Hot water header overflowing

[pemberley]

Hello. I am having a problem with the overflow from my hot water header tank. The header tank appears to be filling up from the bottom every day and overflowing, through the overflow pipe. I thought it was a corroded ball cock but having replaced that I realised it was filling up from the bottom.

I assume that this means the water is coming up from the HW tank (the header is in the attic directly above the HW tank).

We recently had a power shower fitted and think that there is now a problem with the pressure in the system. I knew it was a bad idea!

Our CH is open vented from a wall mounted boiler.

Any ideas or insight is desparately needed

Thanks!

 

[chrishutt]

Sounds like mains pressure might be feeding back into hot water system and up to feed tank. Has the new power shower been connected to mains pressure on cold side?

 

[pemberley]

I believe that it is. I asked for it to be connected to the cold mains pressure. because I don't like it when you flush the toilet and the person in the shower gets scolded. Is there anything that can be done in this setup?

 

[ChrisR]

Depends what you are calling a Power Shower...
If you're using the hot water from the tank and not heating it separately, the cold also has to come from the tank (in the loft). For power, pump them both.

 

[chrishutt]

Problem it seems is created by the installer of your shower. He should have known that a pumped shower cannot be connected to the mains, and should not have accepted any instruction from you to do so. Get him back to sort it out.

 

[pemberley]

Many thanks for all of your input into this. I have asked the builder about this and he said that it shouldn't make a difference because I have a small house and the cold feed doesn't have far to travel. He thinks that the cold water is going through the shower and up into the header tank.

He has suggested half opening the cold stop cock to try to equalize the pressures (but obviously make sure that the pressure is enough to get upstairs!). I'll give that ago, and post the outcome.

Cheers!

 

[kevplumb]

He has suggested half opening the cold stop cock to try to equalize the pressures (but obviously make sure that the pressure is enough to get upstairs!). I'll give that ago, and post the outcome.

wont make any difference to the pressure

 

[chrishutt]

Just to get this straight, what power shower do you have?

Your builder probably does not understand the plumbing of showers and should not have been engaged to do this work. You are being messed around by him.

 

[ChrisR]

Your builder is talking out of his, er, hat.
I don't mind people not knowing things, but your builder is lying to you.

 

[Nige F]

Your builder is talking out of his, er, .
I don't mind people not knowing things, but your builder is lying to you.

Does his breath smell

 

[pemberley]

It is a 'Showerforce' power shower bought from B&Q. Our bathroom used to have an electric shower in it but the flow was really weak, thats why we wanted a power shower. Altering the stop cock seems to have worked but it will be interesting to see if normal working week use holds up to the test.

Unfortunately the builder was a friend of my parents and assured us that he was up to the job.....we definitely won't be using him for anything ever again

 

[chrishutt]

You definitely shouldn't leave a power shower (with built in pump) connected to mains cold water. Apart from the problems you've already described, it may cause other problems and would void any guarantee on the shower. And off course it contravenes the Water Regulations.