Shower Pump Questions

[Mary Hinge]

In a bit of a quandary over installing a shower pump, have decided to go for the Stuart Turner Showermate 1.8bar based on group recommendations but have a few questions. I did search the group but each installation is unique ;o)

Note we only have a tiny airing cupboard (Edwardian House) with no space on the floor for a pump.

1. Pump is rated at a maximum output of 30l/min, can this flow can be restricted by the mixer valve (eg half open valve = 15l/min), or is there something on the pump itself? I don't huge amounts of water going down the drain (on water meter plus small HWC). In our previous house we have Aqualisa Aquastreams that delivered 13l/min IIRC which was fine.

1. Hot water cylinder is around 1000 high by 400 wide (approx 120l by my calculation), this should be just about sufficient right? Not great I know but airing cupboard is vertically as well as horizontally challenged ;o)

2. Pump siting options are:

a. Shelf above hot water cylinder, not really much room here either but might just be able to squeeze in it. b. Bottom of cupboard in adjacent bathroom (different bathroom, ie not the one with the shower), approx 2m from HWC, 3m from shower. Assume 22mm to pump and 15mm to shower is advisable? c. Bottom of cupboard in shower room, this means running pipes past shower for flow to pump and then back to it. Distance from HWC by the time you run pipe will be close to the 7m limit, approx 2.5m then back to shower. Probably getting on for 9m run from cold-water tank in loft.

Option C is preferred, but how would this stress the pump or affect flow if run in 22mm to pump and 15mm from pump to shower?

TIA,

Andy

[Andy R]

Take a look at the Aqualisa Quartz Off The Wall. I fitted one recently and it's really simple to fit, works well and pumps at either 'normal' or 'boost' pressure.

Rgds

Andy R

[Andy Hall]

From the water flow point of view, option (b) would be best.

If you want to do (c) then run 22mm on both sides of the pump and reduce down to 15mm when you get close to the shower.

As far as the flow is concerned, if you use a narrower bore shower hose you will restrict the flow to about 15lpm. The pump won't mind that. You should get 20-30mins of shower time out of that , although it may be shorter if you are filling the roof tank too slowly.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Ian Middleton]

A friend of mine fitted his shower pump on shelf above hot water tank in polystrene line box (to keep noise down). Worked fine apart from had to fit an auto air release valve in hot tank to pump loop, as despite having the correct cylinder flange fitting continually got air in the loop. I have suffered from this air in hot loop in both my last an current house as well.

[Set Square]

Is the shower, which this pump will feed, installed over a bath? If so, you could put the pump *under* the bath.

[Paul King]

Option a *won't* work! (assuming that there's no cold water header tank above it). Because the pump will be above the HW cylinder/tank it can't "suck" water from the tank - it only "pumps". I've got this problem in my house. We're "fully pumped" as regards showers and baths, and my pump is below the H/W tank, but because the shower head of the upstairs shower is above the water level of the Elson tank on the same landing (no C/W header above, so no higher "head") we have to turn on the shower and then one of the (fully pumped) bath taps to "start" the shower! Downstairs shower - no problem (obviously...)

And we're talking stupid size here! *Both* of the cold and hot tanks are 150 gallons! Whoever installed this for the previous owners must have had a great deal of fun - or ripped the owners off! It's only a 4-bed semi for crissake!

[Mary Hinge]

Thanks for the opinions, will probably go for option C I guess and try and keep the runs as short as possible.

The shower will not be in a bath so under the bath is out. Could go for the "on a shelf" option as the cold water tank is in the loft above but don't fancy having the problem air in the works and fitting a release valve.

Andy