Power Shower Pump
Discussion
Chaps,
This one will be an easy one for someone who knows the answer ...
Our flat has a power shower. It is at least 10 years old. It is fed from a cold water tank and a hot water tank.
The pump is switched on by turning on the shower tap on the wall - you turn the tap on, and it makes an electrical connection, which turns the pump on. You can also adjust the temperature of the flow using the shower tap - turn it more for a hotter shower. The pump has two cables going into it - one being the mains supply, one being a cable going to the tap on the wall (tap is supplied with 12v, I checked), and there is a relay in a small control unit sitting on top of the pump.
The pump has failed. Blowing fuses. Sparks. The works. I am assuming the motor has failed.
So, I went off to Screwfix to buy another pump, and ended up with one of these. The plumbing end of things is fine (easy), but I am confused with the electrical end of things. The new pump has a 3-pin electric plug fitted, and the instructions only say "ensure that this device is plugged into a 240v electrical supply compliant with XYZ standard". There seems to be no facility to connect it to an external switch, such as I have in the shower tap. BUT there are what appear to be two very small pressure sensors on the outlet pipes from the pump.
Am I right in guessing that the pump is clever enough to detect the drop in pressure associated with turning the shower tap on, and turn itself on in turn, and therefore not need an external switch? (And, if this is the case, I can chop off the wire that current runs from the shower tap to the old pump.)
Hope this made sense. Do ask if not.
Oli.
This one will be an easy one for someone who knows the answer ...
Our flat has a power shower. It is at least 10 years old. It is fed from a cold water tank and a hot water tank.
The pump is switched on by turning on the shower tap on the wall - you turn the tap on, and it makes an electrical connection, which turns the pump on. You can also adjust the temperature of the flow using the shower tap - turn it more for a hotter shower. The pump has two cables going into it - one being the mains supply, one being a cable going to the tap on the wall (tap is supplied with 12v, I checked), and there is a relay in a small control unit sitting on top of the pump.
The pump has failed. Blowing fuses. Sparks. The works. I am assuming the motor has failed.
So, I went off to Screwfix to buy another pump, and ended up with one of these. The plumbing end of things is fine (easy), but I am confused with the electrical end of things. The new pump has a 3-pin electric plug fitted, and the instructions only say "ensure that this device is plugged into a 240v electrical supply compliant with XYZ standard". There seems to be no facility to connect it to an external switch, such as I have in the shower tap. BUT there are what appear to be two very small pressure sensors on the outlet pipes from the pump.
Am I right in guessing that the pump is clever enough to detect the drop in pressure associated with turning the shower tap on, and turn itself on in turn, and therefore not need an external switch? (And, if this is the case, I can chop off the wire that current runs from the shower tap to the old pump.)
Hope this made sense. Do ask if not.
Oli.
zcacogp said:
Am I right in guessing that the pump is clever enough to detect the drop in pressure associated with turning the shower tap on, and turn itself on in turn, and therefore not need an external switch? (And, if this is the case, I can chop off the wire that current runs from the shower tap to the old pump.)
Hope this made sense. Do ask if not.
Oli.
That's how ours works...there's a flow switch somewhere in the pump that senses the initial flow of water when you open the shower valve (tap)....definitely no leccy anywhere near the showerHope this made sense. Do ask if not.
Oli.
ALawson said:
Cannot help, but having done basic re-wiring outside of the kitchen and bathroom (as allowed) I would get someone who knows what they are doing, especially if I was going to use the shower.
Not trying to preach, just be careful.
Hopefully he has no 3 pin sockets in the bathroom as thats against regs Not trying to preach, just be careful.
xllifts said:
ALawson said:
Cannot help, but having done basic re-wiring outside of the kitchen and bathroom (as allowed) I would get someone who knows what they are doing, especially if I was going to use the shower.
Not trying to preach, just be careful.
Hopefully he has no 3 pin sockets in the bathroom as thats against regs Not trying to preach, just be careful.
