Shower drain pump needed in 3rd floor flat?

[Summer Breeze Block]

I've just bought a 25-year-old 3rd floor flat. Bathroom originally had a bath, now has electric shower with very low and very shallow shower tray. There is a shower drain pump taking up space in bedroom wardrobe next door and some other related device attached to side of vanity unit in bathroom.

Do I really need a shower drain pump on the 3rd floor? If it ever stopped working I'd have no shower. Previous owner left message saying bathroom will flood if shower used when pump switch in wardrobe is turned off. Bathroom cushion floor or floor tiles are missing so pretty clear floor has flooded.

 

[trojanhawrs]

Well you obviously need one with the current pipework. If the bathroom is on the opposite side of the house from the stack for instance, it'd be difficult/impossible to get the required fall without either building the floor up or entering your neighbours property.

 

[Summer Breeze Block]

It's a 5-storey block of flats. Do very low shower trays need drain pumps? My sisters have upstairs showers and none of them has a drain pump.

 

[Madrab]

Chances are the bathroom has a concrete floor, so there would have been no option to put a low level tray in with a suitable waste pipe - hence the gulper (whale?) pump.

Solution usually would be to raise the shower and run the waste normally with a suitable fall.