Re: OT: Shower Pumps

["Neil Fuller" <neil@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Rob

> The salesman tells me the only place I can put this is in the airing
> cupboard?

Not true! You can put the pump pretty much anywhere you like. The shorther
the pipe run, the less the pressure drop.

Convention is that it's put in the airing cupboard but that's only to make
it easier to plumb.

They generally operate by the initial flow through the shower, when you
open
the valve, lifting a magnet and operating a reed switch. Problems arise
when
the shower head is above the CWS tank as there is no pressure at the shower
rose to cause a small flow through the pump. This can be overcome by a
simple pnuematic push button in the shower operating a switch (see R.S
compnents or Farnell) to kick the pump into life and provide the flow.

Pumps come in two flavours. Single and twin impellor. With single impellor
the mixed water ifrom the shower mixer is pumped to the head. Double
impellors pump the water from the tanks to the shower mixer. Which you
choose is a bit of "yer pays yer money" but IMO, double impellor
pumps
provide better operation.

In my case, I have a 4 bar Stuart and Turner double impellor pump feeding
an
Aqualisa shower with two body sprays. It works a treat but your salesman is
right with the 10 minute prediction. However, the next few times you have a
shower, time yourself and you'll be surprised. On average, we can shower
two
adults and two kids from our 130 L cylinder, although I usually get a bit
chilly towards the end!

As far as whole house pump is concerned, we also feed the bathroom
"over
bath" shower from the pump and it will work quite happily with both
showers
running.

If your water pressure is high enough, you could do away with the CWS tank
and go fully pressurised?

HTH

Regards

Neil

----- Original Message -----
From: "Rob Mouser" <rob@xxxxxxx>
To: <ukha_d@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2005 7:44 PM
Subject: [ukha_d] OT: Shower Pumps


>
> Hi
>
>
>
> Still trying to find out more info on our proposed on-suite upgrade,
this
> is
> an HA upgraded on-suite so its vaguely on-topic(ish).
>
> We had received a quote for the suite etc that we really liked and
then I
> discovered (By reading the brochure, something the salesman in the
store
> clearly had not!) that the wall mounted taps and spouts we had chosen
need
> 2
> bar of pressure and as we have a gravity fed system with around 0.2
bar we
> are going to need a pump.
>
> The salesman tells me the only place I can put this is in the airing
> cupboard? But surely this would then make more sense to have a whole
house
> pump that would aid any future upgrades in the other bathroom etc?
>
> I am also interested to know how people find powered showers? Another
shop
> has told us that we will only get 10-15 mins of hot showering from our
> 130ltr hot water cylinder?
>
> Would really appreciate any input, experience or links to help and
info as
> I'm not finding the 'average' salesman too helpful and my plumber (Who
is
> a
> good workman.) appears to have taken the accountant's oath "I
can't give
> you
> advice, just point out the options, you choose and I take no
> responsibility!" Argh!
>
>
>
> Many thanks,
>
>
>
> Rob
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
>
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>