Taps on shower pump- please advise me!

[rocketmanbkk]

Hi friends

Can you help me please?

Had a call from a woman who has builders doing some work (but not plumbing - strange!!).

Basically, from what she is saying is that her bathroom taps seem to be connected to the shower pump! She has a power shower (4 years ago) but when she turns on her basin/bath taps the pump kicks in. I've not seen this.

She has a tank in the loft etc. and says that before the shower was fitted the pressure was OK.

She wants the taps to be disconnected from the shower pump. i.e. so when the taps turn on the pump doesn't.

She kept on stating that she wanted her high pressure taps changed to low pressure taps.

Any thoughts/comments and advice?

Cheers

Rocket

 

[mrlennie]

When she says she wants low pressure taps sounds like shes fed up of water spraying everywhere when she turns the tap on? Dunno I've never seen it before.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

She definetely said that the shower pump kicks in everytime the taps upstairs are turned on.

 

[mrlennie]

Yes I beleive you what i mean is she sounds lik she has misunderstood the term "high pressure taps" to mean they give out high pressure whereas the actual term means they can handle high pressure.

I'll paint you a picture watson. Plumber comes in nice lady want some new taps. Sure he says and wrangles around for half a day with an expensive set of taps. turns them on and they are cack (Because the are high pressure) so he joins them to the pump to give him high pressure. If im right you could shut the service valves on the taps abit to restrict it don't think it would be good for the pump though. If you disconnect the pump from them taps i dont think they will work very well at all so new taps will be needed also (Low pressure taps) imo.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Sorry, wasn't questioning you!

So, it seems like the taps are connected to the pump flow? They must be. She wants new taps which she says she has ordered and the connection needs to be, as I think disconnected from the pump?

 

[mrlennie]

Lol its ok.

Yes but its up to you to check the taps are low pressure. Alot of modern taps are medium or high pressure which are not suitable. you need low pressure 0.1, 0.2 or 0.3 bar I'd recomend 0.1 bar better to be safe than sorry.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

OK, she hasn't got the taps yet but on order. With regards to the shower punp and pipes, i take it that I need to cut the pipe before the pump and reconnect to the pipes after the pump? I can't picture it in my head! Getting confused thinking about it!

Th epump has a hot and cold going in and being pushed to shower. I need to disconnect the hot & cold before it his the pump and then connect to the hot & cold feeding bath/basins etc.?
cheers

 

[WaterTight]

Prob best to go round and have a look before thinking too much about it. Information customers give you over the phone tends to lead you to any number of wrong impressions.

 

[WaterTight]

you don't want to disconnect shower from pump do you?

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Just having a look at the wickes shower pump diagram, it seems that the pump IS connected all all outlets (shower, basin and bath).

Can anyone have a look please? Diagram C.
http://www.wickes.co.uk/content/ebiz/wickes/resources/images/gil/46.pdf

If this is the case, as in diagram C, will the pump kick in when say teh basin taps are tunred onas they are connected?

Thanks for all comments thus far.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

no, shower needs to stay connected to pump.

 

[Best]

Yes, there is nothing special about this. Opening the basin tap will start flow & therefore pump. Only issue you have is, what way basin is joined. If it is part of the bath pipes, then you have the problem of getting new pipes from source to basin.

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Further, if as in diagram C above the basin/bath etc. are all connected to the outlets from the pump, will changing the taps remedy this?

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Best I agree, it's teh way the plumbing was put in 4 years ago and only now does this woman want it changed!

Obviously I want the job for the experience plus a few bob but may be a lot of hassle.

If she does want it changed, and changing the taps won't work, is it correct to cut the supply BEFORE the pipes hit the pump and re-route?

 

[Best]

Further, if as in diagram C above the basin/bath etc. are all connected to the outlets from the pump, will changing the taps remedy this?

Only if the new taps are the restrictive, aerator type that are ideal for mains or pumped supplies, as they won't splash & have not too much flow. But perhaps the customer just doesn't like pump going on every time she uses basin?

 

[rocketmanbkk]

exactly that, she said it costs too much money as she has a few kids etc.
she wants it to not work, only for shower.

 

[ADM360]

Sounds a bit like the pump was put in retro fit to the bath room, and the easiest way was to connect to the bath room feeds to pump the shower, which also ment all bath room feeds pumped, not ideal but not to much of a problem apart from pump kicks in every time somthing is turned on!

 

[rocketmanbkk]

ADM360m 100% spot on. what's the solution? any different to what's been advised or what I think?

 

[Best]

Sorry slow reply, but Internet lost! I think issue is - can you get new pipes to shower from pump, easily?

 

[rocketmanbkk]

yes, what I think also. Branck off hot from DHW pipe and Cold from cold feed. If simple should be easy to do (but it's never simple!!).

I am looking tomorrow at 1000hrs so will report back.

Thanks again all.

Rocket

 

[rocketmanbkk]

Hi Friends,

Saw the job earlier, basically as I thought, the bathroom and en suite are connected to the pump via the pipework which includes the shower thus when any tap is turned on the pump kicks in.

The pipes are of the plastic variety.

So, basically, the 2 x 22mm plastic pipes going into the bathroom now are from the pump. The HW & CW will need to be isolated from the taps to outlets other than the shower (easy) so that the shower is the only feed from the pump (hw & cw).

A new hot water pipe will need to be cut in the HW feed and put under the floor to the bathroom where it can then be connected to the other connection (now cut). The same will be needed for the cold supply.

I am assuming that this is all that is needed.

Now then, can I ask some questions please?

The water needs to be isolated to the pump, there are 2 full gate valves to do this so it is easy to isolate the water here. I can then reconnect the 2 shower pipes using the same fitings and turn the water back on. The shower is then on it's own circuit and when water is demanded from the shower the pump will kick in.

The HW needs to be isolated and water shut off in the airing cupboard? Where do I do this? I also need to cut into the HW pipe for a new supply to the bathroom. Do I do this before or after the gate valve for best results? The higher the better for pressure? Also shut off the CW in the airing cupboard so that no supply is going to the CWS in the loft? Cut into teh CW supplying the taps etc. and again connect in bathroom.

Harder to explain than actually do it I think! Hope the above is not too confusing!

Should be a good job.

As always, all comments gratefully received.

Have a good weekend friends.

Rocket