Pump for cold water tank and cylinder in the loft

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Hi,

I have a cold water tank and the hot water cylinder and the boiler, all sitting on the floor in the loft and supplying downstairs bathroom and the kitchen.

The hot/cold water supplies for the shower and the kitchen come from the mains and the cylinder and the pressure is fine.

The cold water for the loo, wash basin and the bath taps comes from the tank. The reason for the split was to eliminate drop of the pressure when having a shower and someone turns cold water tap in the kitchen or wash basin.

I had a plumber around who advised that because the tank is sitting on the floor I can't use a standard pump and need a "indirectional" (can't remember its name) one that costs around £400.

I can raise the tank to about 0.5m (put it on a wooden frame etc.) but will this allow me to use a cheaper water pumps ?

What pump would be ideal for this kind of arrangment ?

Thanks
 
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Hi, sorry, not sure which part doesn't make sense? :rolleyes:

EDIT:

Below is the diagram of the connections (I skipped all the connections between boiler etc.)

View media item 91031
Does that help?

I was told by the plumber that because the tank is low I have to use £400 worth single impeller pump which is specifically designed for this kind of installations :confused:

Thanks
 
Deleted reply due to confusion :confused: :LOL: back later
 
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i wouldn't use a pump to feed your toilets, everyone i know who has regrets it, especially at 3 in the morning when someone flushes the toilet and the noise of the pump wakes everyone one up, and trust me it will.
 
What is it you actually want to do?

Pump the cold water for the bath, basin and loo?

If that's the case, as Dean mentions, don't pump the loo for the noise reason.

The other outlets, as long as you can get the minimum L/min flow for a standard pump then one of them will be fine, no reason you shouldn't as long as the cold water supply pipes don't rise above the level of the cold tank.

P.S. Is that an unvented hot water cylinder?
 
the pressure from the tank is really low so I want to increase it by installing a pump,

As for the noise, I suppose that will also apply to basin and the bath taps + it doesn't really take long to fill up the loo cistern so it wouldn't be much of a problem :D

The problem I have is that the tank is sitting on the floor in the loft so there is no drop from its outlet and I was told that I can only install this specific pump:

http://www.anchorpumps.com/stuart-t...ybhhjyfTrw4I5G3L2WBWp7xGRVoXIuBePcxoCXDnw_wcB

What I don't understand is:

1. why negative head pump? all my taps + shower are below the tank / cistern level (in downstairs bathroom)
2. what makes this pump different and suitable for my arrangement (according to the plumber)?

Thanks a lot
 
As for the noise, I suppose that will also apply to basin and the bath taps + it doesn't really take long to fill up the loo cistern so it wouldn't be much of a problem :D
:

Just don't blame whoever fitted it when you get fed up with the sound of a pump running through the night, this is speaking from experience, even after warning the customers of noise during the night when a whole house pump is fitted and they still wanted to go ahead and then try telling me i should have warned them better, what part of it will make a noise during the night didn't they understand to begin with :rolleyes:
 
First of all, 3 bar to feed the outlets is pretty excessive, something around the 2bar mark would be sufficient IMO but depending on the HW supply, you still haven't said
If you're not bothered about noise then fair enuf but you may find you live to regret that, especially in the loft :)

If the feed from the tank is straight out and then down to the outlets, you have neutral to positive pressure, you do not have a negative head in your system unless there is a rise in the supply pipe somewhere? If you have the minimum required flow rate at the outlets for a standard pump then that would be fine.
If you don't then a universal pump is needed as it pre primes itself and has a lot lower flow activation.
 
First of all, 3 bar to feed the outlets is pretty excessive, something around the 2bar mark would be sufficient IMO but depending on the HW supply, you still haven't said
If you're not bothered about noise then fair enuf but you may find you live to regret that, especially in the loft :)

If the feed from the tank is straight out and then down to the outlets, you have neutral to positive pressure, you do not have a negative head in your system unless there is a rise in the supply pipe somewhere? If you have the minimum required flow rate at the outlets for a standard pump then that would be fine.
If you don't then a universal pump is needed as it pre primes itself and has a lot lower flow activation.

The cylinder and the tank both sit on the floor so the only pipe that is higher than the top of the tank is the HW outlet on top of the cylinder.

Is there any requirement as to minimum vertical distance between the tank and the pump ?

EDIT: I get your point guys re the noise but if someone used the tap at 3 in the morning then that would trigger the pump as well right (I always wash my hands afterwards ;)) ? If that's the case then why connecting the toilet is not a good idea ?
 
Each pump is different with regards to min head.

Ideally you would install the pump on the same level as the bathroom if possible, that removes the issue of tanks on the same level, min head etc.
 
Each pump is different with regards to min head.

Ideally you would install the pump on the same level as the bathroom if possible, that removes the issue of tanks on the same level, min head etc.

That's exactly my problem, the pipes are all hidden so there is no way of moving the pump downstairs :( Some of you suggest standard pump so I can't understand why the plumber advises £400 one + 3bars seems a lot, i don't need that much :)
 

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