Combi-Boiler shower pump

[Greenie9657]

Good afternoon,

I think I may already know the answer to this but has anything been developed to allow a pump to be fitted to a mixer shower; run off a Combi system?

I could do with a little more power at the shower head if there is anyway.

Im also wanting to fit a water softener to supply the house and ive heard this could also drop the pressure by up to 0.5bar.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

regards

 

[stem]

You can't fit standard shower booster pumps that are designed for use with stored water supplies. However, boosters are available that can be used to improve the performance of a shower from a combi. They work by increasing the flow / pressure of the cold water entering the combi.

Your combi would have to be powerful enough to heat the increased flow though. You can find an example of one made by Salamander here. Stuart Turner also make one.

 

[Greenie9657]

thanks Stem,

I only have the Worchester/Bosch junior 24i. It was in when i moved in but now we have extended i think it may struggle with a 11 radiator house.

 

[Greenie9657]

Stem, That home boost looks the part. Does it just plumb in between the incoming supply and the boiler? If it does that is a winner as all that is in a down stairs utility room; so shut out of the way!!

 

[stem]

That is quite a small boiler, and will have a limit on how much hot water it can produce.

It is designed for installation where the main water supply enters your home, so that it can boost the whole house water supply. It has sensors that only run it when necessary, so it shouldn't come on when you are cleaning your teeth for example.

 

[Madrab]

Check your current water supply for dynamic pressure and flow before the combi. If it is 12L/Min or more then the home boost won't increase the flow as it's limited to 12L/min max output but it can raise the pressure. I'd be checking what your mains currently delivers as a starting point to see if you are getting the most out of your combi.

 

[Greenie9657]

Check your current water supply for dynamic pressure and flow before the combi. If it is 12L/Min or more then the home boost won't increase the flow as it's limited to 12L/min max output but it can raise the pressure. I'd be checking what your mains currently delivers as a starting point to see if you are getting the most out of your combi.

Is that just as simple as fill a jug up with water and time it? I don't have any specialist tools or gadgets for anything plumbing related.

 

[Madrab]

For the flow, yes, though better with a bucket if you have one. If you can then use an outside tap or cold bath tap on full, start the clock from when you put the bucket under, time for a minute and measure how much = L/min, for a dynamic flow figure then run another cold tap at the same time.

Pressure is a little different and you really need a gauge for that. It may be the pressure that you need to know as that's the force the water has or in physical showering terms, how 'strong' it feels on the skin. Flow means how much water volume can run per minute, pressure is the force of the water behind that flow.

It may not be the mains flow or pressure that's at issue, rather the actual shower mechanics/internals that can affect how the shower feels too, ergo establishing what the incoming flow and pressure is currently.