shower pump problem?

[ilovebeer]

Looking for some help please plumbers or diy experts.

I have a mixer shower, a normal manual type.

It is pumped. The pump, is just below the shower and next to the hot water tank behind bath. It has flexible braided tubes joining to the mixer, there are 4 of them.

Recently the water has been intermittent from the shower, and not hardly any at all is getting through. It is unbearable almost.

Is the pump faulty and worn out? Are they easy to replace? COuld it be a blockage? I really want to sort this out before the end of next week if possible.


The pump worked fine before the past few months if this is any help and was here when I first moved in over a year ago.

 

[seco services]

is it both hot/cold got flow problems ?
is the pump kicking in when the flow is poor ?
what pump is it ?

 

[ilovebeer]

hi there

yes both are poor and the pump is salamander brand. is this a poor make? is it wear and tear?

the pump does make a noise though so i am thinking there must be power to it. so maybe the motor has failed? i am not sure and if it is the pump failed can i easily put a new one in? i am quite handy with diy, but i need to be sure of the cause first, of course.

thank you for helping seco services.

 

[seco services]

salamander is a very good pump.

if you have isolation valves on the pipe work you can isolate and check the filters in the flexi pipes.
and also run the two pipes into a bucket etc to make sure the pump is pumping.

if the pump has failed they are easy to change.

 

[ilovebeer]

yes i did think or had heard before randomly that they were a good brand, even though i was not 100% sure. And I have seen them for under £100 in screwfix.

i am having a shower in about 2 hours so will do as you suggested before, and if it is faulty then i suppose i will oder a new one. the wiring, i have not looked yet, but i presume is just live neutral and earth from the spur unit inside the airing cupboard.

have just looked and there are no isolation valves to the shower, just 2 red wheel valves to the pipe that leads in to the bottom of the cylinder and another on the pipe that feeds the cold water to our bathroom. will turning these off OK and isolate water both hot and cold to pump?

 

[freeflow]

if the pump makes a noise and doesn't pump the water it maybe just stuck. have a look and see if the motor is rotating.

 

[seco services]

the gate valve on the pipe will isolate the feed to the cylinder so that will stop the hot water exiting the cylinder, just shut the valve and open a hot tap.

the cold should be on its own supply from the loft tank to the pump.

i always use these full bore lever valves.
you can put them in on each flexi pipe makes it easyer next time to service the pump.

 

[ilovebeer]

ok so if the pump is just stuck i may be able to free it? or will it stick again soon?

yes there is a pipe coming down and to the pump from the loft, at a like 45 degrees angle to it, so it must be the cold pipe direct to it.

and the hot pipe to the pump is coming out of the top of the cylinder.

these lever valves, do they accept push fit flexible tubes then, as the pump has push fit flexible tubes to the pipes.

 

[seco services]

you have the pushfit flexi hose then a section of pipe then the compression lever valve.

if the pump frees it may be ok it may seize again but worth a try