Power Shower Hot Feed Connection

[cosmicnur]

hello, need some help in knowing how far up the expansion pipe of a hot water cylinder can I inset a tee to feed a power shower designed for low pressure gravity fed installation. The walls in the bathroom are solid brick with cement plaster finnish. The top of the cylinder is 2 feet above the bath but at the other end of the room . thanx and pax vobiscum

 

[wnjswozo]

you need a spreeder fitting in top union on clylinder

 

[cosmicnur]

thanx for reply , but what is a speeder fitting and where will I get one? thanx

 

[Toddyplumb]

You cant connect into the vent pipe for a power shower , all that will happen is that you will suck air down the vent. As in previous post you can remove outlet from cylinder and insert a fitting to connect to (basically a dip tube ) or you can connect onto the cylinder with something like an Essex flange

 

[cosmicnur]

ok thanx for that, the problem is the punter does not want me to raggle out the brick walls of the bathroom to run the pipes from the cylinder to the proposed site of the new shower which is at the opposite end of the room.

The hot and cold taps supplying the bath r directly below the site of proposed shower and the cold water storage tank is right above the bath taps in the loft. If I were to suggest an electric 9.5kw shower what is the minimum head required for the cold water feed and to obtain a resonable pressure flow from the 9.5 kw shower. thanx

 

[easyt]

If it's electric why not use mains and have a decent flow?

 

[cosmicnur]

thanx for reply, you mean for 9.5kw electric shower option use the mains cold water feed to the coldwater storage tank as the feed to the electric shower?

Did not know u could use mains pressure to feed 9.5kw electric shower? If u r correct then my feed problem is solved , as the clod water storage tank is right above the proposed site of shower installation in the loft. thanx

 

[Toddyplumb]

You are doing this for a customer and you didnt know you use mains pressure for electric showers
Suggest you get someone to help you with this one !

 

[buff]

i agrre with toddyplumb
i think you may cause more problems than what you resolve

 

[GORDYPAINE]

Soldiers drive tanks, we have cisterns installed in our lofts

reading some of the posts its absolutly bloody frightning what some people (apparantly plumbers) are asking.

Never posted on here before but this ones just mad

 

[easyt]

I thought that using stored water for an electric shower was 'generally' a no-no. I always presumed that this was because they needed a minimum operating pressure. Anyone know? Obviously if they worked under 0.1 - 0.2 bar through 15mm pipe stored head the flow would normally be pathetic I would think.

 

[Puddle]

The main thing with electric showers is that you have the correct flow rate through the shower/kettle in the shower,as it is heated as it goes through,if flow rate not sufficient ,the unit with over heat and water could turn to steam

The flow rate is generally achieved by having the water pushed through at a certain minimum pressure and there are safety devices in place to assure this
The pressure can be gained from mains pressure,having a supply tank high enough ,to generate the correct ,required pressure or there are electric showers with integrated pumps to allow pressure to be increased through unit as required

Note just because you have mains supply,does not mean an electric shower can be fitted,more and more water pressures are being lowered to the minimum entering properties to save on water use,thus high up properties can suffer from low mains pressure if not all the time then during peak demand periods

In short ,an important consideration when installing a electric shower is to ensure you can gain safely and within regulations the correct water flow rate through the unit ,one way or tuther,also following any m/i

 

[GORDYPAINE]

9.5kw ELECTRIC SHOWER , GOT TO HAVE AT LEAST 1 BAR PRESSURE . GO BACK TO SCHOOL 0.1 BAR PER METER HEAD YOU WOULD NEED 10 METERS HEAD, IT MIGHT WORK BUT IT WOULDNT BE RIGHT, PLUS HE MENTIONED THE STORAGE (TANK) CISTERN WAS DIRECTLY ABOVE IT , CHECK YOUR INSTRUCTIONS, REMEMBER THE ORIGINAL THREAD WAS A 9.5kw SHOWER, THIS LAD DIDNT HAVE A CLUE, I WONDER HOW HIS ELECTRICS ARE...?

SORRY TO MOAN, IVE BEEN TEACHING PLUMBING FOR YEARS PLUS I STILL WORK IN THE INDUSTRY AS A QUALIFIED PLUMBING AND GAS SAFE REGISTERED ENGINEER TOO MANY STUDENTS ARE RUNNING BEFORE THEY CAN WALK. THE MANUFACTURERS INSTRUCTIONS ARE THERE FOR A REASON READ THEM AND IF YOUR NOT SURE DONT ATTEMPT SOMETHING THAT COULD TURN ROUND AND BITE YOU HARD. ONE DAY YOU COULD END UP IN A LOT OF TROUBLE

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

i too am concerned here

almost all electrics showers are cold mains fed only with the exception of a bare few that have a 1 metre plus cld water tank

never fit any product of the expansion pipe as this is for expansion as in the name. and especially not a power shower as you will limit its life to weeks, months if your lucky

for a power shower supply the hot feed via an essex flange

 

[easyt]

Thanks All, confirms what I supposed. Nice to have rgw setails spelled out though.

 

[Resolute]

If you are installing a new electric shower then you need an electrical qualification (part P I think) as it requires it's own feed from the consumer board.