Need Advice on Installing Shower Pump for Low Water Pressure

Wingo123 · 21 Apr 2024

Hello everyone,

I'm seeking advice on installing a shower pump to address the low water pressure in my home. Currently, I have a water tank gravity/valve system, and the water pressure is less than ideal. I'm considering installing a 2.0 bar positive pump system to improve the situation.

Here's my plan: I have the cold water pipe in the loft and the hot water pipe in the airing cupboard. My idea is to insert a T-junction in the cold water pipe, run a pipe into the airing cupboard, and similarly, insert a T-junction in the hot water pipe. I intend to place the pump in the airing cupboard, connecting it to these pipes. From there, I'll run new pipes in the wall from the pump to the back of the new shower.

My questions are:
1. Can I use plastic push-fit pipes for all the pipe work?
2. Will this setup effectively increase water pressure for my shower?

Any advice or insights would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you in advance!

Exedon · 21 Apr 2024

Twin boost pumps typically need there own dedicated cold from cistern and hot needs to be feed from a flange on cylinder S flange / warix or similar.
First thing is check your cold water cistern has enough capacity to have a boost pump installed.

Wingo123 · 21 Apr 2024

The capacity of the cold water tank is 227
Litres

Madrab · 21 Apr 2024

Wingo123 said:
My idea is to insert a T-junction in the cold water pipe, run a pipe into the airing cupboard, and similarly, insert a T-junction in the hot water pipe. I intend to place the pump in the airing cupboard, connecting it to these pipes.

Not ideal - you don't want to feed a pump, especially a 2bar pump from a shared supply. Ideally you would take a new dedicated feed from the Cold water Cistern (CWSC) in the attic to the pump and then use a flange to take an air free dedicated HW supply from the HW cylinder. The CWSC also needs to be a min height above the shower head to ensure the gravity flow through the shower is sufficient to activate the pump, alternatively a universal pump may be needed. You have a 50Gal (227L) CWSC - what capacity is the HW cylinder?

Wingo123 said:
1. Can I use plastic push-fit pipes for all the pipe work?

yes - no reason not to

Wingo123 said:
2. Will this setup effectively increase water pressure for my shower?

Yes - by how much depends on the type of shower

Wingo123 · 22 Apr 2024

Madrab said:
Not ideal - you don't want to feed a pump, especially a 2bar pump from a shared supply. Ideally you would take a new dedicated feed from the Cold water Cistern (CWSC) in the attic to the pump and then use a flange to take an air free dedicated HW supply from the HW cylinder. The CWSC also needs to be a min height above the shower head to ensure the gravity flow through the shower is sufficient to activate the pump, alternatively a universal pump may be needed. You have a 50Gal (227L) CWSC - what capacity is the HW cylinder?

yes - no reason not to

Yes - by how much depends on the type of shower

The hot water cylinder is 140L

Madrab · 22 Apr 2024

OK so your water supply should be fine, the HW may be a little on the low side s you may use up the HW store over 2-3 uses given showers of say 6-7 mins, water temp dependent.

Wingo123 · 22 Apr 2024

Madrab said:
OK so your water supply should be fine, the HW may be a little on the low side s you may use up the HW store over 2-3 uses given showers of say 6-7 mins, water temp dependent.

Okay, would it be better if I just go for a 1.5 bar pump instead?

Madrab · 22 Apr 2024

Wingo123 said:
Okay, would it be better if I just go for a 1.5 bar pump instead?

Depends on what's wanted re pressure and flow (how the shower feels), what kind of shower it is and how it's to be used. 1.5Bar would probably be a significant increase on what's there just now ( presuming the CWSC is currently just up off the loft raters, say around 1m above the shower head)

Forgot to add that those average figures would be based on a flow of ~ 12LPM @ 38Deg

Wingo123 · 22 Apr 2024

Madrab said:
Depends on what's wanted re pressure and flow (how the shower feels), what kind of shower it is and how it's to be used. 1.5Bar would probably be a significant increase on what's there just now ( presuming the CWSC is currently just up off the loft raters, say around 1m above the shower head)

Forgot to add that those average figures would be based on a flow of ~ 12LPM @ 38Deg

The shower head to the CWSC is 0.5m away.

The shower I'm going to install is nothing special. Here is the link https://www.diy.com/departments/nes...hvXTBJTi-dU3aSUt21EaAl69EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds.

If 1.5bar is enough, then I'll just go for that instead.

Wingo123 · 22 Apr 2024

Madrab said:
Depends on what's wanted re pressure and flow (how the shower feels), what kind of shower it is and how it's to be used. 1.5Bar would probably be a significant increase on what's there just now ( presuming the CWSC is currently just up off the loft raters, say around 1m above the shower head)

Forgot to add that those average figures would be based on a flow of ~ 12LPM @ 38Deg

Also, would I need to install a Surrey Outlet Flange into the hot water tank to stop the potential of air going through to the pump?

Madrab · 22 Apr 2024

Unfortunately your link doesn't go anywhere.

A 1.5bar shower will be much better than the 0.05bar you see just now, and not a lot less than a 2 bar. Just need to make sure you have enough flow though the shower under gravity to activate the pump otherwise you will need to look at a universal pump.

Yes, a Surrey or Warwix flange on the cylinder would be recommended

Wingo123 · 22 Apr 2024

Madrab said:
Unfortunately your link doesn't go anywhere.

A 1.5bar shower will be much better than the 0.05bar you see just now, and not a lot less than a 2 bar. Just need to make sure you have enough flow though the shower under gravity to activate the pump otherwise you will need to look at a universal pump.

Yes, a Surrey or Warwix flange on the cylinder would be recommended

Sorry, I have just attached a photo of the shower.

And I'll probably go for a 1.5 bar then. There is only 2 of us and we won't be showering at the same time.

Thanks for your comment. I really appreciate it

Madrab · 22 Apr 2024

Yes - a 1.5bar pump will feed that without issue, though given it's a rain shower then you may have problems getting enough gravity flow through the pump to activate it - rain shower heads are notoriously restrictive to flow.

@ 0.5m head, you may need to fit a universal pump.

Wingo123 · 22 Apr 2024

Madrab said:
Yes - a 1.5bar pump will feed that without issue, though given it's a rain shower then you may have problems getting enough gravity flow through the pump to activate it - rain shower heads are notoriously restrictive to flow.

@ 0.5m head, you may need to fit a universal pump.

Okay. What do you mean by Universal Pump? When I type that into Google, the same pump I've been looking at shows. (Salamander and Stuart Turner)

Madrab · 22 Apr 2024

A universal pump is one that can deal with either negative or positive pressure due to the pressure vessel it uses - a positive pressure pump may struggle when the available gravity head of pressure (height of water in cold cistern above the outlet) is low.

Universal pumps tend to be more expensive too. If you can stretch to a monsoon then go for one of them, if not the ST shower mates aren't half bad but only run the shower from it.

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Need Advice on Installing Shower Pump for Low Water Pressure

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