Pumped shower stopping and squealing

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We've got a HW Cylinder, fed from a cold water tank. Off the tank and cylinder is a Salamander Dual Shower pump that feeds 2 showers.

There seems to be 2 different causes, but the symptoms are both the same. The causes could just be the same thing but in different scenarios.

Firstly, when both showers are run at the same time for a while. When the en-suite is turned off, the main bathroom one almost grinds to a halt. If I wait for a few minutes and try again, it starts spluttering, before carrying on and then stopping. I'm assuming here that turning the en-suite off while the main shower is still running causes some sort of pressure problem resulting in an airlock?

This morning I tried to combat this by have the other half using the en-suite first, and then I jump in the main shower afterwards. Same thing happened after about 5 minutes.

I've checked the hot water on the taps, and its fine so I don't think we're out of hot water. Could it be that the cold water tank has ran out of water, since it's feeding showers and the HW tank?

If this is the case, is it possible to hook up the pump directly to the mains to stop the cold water running out?
 
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Just having a salamander pump fitted myself and the instructions clearly state never connect to a mains water input.
 
Sounds like the cold water storage cistern is running out of water. Run both showers while one of you check the level in the cistern.

If this is the problem, there's no way round it using a shower pump system, other than to install a larger cistern, or another cistern linked to the one you've already got.

Issues to be considered are:

1. Have you got room for a larger / another cistern and will it / they go through the loft hatch?
2. Can it be placed where the joists can take the extra weight?

You'd need an experienced plumber to fit an additional tank to ensure correct placement of inlets, outlets and overflow.
 
Sounds like the cold water storage cistern is running out of water. Run both showers while one of you check the level in the cistern.

If this is the problem, there's no way round it using a shower pump system, other than to install a larger cistern, or another cistern linked to the one you've already got.

Issues to be considered are:

1. Have you got room for a larger / another cistern and will it / they go through the loft hatch?
2. Can it be placed where the joists can take the extra weight?

You'd need an experienced plumber to fit an additional tank to ensure correct placement of inlets, outlets and overflow.

I figured as much. The tank we've got up there already is pretty big as it would have originally served a 3 bath/toilet house.

Would connecting the cold water of the showers to the mains help and just use the hot water through the pump? Not sure if that's even possible
 
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the shower won't work properly if you do.

Have you looked in the tank yet, with a torch?

Is there much in the way of drowned rats, soggy insulation?
 
How quickly does the ball valve replenish the CWSC? Is it or the pipework restricted in any way? Stopcock partially closed?
 
op have you only just started having this problem on a set up that's historically worked fine ,or is something newly installed ??
 
the shower won't work properly if you do.

Have you looked in the tank yet, with a torch?

Is there much in the way of drowned rats, soggy insulation?

Haven't had chance to get up there yet. Have been up there a few months ago and the tank itself is fine

How quickly does the ball valve replenish the CWSC? Is it or the pipework restricted in any way? Stopcock partially closed?

I'd have to go and look. If I recall, it doesn't fill up particularly quick, it's not coming through at the rate the taps on the main do.

op have you only just started having this problem on a set up that's historically worked fine ,or is something newly installed ??

We did a total renovation and finished about a year ago. Its been happening for about 6 months on and off from what I can recall.
Both showers don't run at the same time to often, but 1 shower can get a good 20-25 minutes before issues occur, and it's never the water going cold. Thinking back, I remembered the other half complaining of it getting Extremely hot all of a sudden
 
sure sounds like cwsc is being pumped out faster than can be replenished, as previously advised .
 
previous posts by dilalio /jeffthegas/old buffer have already really answered your question "what can be done " about cwsc being drained before it can be replenished.but maybe you haven't let it sink in. so here goes .......... 1. limit the time spent in shower. you have a pump running ,sucking water out for 25 mins multiplied by say 10 litres per minute would use 250 litres. 2. the mains water supply to the cwsc has to be able to keep up ,so the ball valve has to be in tip top condition ,offering as little restriction as possible,as does the supply pipework going to it. 3. anything else in property that is drawing water whilst shower is in use, including washing machines dishwashers ,toilets etc, will further starve the supply to tank /drain water. hope that makes it clear. PS . as someone said you can not connect the cold mains to the pump
 

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