New Shower Turned On and..............Nothing

[kstandsteve]

Finally finished plumbing in my new shower.

Aqualisa Axis Digital Shower
Stuart Turner Monsoon 3bar pump

Big switch on tonight and not a drop out of the shower.

Maybe an air lock problem but this is what I have done.

Shower pump sits in airing cupboard at base of hot water tank.
Shower processor sits in loft next to cold water tank.

Cold feed from tank in loft down to pump. Hot water feed via york flange off top of HWC. Hot/Cold pipes from pump up to orocessor in loft. All pipes 22mm. Single 15mm pipe from processor to shower head.

I have not fitted any vents.

Cut off valves are fitted on each in/out @ pump and processor for future maintenance.

Any ideas. If it is an air lock how do I remove it?

Cheers

 

[ChrisR]

Sounds like you need a negative head pump. If the falling part of the pipe empties, or gets air in it, there's no, or too little, flow to switch the pump on.
Try waving a magnet round the reed (flow) switches on the monsoon. If you get it primed, it'll probably work - for a bit.
Cheaper than a new pump, would be a pull-switch to turn it on.

 

[Legion]

Bit quiet in CC tonight Chris?

 

[kstandsteve]

Cheers Chris for reply.

I hope to god its not the pump spec. Did quite a bit of research on here re pump type and was assured the monsoon was the way to go. Its a 3bar twin. These things arent cheap.

Will try and get hold of a magnet and try the test. Where do I wave it?

 

[Legion]

Is it Monsoon universal 3 bar twin? works on both positive/negative, don`t matter.

 

[kstandsteve]

The pump is a "positive duty" type.

Reading the literature it says there should be at least 100mm head between tank and highest part of pipework (in my case shower processor).

Maybe I need to lower the processor to get more head??

 

[seco services]

why didn't you fit the pumped version saves all this agro your having ?

is the pump kicking in ?

 

[kstandsteve]

I was given the aqualisa of my dad who bought it and never fitted it. They are quite expensive so took tthe oppurtunity. I spoke with aqualisa who said it would be fine to use with a separate pump.

No the pump isnt kicking in.

 

[kstandsteve]

I have not managed to find a magnet so need to buy one tomorrow.

I have however carried out another test.

When I remove the 2 inlets to the processor in the loft I get a good flow from the cold but nothing from the hot.

When I turn on the shower the lights on the shower unit flash slowly - I turn the temp dial as cold as it will go. The lights continue to flash and I get a trickle that’s all through the shower but obviously not enough for the pump to kick in.