Shower pumps again!!!

[Peter]

I can't help wondering, and would be interested in anyone else's views,

1. Are shower pumps used anywhere else in Europe or is it another quirk of our UK low pressure stored water heritage?
2. If this is a niche market why do we put up with such high prices for what is basically an induction motor and some mouldings and seals?
3. Why are they always specified as this or that Bar rating when this is meaningless without a corresponding flow at given pressure.
4. Do the manufacturers complex warranties actually mean anything? Perhaps their failure costs are factored into the selling price.

Flame away

[Grunff]

The output pressure of fluid pumps is traditionally quoted in head of water - the head of water the pump will support with a zero pressure input.

Picture your pump sitting on the ground. The inlet is connected to a large tank of negligible height sitting next to the pump. The outlet is connected to a clear vertical tube. Turn the pump on. How far does the water go up the vertical tube before it stops? That's the head. 30' of water ~ 1 bar.

The other important property is pumping rater - this changes as the back pressure changes.

[IMM]

Predominantly UK & Ireland.

Don't buy one. Use the water company's pumps via the mains.

They mean not much under law. If you had a failure 1 week after a guarantee expired, a court would go in your favour. I think "fit for purpose" is the term.

[Andy Hall]

Not as far as I know. The stored arrangement that we have does mean that a shower, if properly connected, will maintain a flow independent of the supply pressure.

The prices don't strike me as particularly high. You can buy a good quality pump from Stuart Turner or you can buy junk from the DIY store and pay less.

The rating is at zero flow and represents the equivalent of a head of water that the pump will create. The data sheet should then have graphs of pressure/flow.

I tend not to screw around with warranties unless they are simple and virtually unconditional, preferring to buy a good quality product.

I then expect a good lifetime and if I don't get it use persuasion of the supplier backed up with the suggestion of legal measures if necessary.

Difficulties come with the cheap products where people expect a lot and there are all sorts of weasel words in what appear to be attractive warranties.

Caveat Emptor, and Nil Illegitimis Carborundum just like anything else.

.andy

To email, substitute .nospam with .gl

[Jason]

I'm curious to know how many years service can be expected of a shower pump. Ours is just over 3 years old now and has given trouble free service, apart from the flow switches, which I've by-passed. The unit is a Salamander with 1.5 bar pressure output.

[Christian McArdle]

Not quite. It would be under "satisfactory quality" (which replaced merchantable quality a while back). Obviously, the pump is fit for purpose (when it works) as it pumps water, which is its purpose. A fit for purpose claim would be because when you opened the box, you got a thermostatic radiator valve rather than a pump. That obviously would not be fit for the purpose of pumping water.

Christian.

[Christian McArdle]

I'd think that you might start getting difficulties after 3 years for a pump. You'd might have to put together a pretty convincing case that there was a serious manufacturing defect, not just the results of years of scale or corrosion.

Christian.

[Steven Briggs]

In message , Jason writes

My Newteam pump (sold under several brands, Shower Force etc), lasted about 7 years, then I had to replace the motor brushes (Jan this year I think). Spares readily available from the manufacturer. Still going OK now.