Triton Tesla thermostatic bar mixer with a pump?

[itaylor]

Hi there

I'm new to this forum (I usually frequent Audi forums usually to my despair) anyway onto my plumbing issues.

We have a gravity fed Triton Tesla thermostatic bar mixer shower fed from a cold tank really high up (very tall old Victorian house) and from a large immersion at about the same level as this shower.

The shower was never powerful enough so we got a 3 bar pump installed. Now the pressure at any hot tap around the house is immense, really powerful BUT the mixer shower whilst improved isn't anywhere as near as powerful as the taps.

When you first open up the mixer it is really powerful for a few seconds (the head visibly moves up) but then settles down to not so powerful. The hotter the setting the more powerful it gets but now the weather's getting warmer it's then too hot despite being more powerful.

So my question is could the mixer (about 3 months old) be at fault some how restricting flow. Many thanks in anticipation

 

[hanns21]

Is it a twin pump? Both hot and cold should be the same. There is filters fited at the connection so quiet possible dirt has blocked a filter.

 

[itaylor]

Many thanks for responding mate. By twin pump do you mean both hot and cold or twin impeller?

Where are the filters located mate?

 

[hanns21]

Hot and cold pumped , shower should be equal pressure. By what your saying is the hot is stonger pressure which it shouldnt. Depends where the poor pressure is. Tho theres filter on the inlet connection on the shower and also the connections on the pump

 

[itaylor]

Good point the hot water supply now has far more pressure than the cold. What problems will this cause with the mixer shower mate?

 

[itaylor]

Our current Triton Tesla thermostatic bar mixer does seem to be constricting the flow a few seconds after turning it on or when say adjusting the temp to a higher setting, proper power shower for a few seconds then settles back to not so powerful.

Having done a bit of research it looks like replacing the mixer bar with a manual mixer like the external mount Mira Gem 88 (it has the same pipe centres) might solve the problem. Is this correct folks or am I barking up the wrong tree

 

[hanns21]

The hot and cold need to be pumped are both gravity. You cant have hot pumped and cold gravity. Why the plumber didnt tell you i dont know. Your shower is regulating the temperture so wil restrict the hot so it can mix with cold so if it not equal it wont work proper. I wouldnt be surprise if your shower starts passing and you get hot water at your cold taps. Changing to a manual shower wont help either. As its going to do the same thing as the hot and cold wont mix properly.

 

[stardanny]

Is all the hot taps and shower hot side pumped?

A photo of the pump would be great.

Shower hot and cold must be equal pressure otherwise, it will not work 100%.

What is the cylinder temperature set at?

Daniel.

 

[itaylor]

Untitled

• itaylor
• 19 Apr 2014
• 1

Many thanks both. I've never uploaded a photo on this forum but here goes. Does anything stand out as being wrong with this instal?

 

[stardanny]

Photo is perfect.

Look ok for all hot taps but bad for shower if the cold is fed from cold water tank.

You have problem with hot water because too much hot water pressure is pushing cold water back so if there is no cold water, it stop thermostatic spindle opening up more hot water flow. Lack of cold water pressure will also affect hot water flow on a thermostatic valve.

Best to remove the pump and reconnect back hot feed to taps and fit twin pump to hot and cold only for shower and gravity for all rest of taps.

Daniel.

 

[itaylor]

Photo is perfect.

Look ok for all hot taps but bad for shower if the cold is fed from cold water tank.

You have problem with hot water because too much hot water pressure is pushing cold water back so if there is no cold water, it stop thermostatic spindle opening up more hot water flow. Lack of cold water pressure will also affect hot water flow on a thermostatic valve.

Best to remove the pump and reconnect back hot feed to taps and fit twin pump to hot and cold only for shower and gravity for all rest of taps.

Daniel.

Bloody hell Daniel that's amazing how you can tell that from the photo. In very basic terms (I am no plumber as you can tell) can you explain what is wrong with this instal mate so I can relay to the fella who fitted the pump. Will I (or the plumber) need to buy an alternative pump or can we do as you suggest with the existing one.

The cold is fed from a cold water tank BTW but it gets even more complex in that we have a Rayburn that can also supply hot water to the immersion

Out of interest wouldn't a manual mixer overcome this, my understanding (probably wrong) is that a manual mixer is just like a conventional mixer tap ie no thermostatic valve.... I think now, even from my limited understanding, that even if it did, it would be a sticky plaster addressing the symptom but not the cause

 

[ALCPlumbing]

It looks like a single pump which means that only the hot is being pumped and the cold will be off the tank. Unequal pressures at the shower aren't ideal.
Why didn't they just install pump for the shower on its own. You could be a twin pump in and increase pressure on all your tank fed outlets but this means your pump will run if toilet is used in the night.
I've always found it's better to just pump the shower.

 

[itaylor]

It looks like a single pump which means that only the hot is being pumped and the cold will be off the tank. Unequal pressures at the shower aren't ideal.
Why didn't they just install pump for the shower on its own. You could be a twin pump in and increase pressure on all your tank fed outlets but this means your pump will run if toilet is used in the night.
I've always found it's better to just pump the shower.

Many thanks for the advice. So if I get them back to get it to just pump the shower should they still get it to just pump the hot supply (to the shower) and if so wouldn't it still be unequal and we'd still have the same problem?

 

[stardanny]

Many thanks for the advice. So if I get them back to get it to just pump the shower should they still get it to just pump the hot supply (to the shower) and if so wouldn't it still be unequal and we'd still have the same problem?

Yes, same problem.

Need to pump both hot and cold to shower at the same time to get equal pressure. Get rid of single pump and get a twin pump and run new cold feed from tank to pump and out to shower. Hot feed from side of surrey flange to pump and out to shower..

Manual shower mixer can be use but it will be difficult to control temperature.

Daniel.

 

[itaylor]

This may sound a daft question but why do single pumps even exist if both hot and cold need to be pumped.

I understand that with manual mixers the temp is more difficult to control but if it did solve the problem it would be cheaper than buying a new pump.

Please excuse my ignorance regarding plumbing