Power Shower Installation Help

[Mark69]

Hi all, hope you can help...

I am currently thinking of installing a power shower in the bathroom and after reading this website i think i've got a "rough" idea of how to do this (hopefully!).

What i've got at the minute is a cheap shower hose coming off the bath taps which isn't very good and pressure is very poor. I'm hoping a power shower will solve this.

The cold water feed to the bath taps comes from the tank in the loft. The hot water comes from the hot water/cylinder tank in a cupboard in the bedroom. The hot water tank is approx on the same level as the shower head which could explain the lack of pressure/head? I suppose i could always lift/relocate the hot water tank into the loft?? is this viable/recommended?

Ok, im thinking of getting a power shower and coming off the pipe coming out of the top of the hot water tank/cylinder with 15mm copper pipe to the pump located somewhere in the loft and then branching off one of the pipes from the cold water tank with 15mm to the pump. Then both hot and cold pipes from the pump to the shower with 15mm copper pipe.

Is it easy enough to wire the electrics for the pump also?

Any advice will be gratefully received.

Many thanks,

Mark

 

[chrishutt]

The water pressure at the shower outlet is determined by the height of the feed tank (not the HW cylinder) above the shower outlet. What is this, and is there any scope for raising this tank higher?

 

[Mark69]

The cold water feed tank is in the loft approx 2.5m above bath taps, but no scope for lifting.

Wouldn't a power shower be better with a pump?

Hope this helps.

 

[chrishutt]

The cold water feed tank is in the loft approx 2.5m above bath taps.

I said height above shower outlet, not bath taps. I'll assume this is at least 1 metre head, which is sufficient for some shower mixers without pumping. If you must pump, you're in for a lot more expense and technical issues.

 

[Mark69]

Thanks for that. Your assumption would be about right.

I'm looking to install a power shower though, hence the subject title.

 

[breezer]

I am not a plumber or heating engineer, i suggest you try the search function.

ideas are not always as good as they sound, you need a thing called a something flange (i said i wasnt a plumber) it has to be fitted to the cylinder, teeing off is not a good idea.

also a pump may suck all the water out if the cylinder, and then air pressure will cause it to implode (i am not joking)

 

[Mark69]

Thank you for your help breezer.

Yes you are right about the implosion of the cylinder, think its a surrey flange? but im not sure (i'm not a plumber either lol). I've used the search function to find out basic info, but now i need a more definitive answer relative to my own setup/application.

I thank you.

 

[doblo7]

Hi there,
Take a separate cold water feed from the header tank, for obviously cold connection to pump, hot water tee off as close as possible from hot water outlet from top of tank or BELOW tee section that branches off to vent pipe for hot connection. If you can locate pump in loft then you could take take a 3amp fused spur off the immersion switch or put a socket in and put a 3amp plug on the end of the pump and take supply from it. Voila there you have it, easy peasy!

 

[Mark69]

Thanks for your help doblo, will i also need a flange or valve at the tee junction where i tee off the hot water cylinder? When u say take a separate feed from cold water tank i assume u mean put a separate pipe to it, say a 15mm then connect to pump cold inlet...

Thank you guys.

 

[Softus]

Implosion!? What in the name of all that's holy are you talking about?!

breezer - you can't suck all the water out of a vented cylinder, and even if you could it wouldn't implode.

Mark69 - get yourself an Essex flange, buy the pump and the valve, and follow the MIs for all three.

 

[uug197h]

If your thinking of using a pump make sure its wired in correctly or get some one who is part P qualified as you need to inform the local building regs office, if you do it your self you need to notify them before you do it. then pay for an inspector to come out if you get someone who is part P qualified they will give you a certificate & inform Local building regs office, you may do it yourself and not inform any one but if are found out its £500 fine per part of any installation that if wrong EG: you have black and red wires installed now and you put in brown, blue & earth you must pur a sticker near the fusebox saying there are two types of wire or £500 fine

 

[Softus]

If your thinking of using a pump make sure its wired in correctly or get some one who is part P qualified as you need to inform the local building regs office, if you do it your self you need to notify them before you do it.

Which part of the pump installation do you believe is notifiable to the LABC?