Shower fed from a Surrey Flange, anti-gravity loop?

[samparker]

Hi

I am to fit a new shower in my bathroom, and am using the original cold feed from the tank (dedicated to the old shower) which is in 15mm copper pipe.

Is it possible for me to install a surrey flange in the top of the hot water cylinder, running the dedicated hot feed to the shower, also in 15mm copper pipe? Or does it have to be in 22mm for a surrey flange? I have never fitted a flange before but know of them and that they screw into the top of the Hot water cylinder in place of the vent pipe connection, with 2 outlets instead of the 1. Is PTFE tape around the threads also a good idea or any other jointing compound instead?

I have been searching the site and net and read about an anti-gravity loop.... is this necessary for me, I do not have a shower pump though? What exactly is this loop for, would it make my shower any better if installed? I am guessing it is just a loop of pipe with a few elbows that goes down to floor level and back up again to maybe remove air?

Any help or advice is much appreciated and i'd respect anyone's opinions..

 

[samparker]

anyone? ...

also are check valves usually built in to showers? or will i need to buy one and fit it in the pipeline?

 

[Richard C]

I am to fit a new shower in my bathroom, and am using the original cold feed from the tank (dedicated to the old shower) which is in 15mm copper pipe.

15mm gravity fed shower systems are not much use unless you have a decent head of water & you have to be careful which shower you buy as many modern fittings will not work well (if at all) on low pressure. If the distance between the shower head & the cold water tank outlet is anything less than around 1 metre it will struggle & if you had a thermostatic control unit in mind, forget it.

Is it possible for me to install a surrey flange in the top of the hot water cylinder, running the dedicated hot feed to the shower, also in 15mm copper pipe? Or does it have to be in 22mm for a surrey flange?

Yes but why do you want to do it that way. A Surry flange is normally used on a pumped system so the pump supply is not aerated; pumps don’t like air! You could just tee into the hot water outlet from the cylinder. The flange is a 22mm fitting, all you need to do is fit a 22-15mm reducer down the line if you want 15mm.

I have never fitted a flange before but know of them and that they screw into the top of the Hot water cylinder in place of the vent pipe connection, with 2 outlets instead of the 1. Is PTFE tape around the threads also a good idea or any other jointing compound instead?

Use a good few turns of PTFE + something like Boss white jointing compound.

I have been searching the site and net and read about an anti-gravity loop.... is this necessary for me, I do not have a shower pump though? What exactly is this loop for, would it make my shower any better if installed? I am guessing it is just a loop of pipe with a few elbows that goes down to floor level and back up again to maybe remove air?

The purpose of an anti gravity loop is to stop convection currents pulling hot water out of the tank, if you have a pumped system & the pump is fitted above the hot water outlet from the cylinder, this can cause little air bubbles to escape (air always rises) & accumulate causing an air lock; again, not good for the pump. If you don’t have a pumped system you don’t need to remove the air & you don’t need an anti gravity loop, it will not make your shower work any better.