Boosting hot water pressure

[jamiebae]

Reading the DIY cock-up thread reminded me that I need to do something about the hopeless hot water pressure in my flat. It's a ground floor flat so there's no head at all on the hot water tank and as a result the pressure at the kitchen tap is barely a trickle, the bathroom isn't much better.

So, can I get an electric pump to go on the outlet from the hot water tank and if so where from?

Thanks!

[Eddh]

Fit a turbo to your hot water tank.

HTH

[Hoppy2008]

Eddh said:

Fit a turbo to your hot water tank.

HTH

GIT!

I was hoping for an answer to that as Im in the same position...

[miniman]

I have the same problem. I think the answer is a booster pump either just for the hot water or for both hot and cold (however you can only pump cold from a tank, not the mains).

If it's simply the bath tap (which in this case I think it isn't) then you can get "venturi" taps which use the pressure of the cold water to boost the hot water.

[jamiebae]

miniman said:

I have the same problem. I think the answer is a booster pump either just for the hot water or for both hot and cold (however you can only pump cold from a tank, not the mains).

If it's simply the bath tap (which in this case I think it isn't) then you can get "venturi" taps which use the pressure of the cold water to boost the hot water.

The pressure is low in the basin, bath, shower and kitchen and I don't have a cold tank - it all comes straight from the mains.

I assume it's a pump of some sort I need but I can't find one anywhere!

[Road2Ruin]

jamiebae said:

Reading the DIY cock-up thread reminded me that I need to do something about the hopeless hot water pressure in my flat. It's a ground floor flat so there's no head at all on the hot water tank and as a result the pressure at the kitchen tap is barely a trickle, the bathroom isn't much better.

So, can I get an electric pump to go on the outlet from the hot water tank and if so where from?

Thanks!

All depends if you have a hot water tank or you use a combi bolier. If its a hot water tank then you can simply intsall a booster pump, if not then you are stuffed.

[tricky69]

Very odd but i have the same problem at my place... i have a pump and cold water pressure is fine but no hot water pressure...

Maybe there is a national shortage of hot water caused by the credit crunch that Mr Brown has not told us about yet !

[wmg100]

You just need a single impeller pump fitted directly after the tank. I've got a salamander one, it fits into the pipework with two push fit connectors, then plug it in and you're away. I got mine off ebay, but you could try screwfix too.

[jamiebae]

wmg100 said:

You just need a single impeller pump fitted directly after the tank. I've got a salamander one, it fits into the pipework with two push fit connectors, then plug it in and you're away. I got mine off ebay, but you could try screwfix too.

That sounds exactly like what I need, but I can't find anything like that on Screwfix?

[wmg100]

Oh yeah, they're all twin impeller pumps on screwfix.

This is the one I've got:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Salamander-Single-Impeller-S...

Or a cheaper brand:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-TECHFLOW-1-8bar-SINGLE-I...

[tricky69]

jamiebae said:

wmg100 said:

You just need a single impeller pump fitted directly after the tank. I've got a salamander one, it fits into the pipework with two push fit connectors, then plug it in and you're away. I got mine off ebay, but you could try screwfix too.

That sounds exactly like what I need, but I can't find anything like that on Screwfix?

Any ideas what might be causing my issue with the hot water ? I have a pump on my system... cold water pressure is fine but hot water is barely anything ? I have checked and there are no leaks, however we did have one before which was fixed.

Any ideas as to what might be the issue ?

[jamiebae]

Is the pump working? Sounds like it's not functioning to me.

[wmg100]

check the pump. If its in the system but not working it will really impede the flow.

[Vee]

tricky69 said:

jamiebae said:

wmg100 said:

You just need a single impeller pump fitted directly after the tank. I've got a salamander one, it fits into the pipework with two push fit connectors, then plug it in and you're away. I got mine off ebay, but you could try screwfix too.

That sounds exactly like what I need, but I can't find anything like that on Screwfix?

Any ideas what might be causing my issue with the hot water ? I have a pump on my system... cold water pressure is fine but hot water is barely anything ? I have checked and there are no leaks, however we did have one before which was fixed.

Any ideas as to what might be the issue ?

Assuming the pump is working, you should be able to hear it come on when flow is started. ie a tap opened
Do you have isolating valves fitted ? Are they fully open ?

[SidewaysSid]

jamiebae said:

Reading the DIY cock-up thread reminded me that I need to do something about the hopeless hot water pressure in my flat. It's a ground floor flat so there's no head at all on the hot water tank and as a result the pressure at the kitchen tap is barely a trickle, the bathroom isn't much better.

So, can I get an electric pump to go on the outlet from the hot water tank and if so where from?

Thanks!

If you go to a decent plumbers merchants ask about Stuart-Turner pumps. We don't use anything but Stuart-Turner. They should also be able to recommend a decent plumber, preferably a one man band who doesn't advertise (needs happy customers as he needs recommendations)who'll be able to come around to you and discuss the best and most appropriate solution. If he says he's never heard of Stuart-Turner tell him to bugger off as he's not a real plumber.

Hope that helps.

Also Google... Stuart-Turner pumps

[Deva Link]

jamiebae said:

miniman said:

I have the same problem. I think the answer is a booster pump either just for the hot water or for both hot and cold (however you can only pump cold from a tank, not the mains).

If it's simply the bath tap (which in this case I think it isn't) then you can get "venturi" taps which use the pressure of the cold water to boost the hot water.

The pressure is low in the basin, bath, shower and kitchen and I don't have a cold tank - it all comes straight from the mains.

I assume it's a pump of some sort I need but I can't find one anywhere!

If you don't have a cold tank (yet you mentioned a hot water tank) then the whole system must be using mains pressure - so what's your cold water pressure like? If it's OK, then there must be something limiting the hot water flow.

[tricky69]

Vee said:

tricky69 said:

jamiebae said:

wmg100 said:

You just need a single impeller pump fitted directly after the tank. I've got a salamander one, it fits into the pipework with two push fit connectors, then plug it in and you're away. I got mine off ebay, but you could try screwfix too.

That sounds exactly like what I need, but I can't find anything like that on Screwfix?

Any ideas what might be causing my issue with the hot water ? I have a pump on my system... cold water pressure is fine but hot water is barely anything ? I have checked and there are no leaks, however we did have one before which was fixed.

Any ideas as to what might be the issue ?

Assuming the pump is working, you should be able to hear it come on when flow is started. ie a tap opened
Do you have isolating valves fitted ? Are they fully open ?

Yep pump works, as far as i can tell... it comes on when the tapes are running.
Come to think of it i am not sure if it comes on when the hot is on by itself ? Is that possible, for it to work for the cold tap and not for the hot tap ?

I will have to check if they are isolated valves or fully open

edited to say - they are isolating valves

Edited by tricky69 on Monday 22 September 16:00

[wmg100]

It's perfectly possible for the hot side to be broken, and it sounds like that's your problem.

[tricky69]

wmg100 said:

It's perfectly possible for the hot side to be broken, and it sounds like that's your problem.

does that mean a new pump ? cause it is only a couple of years old !

[Trevelyan]

My parents had the same problem in their house - I fitted a Grundfos UPA 15-90 domestic water booster pump. Seemed to do the trick. I just googled it at the time and bought it from the cheapest place I could find on t'internet (think it was about £90 a couple of years ago).

http://www.grundfos.co.uk/web/homeuk.nsf/MDR/DMAR-...

Edited by Trevelyan on Monday 22 September 16:38