Shower pump flow delay

Jan 21, 2018 9 Replies

We have a Stuart Turner Showermate 1.5 bar twin pump that feeds our shower. The water temperature is controlled by a Mira Excel thermostatic cartridge in the shower.



The pump is 8 years old. The MIRA cartridge is 3 years old.



When the shower hasn't been used for a while, when it is turned on we get a trickle of water for up to 30 seconds before the flow starts properly. Sub sequent turn-ons happen much quicker. I have checked the mesh filters on t he pump inlets and they are both clean.



Any suggestions please for what may be at fault?


r. The water temperature is controlled by a Mira Excel thermostatic cartrid ge in the shower.

a trickle of water for up to 30 seconds before the flow starts properly. S ubsequent turn-ons happen much quicker. I have checked the mesh filters on the pump inlets and they are both clean.

sticky flow switch

NT

Is it possible to fix/replace these?

I've never tried. Last time I needed to do something like that I jut fitted a new flow switch externally.

NT

If not, I have exactly that pump available for sale. It was installed for a day, then uninstalled - that's a long story. It's been sitting around since then, as a spare.

It certainly is with the larger, more expensive models and I would expect it is with these. There must be a manual downloadable somewhere.

SteveW

Any significant item that gets uninstalled after a day is surely a tale worth telling! Is there a short version of the story? :)

I have a Newteam pump with this problem. The flow switches are integral to the pump molding. I have bought external ones to fit but not got around to it yet.

The internal ones are held in by a little cross grating in the pipe, to stop the magnets escaping into the outlet pipes. I plan on cutting these with something pushed into the outlets, and hoping the magnets will then come out.

Probably just needs cleaning out. These are usually a magnetic slug in the water flow and an external reed switch. Probably crud/scale in the flow outlet.

Chris K

It's very dull. I wanted to pump the water to the shower, as there's no significant head within the flat. We fitted the pump, and only then decided the cold water tank/combined hot water storage was too rusty. That was removed and a pressurised hw cylinder was fitted, which is what should have been done in the first place.

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