Fitting a new mixer shower,Is my cylinder suitable?

[neil298]

Hi,I am refitting my bathroom and decided to replace my old triton electrical shower with a Mira mixer shower.I know I need a pump,probably a twin impeller and positive head as I have about 3ft below the bottom of the tank to where the pump will be fitted which in turn will be about 2 ft above the shower head,My query is ,Does the cylinder I have make a difference to the type of pump I need or will the cyinder be adequate for what I need.Attached is a spec picture of my hot water cylinder.

Thanks In advance
Thanks

 

[Ben-gee]

The cylinder is fine.

However it sounds as though you are planning to put the pump in the loft, far better to put it in the airing cupboard by the base of the cylinder.

More important is that you connect the pump up correctly as per manufacturer instructions, this is simpler with my pump location - also any future problems are spotted sooner.

Depending on the shower valve you have it also sounds as though you may need a negative head pump.

Lastly, make sure the cold water tank is at least 50 gallons (227 litres).

Good luck

 

[Roy_66]

Hi Neil,

I'll have to leave it to the experts to give you an answer, but I've got a gravity only Mira mixer that is still perfectly adequate (to me). Head can only be about 4 feet or so to the top of the header tank.

From your description assume the shower is on the storey below the cylinder. You don't say if the cylinder is fed from the mains (and via a pressure reduction valve), or gravity fed from a header tank. If a header tank how far above the cylinder is it. Also what is the bore of all the pipes?

Only other point I have is my cylinder has a secondary smaller 15mm take off point for the shower, and I don't know what the advantage of that might be.

Last silly questions: Can others run baths etc. whilst the shower is in use? and what temperature do you run the boiler thermostat and cylinder stat. My understanding is a cooler cylinder lasts longer. I also don't like the hot to be scalding.

See what the guys advise, but I might be tempted to setup a mock-up into a skim bucket and see if you are happy with the pressure without a pump.

Cheers,

Roy (a very amateur plumber)

 

[neil298]

The cylinder is fine.

However it sounds as though you are planning to put the pump in the loft, far better to put it in the airing cupboard by the base of the cylinder.

More important is that you connect the pump up correctly as per manufacturer instructions, this is simpler with my pump location - also any future problems are spotted sooner.

Depending on the shower valve you have it also sounds as though you may need a negative head pump.

Lastly, make sure the cold water tank is at least 50 gallons (227 litres).

Good luck

The cylinder is fine.

However it sounds as though you are planning to put the pump in the loft, far better to put it in the airing cupboard by the base of the cylinder.

More important is that you connect the pump up correctly as per manufacturer instructions, this is simpler with my pump location - also any future problems are spotted sooner.

Depending on the shower valve you have it also sounds as though you may need a negative head pump.

Lastly, make sure the cold water tank is at least 50 gallons (227 litres).

Good luck

Just to confirm that I live in a bungalow and the cylinder is in the loft,The cylinder is almost above the bathroom,currently it just has a 15mm pipe cold feeding the current electric shower.
[automerge]1590774156[/automerge]
The pump will be at the base of the cylinder but in a loft not an airing cupboard

 

[moonlight]

If you are fitting a shower, have you considered one of these?

https://www.NoLinkingToThis/p/aqual...atin-chrome-thermostatic-digital-shower/33713

I don't know the location of your current shower room etc. but if your roof space is above the cylinder and you can access your shower room. One small drilled through the ceiling. This is quite a good shower.

 

[EvilDrPorkChop]

Have to agree with @moonlight Aqualisa Quartz Pumped is your best and easiest option for retro fitting.

 

[neil298]

The cylinder is fine.

However it sounds as though you are planning to put the pump in the loft, far better to put it in the airing cupboard by the base of the cylinder.

More important is that you connect the pump up correctly as per manufacturer instructions, this is simpler with my pump location - also any future problems are spotted sooner.

Depending on the shower valve you have it also sounds as though you may need a negative head pump.

Lastly, make sure the cold water tank is at least 50 gallons (227 litres).

Good luck

my water tank is only 30 gallons

 

[Ben-gee]

Ah ok , so the tank is up on a stand approx 3 feet above loft floor and the cylinder is also in the loft - standing at floor height.

In that case a positive head pump should be fine. Or as the lads suggest a pumped visage is a good option if you don’t want to break into walls for pipework.

Still need to confirm that the tank is fifty gallons. In some properties where the tank is only for the hot cylinder and all cold taps are directly from the mains there is only a 25 gallon tank.

If that is your case then the water storage capacity will have to be upgraded to 50 gallons before you add a twin impeller pump.

 

[neil298]

Ah ok , so the tank is up on a stand approx 3 feet above loft floor and the cylinder is also in the loft - standing at floor height.

In that case a positive head pump should be fine. Or as the lads suggest a pumped visage is a good option if you don’t want to break into walls for pipework.

Still need to confirm that the tank is fifty gallons. In some properties where the tank is only for the hot cylinder and all cold taps are directly from the mains there is only a 25 gallon tank.

If that is your case then the water storage capacity will have to be upgraded to 50 gallons before you add a twin impeller pump.

Thanks,the tank is 30 gallons so I think 8 may have to get a bigger one,I can confirm that the cylinder sits on the ceiling joists and the bottom of the tank is 1 metre above that height.

 

[Ben-gee]

Yes, get a bigger cold tank.