Surrey flange ??

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Hope maybe i can find some help with this, I am not a plumber but a construction manager trying to help a plumber determine a possible solution.

A hot water cylinder that is gravity fed by cold water from a medium sized tank in the loft above, about 3/4 of the way up the tank is a 1 inch connection from the tank that feeds approx 5 small washhandbasins in the floor below.

at the top of the tank is a 1 inch pipe that free vents back to the filler tank in the loft, out of the side of the connection at the top of the tank is a 15mm side branch that feeds a mixer shower in the floor below.

we have introduced a shower on the same floor as the cylinder and the shower head is approx 500mm in height above the tank, so we have introduced a pump, the plumber as T ed of the 15mm pipework that feeds the shower on the lower floor, the pump sits on the floor besides the cylinder, the place that it as been Ted is approx 300mm above top of pump.

When turning the shower on it pumps for a few squirts then stops (Problem)..we researched and found that a surrey or S flange may be the answer to this problem, we are about to undertake this but it looks like a surrey flange as already been fitted ( the connector at top of cylinder says surrey flange on it)

Assuming this is legible and can be understood by my description, as anyone any ideas as to what can be done to be able to resolve this.

Just for the record, we have thought that possibly if we T into the 1 inch connection that feeds the washandbasins and this goes to shower via pump, could this be a solution ??

Many thanks for any comments or asssisstance.

Regards
Russell
 
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Consider an electric shower.
The cylinder and CWSC wil not be able to keep up with the volume of water demanded if both showers were used at the same time.
Each shower should have it's own feed Independant to any other outlets so they are not influenced by any other outlet being used.
 
Connect the shower to the Essex flange 3/4 way up in 22mm and the basins to the top where they should be.

Gravity connections should be a minimum of 22mm close to source as possible.
 
Yup, what armo says, shower pumps require a dedicated feed and the cylinder unless large would struggle to keep up with demand of 2 showers at the same time. It does sound like the cylinder has been connected slightly strangely though.
Usually the primary outlet from the top of the cylinder would have a T on it and the vent would travel up to the CWSC and the feed to hot outlets would travel down. The side outlet would either be a secondary feed which was part of the cylinder design or an Essex Flange. This or the surrey would be the ideal for a pump feed as it minimises air being drawn into the pump.
Is the downstairs shower a gravity fed mixer and is it thermostatic or manual?
Are the inlets into the pump 15mm or 22mm?
 
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Thanks all
Probably need to post a picture of the set-up

The shower on the floor below is gravity fed
The shower (new shower introduced) on the same floor as cylinder is pump fed.

Armo...The shower used is designed specifically for nursing homes and reccomended by the CQC, electric showers are usually avoided in care home situations.

will get picture up ASAP.

Thanks
Russell
 
Xr4x4 has given you the answer to this.

You would ideally have at least a 50 gallon cwsc feeding the hot cylinder.
 
Recommended min for 2 bathrooms would be an 80 gal CWSC and 28mm feed to the hot water cylinder to ensure adequate hot and cold water reserves for 2 showers, running at the same time of course if they're in the shower for a reasonable time. A fast recovery hot water cylinder would also be advised.
Adding to that, if it's a nursing home then thermo mixing valves would be advised to ensure hot water at the outlet cannot exceed 43 degrees, this is now mandatory and specified in the HS for residential care regulations.
 
All comes down to usage I suppose and the size of the current hot water cylinder, given that the OP has mentioned that it is a nursing home and how frequently the showers and 5 washhand basins may be used and to ensure that hot water is always available due to recovery times.
 

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