low water pressure from my electric shower

I hope you can help. We have a combi boiler supplying central heating and hot water. In the upstairs we have an electric shower, I'm guessing this is straight off the mains. We have always suffered with low pressure from the shower and more often than not the shower won't work because of low pressure. Other times the shower may start but splutter and switch on and off rapidly, even stopping all together in the middle of using it. The shower has 3 settings low, medium, high and a temperature dial 1-15. Unless the shower settings are at high & temp 7 then the water is too cold to shower in and if the low / medium setting and high temp is set then the water dribbles out( this could be a flow problem and not pressure???). When the shower starts to mess about - the electrics flicker and the pipes seem to thump - not bang like banging together but more like clunking and thumping noises. I've removed the head and switched on the shower, but this makes no difference - therefore (I'm guessing) the shower itself is restricted or the pipes blocked?? or just low mains pressure / flow. The taps in the bath (shower is over this) are ok with good flow from the cold tap. not sure of the pressure but would assume it to be good ( not sure how I can tell) Can I fit a water pump ??, can I be sure the cold is not supplied through the combi?? As you can probably tell - I know nothing about plumbing or water supply. Any suggestions please. Thanks Lee.

Reply to
lee.franckeiss
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If you've got a combi, drive the shower off that - it's far better than an electric shower. Requires plumbing hot and cold pipes from the relevant parts of the system and a suitable mixer valve (I'd recommend a thermostatic one). If the shower is next to a decent hot and cold supply, which you say it is (bath taps working well), then there's no real reason to not do it. No need to pump either.

(re your actual problems - the heating element in the shower could be knackered. The switches could be knackered. The water being too cold to shower in on anything less than full power is entirely normal.)

cheers, clive

Reply to
Clive George

Thanks for your reply, To change the supply would be a biggish job as the pipework is all chased in and tiled over the top, and I'm not sure if it is off the mains or combi, the shower was all fitted when I brought the house.

This problem is very sparadic and seems to be ok some days or even weeks and then not good for a day or so or even weeks again. I've just showered my kids and it was fine, an hour later and I've just got out of a perfect shower - good temp, good pressure / flow so really don't know what the problem is, it is effected by the time of the day also- but even this changes from week / day to week / day

Was thinking about just buying a new shower or pump but don't want to waste any money if its the pipe work or mains supply. I'll give it some thought and try to work out what the current supply is - ie - mains or combi and look at whats the cheaper / smaller job Thanks Clive

Reply to
lee.franckeiss

Your shower is knackered.

Reply to
Dave P

It won't be off the combi. Typical arrangement is a single feed from the main.

Note that to change the supply arrangements you don't necessarily have to do them at the shower end of the pipe if that is going to cause too much disruption in the bathroom.

A remote thermostatic mixer may for example allow you to reuse the single pipe that currently feeds the electric shower to feed a shower head.

It sounds like you have variations in incoming mains pressure. Possibly coupled with a shower that expects a reasonably high pressure to start with. A more tolerant shower *might* fix it, but equally it might make no difference.

Are you in a hard water area?

Reply to
John Rumm

Probably just low pressure as you say. Do you have your own mains supply or are you sharing with next door (common in old houses)? Could just be that the washing machine or dishwasher is running at the same time and hogging the supply. The cold bath tap probably comes off the same supply so, if that doesn't flow either, it has to be a pressure problem.

Reply to
Stuart Noble

Is there a filter on the inlet side that is clogged and restricting the flow?

Reply to
John

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