couple of terminals that look as though they might be for wiring it up to operate at a lower speed .... again any information greatly received.

TIA Mike

[Capitol]

FWIW, the data I have on a Wickes 410-169 260W twin automatic shower pump gives 9L/min @ 1.3Bar. It is always possible to restrict the flow by adding a restrictor washer into the output side of the pump, this will reduce the pressure at the shower under flow conditions. The max pressure for this unit was 1.5Bar at 0L/m dropping to 1Bar @ 20L/m. Hope this helps Regards Capitol

[Mike Hall]

Thanks for the info. Not being a plumbing type, is the restrictor washer something I could pick up from the sheds? Do they come in different bar ratings?

[Capitol]

No, basically, take a 1/2" tap washer or something similar (Can be a stainless steel washer) , with a small hole ( 3-6mm) in it and stick it into the pump output flow somewhere. This is probably not a good description, but hopefully gives a clue as to how a restrictor will work. It's very much a "suck it and see" operation as the characteristics of the pump are unknown. I've had to use this technique to limit the flow to one of our normal showers after uprating the pump to 3bar and spraying the ceiling!!

Regards Capitol

[Pete C]

Hi,

Might be possible to install a pressure relief valve to bleed off excess pressure back to the piping before the pump.

cheers, Pete

[Mike Hall]

Thanks for that. Anyway, back to the original question .... surely someone in the wide world that is uk.d-i-y must have a "Wickes Twin Impeller, Product No. 414-805. 2A, 300W Max". ... pleaase???

[nick smith]

Yes I have - and no there's nothing that can be done to slow it down by fiddling with the internal wires - only thing I could suggest you try is a cheap variable transformer - can't remember what they are called - variometer or variac or something - and reduce the supplied volts a bit, to say 160 to 200 v a.c. , trial and error. Depending on how the motor is wound something as simple as a diode in series would give a series of chopped sine wave pulses, but I think that might damage the pump. You could always just put a tap in the out put lines or an isolating valve in each leg and slowly wind them towards shut until the pressure has reduced to stop the leaking.. Nick