locating a shower pump
Author
Discussion

virgil

Original Poster:

1,557 posts

254 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
I'm just about to fit a power shower pump to replace a pathetic electric shower but the shower room is tiny and don;t really want to put the pump in the airing cupboard (As I've done before) as it's the new born's bedroom and don;t want to wake him when it comes on.

Can I locate a gravity feed pump next to the cold water header tank (that feeds the Hot Water cylindar)? and take another feed directly off the tank to feed the cold on the shower?

I can pipe directly through the attic space to the shower room then and keeps the pump noise as far away as possible....

Will pulling the hot all the way to the loft space, near elvel with the header tank to then go back down to the shower be an issue?

Thanks,

Virgil

IainZ

15,094 posts

236 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
Look into Aqualisa Quartz or Visage pumped shower units - the whole thing goes in the loft above the bathroom & just drops down the wall. Ideal if you have an existing bathroom & don't want to dig holes in the tiles etc. Maybe not appropriate if you already have plumbing in place though but presumably you only have a cold feed to your electric shower?

There are different versions of each depending on what the situation is i.e. suitable for combi boilers or tanked systems & where you have existing plumbing or where there is none. The one I used is what was called a "pumped, exposed" unit i.e. there is a pump unit in the loft & a single pipe comes down the wall & the whole thing surface mounts.

Edited by IainZ on Friday 3rd December 17:01

Simpo Two

92,974 posts

295 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
I put my pump in the roofspace just above the shower - it's fine for 363 days of the year but freezes up when the outside temp drops below about -5C = no shower. So if I was doing it again I'd put it in the airing cupboard.

dan101smith

17,053 posts

241 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
virgil said:
...don't really want to put the pump in the airing cupboard...as it's the new born's bedroom...
yikes

anonymous-user

84 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
Have a look here:
http://www.salamanderpumps.co.uk/Download/instruct...

If it's in the loft you may get the pump sucking air down the vent pipe rather than from the hot cylinder..... or you may not. Have a look at the link, it describes the ideal fitting for various pumps. Next to the cold water tank may not have enough head but a negaitive pressure pump would sort that. Freezing could bugger the pump so in a warm area is best, next to the cylinder is best of all.
I had a problem with pumps in the loft recently so I did a lot of reading. Next to the cylinder sorted it.

ferg

15,242 posts

287 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
I would never put a shower pump in the loft.

They need VENTILATION and LAGGING.
Go figure!!! smile

Don't buy a negative head pump unless absolutely necessary, they aren't cheap!

Engineer1

10,486 posts

239 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
dan101smith said:
virgil said:
...don't really want to put the pump in the airing cupboard...as it's the new born's bedroom...
yikes
I was thinking the same, well at least the little un won't get cold.

Simpo Two

92,974 posts

295 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
ferg said:
I would never put a shower pump in the loft.

They need VENTILATION and LAGGING.
Go figure!!! smile
Indeed! However in my case (Aqualisa) the loft was suggested as a suitable location. The instructions say you mustn't cover it, but then it freezes. So based on the premise that I only use the shower for 2-3 minutes a day and I reckon it can't possibly overheat in that time, I tucked an old sleeping bag over it. And the shower worked this morning smile

IainZ

15,094 posts

236 months

Friday 3rd December 2010
quotequote all
Simpo Two said:
ferg said:
I would never put a shower pump in the loft.

They need VENTILATION and LAGGING.
Go figure!!! smile
Indeed! However in my case (Aqualisa) the loft was suggested as a suitable location. The instructions say you mustn't cover it, but then it freezes. So based on the premise that I only use the shower for 2-3 minutes a day and I reckon it can't possibly overheat in that time, I tucked an old sleeping bag over it. And the shower worked this morning smile
Havn't had any problems with mine freezing either - all the pipework to it is properly lagged & although its not covered in loft insulation, it is kind of surrounded by it. I don't know whether when its running the water actually cools the pump motor or whether it needs a lot of air circulation - but I wouldn't have thought so & as you say, its not running for very long anyway.