Pete, Dave,
Thanks. I think this is similar. And yes, this pump is also in the airing cupboard, although there is a water supply to it as well. Should make the installation very easy indeed. Although I won't be plugging it into a 3-pin socket (not illegal any more, latest version of the regs allows it as long as they have an RCD) as there isn't one in there ... I'll wire it into the existing (fused and MCB'd) supply to keep it neat.
Alex,
Caution is wise, but I am pretty happy with electrics and simple plumbing - this doesn't worry me.
Oli.
Thanks. I think this is similar. And yes, this pump is also in the airing cupboard, although there is a water supply to it as well. Should make the installation very easy indeed. Although I won't be plugging it into a 3-pin socket (not illegal any more, latest version of the regs allows it as long as they have an RCD) as there isn't one in there ... I'll wire it into the existing (fused and MCB'd) supply to keep it neat.
Alex,
Caution is wise, but I am pretty happy with electrics and simple plumbing - this doesn't worry me.
Oli.
zcacogp said:
Pete, Dave,
Thanks. I think this is similar. And yes, this pump is also in the airing cupboard, although there is a water supply to it as well. Should make the installation very easy indeed. Although I won't be plugging it into a 3-pin socket (not illegal any more, latest version of the regs allows it as long as they have an RCD) as there isn't one in there ... I'll wire it into the existing (fused and MCB'd) supply to keep it neat.
Alex,
Caution is wise, but I am pretty happy with electrics and simple plumbing - this doesn't worry me.
Oli.
Thanks. I think this is similar. And yes, this pump is also in the airing cupboard, although there is a water supply to it as well. Should make the installation very easy indeed. Although I won't be plugging it into a 3-pin socket (not illegal any more, latest version of the regs allows it as long as they have an RCD) as there isn't one in there ... I'll wire it into the existing (fused and MCB'd) supply to keep it neat.
Alex,
Caution is wise, but I am pretty happy with electrics and simple plumbing - this doesn't worry me.
Oli.
xllifts said:
Hopefully he has no 3 pin sockets in the bathroom as thats against regs
It's not quite that straightforward any more...If you have a large-ish bathroom you are now permitted to have sockets 3m horizontally from the boundary of zone 1. All circuits in a bathroom must now be protected by a 30mA RCD..
Practically speaking, there's no way you would find me fitting sockets in a bathroom even if it did meet the 17th edition requirements as the world is full of stupid people with extension leads
Esselte, thanks!
Monkeyhanger, yes, there is more to it than that - well spotted.
Snag with the extension leads comment is that there is nothing preventing someone from plugging aforementioned extension lead in outside the bathroom and running it to the sink, bath, shower, or anything else
.
I guess there always will be idiots in the world tho'.
Oli.
Monkeyhanger, yes, there is more to it than that - well spotted.
Snag with the extension leads comment is that there is nothing preventing someone from plugging aforementioned extension lead in outside the bathroom and running it to the sink, bath, shower, or anything else
. I guess there always will be idiots in the world tho'.
Oli.
MonkeyHanger said:
xllifts said:
Hopefully he has no 3 pin sockets in the bathroom as thats against regs
It's not quite that straightforward any more...If you have a large-ish bathroom you are now permitted to have sockets 3m horizontally from the boundary of zone 1. All circuits in a bathroom must now be protected by a 30mA RCD..
Practically speaking, there's no way you would find me fitting sockets in a bathroom even if it did meet the 17th edition requirements as the world is full of stupid people with extension leads
And iirc even changing the ceiling rose in a bathroom now involves bringing the rest of the electrics in the bathroom up to regs.
no need i know its ........... 
skeggysteve said:
Not sure it will help but our pump looks like the one you brought. It is just plugged into a normal socket in the airing cupboard.
It comes on when we turn the water on in the shower. Pressure sensing switch in the pump switches it on.
Noisey buggers aren't they
Pardon?It comes on when we turn the water on in the shower. Pressure sensing switch in the pump switches it on.
Noisey buggers aren't they
Gassing Station | The Pie & Piston Archive | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff