Shower pressure query

[scottpetrie]

Hi
My gravity fed shower has really low pressure. Ive checked the piping and the hot supply is fed from the vent pipe off the boiler. The pipe is teed out the top of boiler,
It goes down the way to other outlets, and up the way is the vent line which hangs above cold tank in loft. The hot pipe going into the shower is teed off the vent line, in the loft just before it hangs in tank. Is this whats causing the extremely low pressure? Is there anywhere else I could tee off? Maybe the vent line is actually the lowest pressure? Coming out of the tank it just looks like a tee piece, not a flange. Would that make a difference? Im trying to think of all options before fitting a pump.

 

[denso13]

Is this whats causing the extremely low pressure?

How high is the bottom of the storage cistern in the loft above the shower outlet? That is what determines the shower pressure.

 

[terryplumb]

Fitting a pump is really the only way to increase the pressure to your gravity fed shower.

 

[scottpetrie]

How high is the bottom of the storage cistern in the loft above the shower outlet? That is what determines the shower pressure.

Theres probably between 1-1.5 metres

 

[denso13]

Theres probably between 1-1.5 metres

Not enough for a decent shower, a pump would be the answer.

 

[scottpetrie]

Yeh Im in a bungalow so no way around it I dont think

 

[scottpetrie]

So, when fitting a pump, I need a dedicated hot supply coming off the tank. Where can I get that if the pipe coming out the top of tank tees off down the way to other outlets, & up the way to the vent? Surely if I used that it would turn the pump on any time I used a tap?

 

[denso13]

It is usual to fit a Surrey or Essex flange to the hot water cylinder.

 

[scottpetrie]

So if I fit a flange on top of tank, then tee off to outlets, & also shower pump, would this not make pump come on if I switch on a hot tap?

 

[denso13]

The pump serves the shower only and will switch on when the shower is used (flow detected). The supply to the taps isn't connected to the pump.

 

[scottpetrie]

here is my current setup. Was like it when I moved into the house, all Ive done is replace bathroom

 

[fixitflav]

Theres probably between 1-1.5 metres

I have a gravity shower, and there's not much over 1m from shower head to top water level in the CWST. It's not a blistering shower, but perfectly adequate, better than most instantaneous electric ones, even in summer.
Have you cleaned the rose recently? You could try drilling the holes out a bit bigger. Or change to one with a better flow/head ratio.

 

[scottpetrie]

How is yours plumbed in? Yeh its nothing to do with the shower head as even if I take the hose off and turn it on, it just trickles out of the shower. Would removing the sieve filters on the water inlets on the bar make a difference?

 

[oldbutnotdead]

What's the hot water flow like from the bath hot tap? Any discernable difference in shower flow/pressure when you hold the shower head at the bottom of the bath? Is the flexible hose kinked or stretched?

 

[scottpetrie]

Hot water at bath taps is fine but that comes from a different pipe routing. Yeh if I hold shower head at bottom of bath compared to holding it up in the air its worse but not much. Its just terrible in general. Maybe to do with the fact the hot water has to climb up from the cylinder to the loft before coming down again? And the fact its teed off vent line?