Salamander Shower pump not working.

[conny]

We have exchanged a Salamander shower pump, like for like, and after fitting it will not work.
We have the hot & cold incoming supplies correctly fitted at each end of the pump and have allowed water to flow through each end to remove any air in the system up to that point. However, when we connect the outgoing side pipework and wait for a short while for the water to work its way round to the mixer valve the pump refuses to start.
The cold in feed comes from the loft, (22mm), and is about 6'-8' above the pump. From the hot cylinder the hot pipe, (22mm), comes out the top and is T'eed into a vertical pipe, (22mm), the top half of which appears to be the vent pipe. Below this Tee joint is a Tee joint for the pump connection, (15mm), and the lower section of the vertical pipe goes down under the floorboards alongside the cold supply. The supply pipes to the shower mixer go up into the loft, across for about 10' turn at right angles and run a further 5' before dropping down into a void where the mixer valve is. There is no access to this valve as the shower backs onto a separate bathroom and both walls are fully tiled. The pump is sited on the floor of the airing cupboard next to the hot cylinder.

Has anyone got any suggestions as to why it won't work? (Yes, we do plug it in and supply and fuse have been checked a number of times).

 

[footprints]

Check for air lock in the loft where the pipes rise up and drop down you might find the installer has fitted a means of venting the elbows.

If not you can try removing the shower head and lowering the hose as much as possible.

 

[conny]

Thanks for the quick reply footprints.
Will check for the air releases but the shower head is one of those that stick out the wall and terminate into a square plate, meaning it can't be lowered.
Will get back to you later but welcome anymore suggestions.

 

[conny]

Sorted. With the help of a retired boiler/heating engineer we got it working.

After making sure we had water flowing through both sides of the pump with no aeration we by-passed the pressure switches by connecting the incoming live feed direct to the winding lead and the pump kicked in to action. This had the effect of driving the water through and expelling the trapped air in the pipework. Shower is now fully functional.