Bathroom plumbing

[fattony]

I recently replaced the shower pump and relocated it to make life easier but since doing so I've been experiencing a couple of niggling issues. Below is a drawing of how it is plumbed but basically these are the issues:

1) Sometimes when you turn the kitchen (directly below bathroom) hot tap on you can hear the pump spin for a few seconds.
2) Sometimes when you turn the sink hot tap the pump spins for a few seconds
3) Sometimes when the shower is running the hot water does not always come through the shower, however if you turn the hot on the bath on for a few seconds the hot water comes through the shower.

The issues all seem to be with the hot, and when Im in the shower and the hot is not coming through properly the pump sounds different as if the hot is not flowing through.

Any ideas what this could be?

The pipes are 22mm where possible except for the obvious like T off for sink

Untitled

• fattony
• 17 Nov 2009
• 3

 

[seco services]

1) Sometimes when you turn the kitchen (directly below bathroom) hot tap on you can hear the pump spin for a few seconds.

sounds like a surge in the water activating the flow switch for the pump to come on.

2) Sometimes when you turn the sink hot tap the pump spins for a few seconds

same as 1.

3) Sometimes when the shower is running the hot water does not always come through the shower, however if you turn the hot on the bath on for a few seconds the hot water comes through the shower.

whats the distance from the shower head to base of cold water storage ?
lower the head in the bath you'll find it'll work all the time.


what pump is it ?

 

[Steady]

It doesn't help that you've provided the hot supply to the pump by just tee'ing into the supply to the washbasin(I presume it IS a washbasin and NOT a sink-sinks are found in kitchens,not bathrroms).
You should have taken a dedicated supply for the hot from the hot water cylinder.
Is that mains cold water to the pump as well? If so, that's wrong.

 

[picasso]

the pump coming on when you turn on the whb or sink sounds like you have air trapped in the supply pipe.

 

[fattony]

Thanks for replies guys, yes it is a wash basin apologies for that. The cold water feed to the pump is from the cold water storage tank in the loft. I did wonder if it could be air but how do I know for sure and how do I remove the air

 

[stem]

As Steady says, the pump should be connected directly to the hot water cylinder. There is a special flange for this purpose that allows the air that is naturally produced by the heating of the water to vent away from the pipe feeding the pump.

If you do manage to get rid of the air likely it will collect again. Relocate the pump to the airing cupboard next to the hot water cylinder and fit a Surrey Flange. I'm surprised that the pump instructions didn't advise this.

Shower Flange

• stem
• 18 Aug 2009
• 3

 

[kevplumb]

mind if i swipe a copy of that pic stem

 

[fattony]

Thanks Stem but what do you do if there's no room either side of the cylinder for the pump?

Initially it was under the floor and never had a problem with it, but when it developed a leak I decided to move it under the bath

 

[seco services]

don't matter where the pump is but i would fit a surrey flange.

 

[fattony]

that sounds like a solution, I shall look into getting one. Im restricted with locations for the pump, either leave it under the floor, move it to the loft or move it under the bath. Under the bath got my vote

 

[Steady]

Remember also that the hot and cold supplies TO the pump get there by gravity only so avoid 90deg bends and give the water the easiest downhill route-this is why a lot of pump manufacturers say position the pump at the base of the cylinder-so you get a short vertical route for the supplies.

 

[fattony]

hmmm, there are a few bends I'll see how I get on with the flange but thanks for the tip

 

[stem]

mind if i swipe a copy of that pic stem

No problem...erm..it's not really mine though I found it somewhere