Problems with New Shower Pump

[kevin12345]

Hi,
I had a gravity feed shower that wasn't a very strong flow, I fitted a second hand shower pump that didnt seem to work properly, it started for about 10 seconds then stopped, give it a few minutes turn on the shower mixer again and it would work for another 10 seconds then stop, also I found it had a leak so I decided to buy a new one and fit that.
I have bought a Bristan Varispeed 50. fitted that in place of the old one but I can not get the pump to start up.
It has power going to the pump
HW is taken in from the HW Cylinder via a 15mm Surrey flange on top of the Cylinder.
Cold water is going in directly from the cold water storage tank in the loft.
The HW supply to the pump coming from the Surrey flange is about One meter from the bottom of the cold water storage tank.
The highest point of pipe work to the shower is below the cold water storage tank by about 400mm.
I tried to bleed the New pump like the instructions say, by turning shower mixer on for a minute without power to pump.
Now Pump still does not work and also I have no water at all coming out of my shower hose even without pump working.
I can not see any reason why it wont work. Any ideas???

 

[Fluffster]

Hi Kevin

It sounds like you have an airlock. Ensure all service valves are open and turn on the shower on full cold, then take the head off and suck the water through, this can be done with the pump on. Hopefully this will pull the air lock up and out and get the flow switch activated to start pumping.

If this works try it on the hot then.
Pete
ps you have checked the feed pipes are connected correctly to the pump as the non return valve will stop any water flowing through the unit if the connections are reversed.

 

[Charnwood]

Do you have the instructions?
http://www.bristan.com/WebRoot/BristanNewDB/Shops/Bristan/Products/INSTRUC. PDF-1102802-1-D1-1.PDF

 

[Pumpman6]

Kevin, agree with Fluffer, unless you have the negative head option you need the water to flow under gravity at the outlet to activate the pump.

Air locks, valves closed, pipework routing etc can all make a differeance. If your unable to get the water out of the shower head try at the outlet of pump into bucket. But make sure you have servcie valves to turn off as when they start they do chuck loads of water out.

 

[kevin12345]

Thanks for replys, will have a look tonight.
What would you usually use to try to suck water from the shower head?

 

[Pumpman6]

Aquavac.

 

[kevin12345]

Don't have anything like that I'm afraid

 

[Pumpman6]

Suck on it if your brave.

 

[kevin12345]

Seriously? I think I'll try my dyson, if I'm quick might not get much water on it.

 

[Fluffster]

Just use your mouth Kevin as once you hear the pump kick in just aim it into the bath/shower tray. It is only water, hopefully !

Pete

 

[kevin12345]

Hi,
Just an update, stuck a hoover on the end of the shower hose and it worked the pump kicked in and it all started working OK.
I thought that was job done but I went back to the shower after a few minutes and although I was getting water through the pump did not start up.
I have found that if I lower the shower hose and turn the shower on the Pump starts up OK.
How can I improve on that?
It is a varispeed pump and I only have it set on about a quarter turn, if I turn it up more would it start better with the shower hose in the normal position?
Thanks,
Kevin

 

[Charnwood]

What is the vertical distance from tank to showerhead?
A to B on the diagram?

View media item 62838
You may not have enough head to trigger the flow switch.

 

[Madrab]

Sounds very much like you have a flow issue, not enough head of pressure to give the pump the flow rate the sensor needs to start it - 1.5 ltr a min. As Charwood says, the distance from the top of the shower head to the cold tank is critical for flow rate/head of pressure, for your pump it needs to be a minimum of 230mm/9". Get a measuring jug and turn the water on with the shower head up where it normally would be and fill it with cold for 30 sec, see how much water you get. Times it by 2 and that's your ltrs per min flow rate

Another trick to try, if it is a flow issue but you are getting some water out of the shower head is - turn the pump off and then turn on the shower, then turn the pump back on, does it run then?

If so then then the flow rate is too low for the pump and you will either have to get a negative head pump or re-wire the pump to a DP pull switch in the bathroom and use it that way i.e. turn on the water then pull the switch to fire up the pump each time you want to use the shower.

Rob