Problem with unsuitable pipe sizes and unequal water pressures for a shower.

[sidewinder1]

Hi Guys,

i am looking for some advice,i have a customer who has recently removed his basement bathroom and wants a shower fitted.'Nice job i hear you cry'! The problem is, there is only a 15mm hot water service (tank fed) and a 15mm cold main. The hot water cylinder is two floors up, so its a case of using whats to hand. The cylinder is a 48"x 20" indirect with 28mm down service and 28mm hot service, so there is plenty of hot water. I was going to use a 'Trevi Boost' but having spoken to the techno's, at Ideal Standard they say the shower wont work on a 15mm hot water service,it must be 22mm. Apart from the obvious electric shower (which the customer doesn't want). Any ideas guys? answers on a post card to........

 

[PlumbBobBob]

trace the 15mm back to where it comes off the 28 or 22 and increase it. or think about fitting a shower booster pump, click on the link in the sponsor panel on the left.

 

[Killy Bing]

Pressure reducer on the incoming and an Unvented

or run new pipes!!!

 

[sidewinder1]

Thanks Guys, i realise the option of tracing the pipework back and pressurizing the system is a not an option. I just thought someone might have come across something similar to the 'AquaDart'

 

[josh]

What about using a pressure equaliser to balance the cold main the same as the hot, you know you'v got fair head of water the CWSC being nice and high.

 

[Killy Bing]

What about using a pressure equaliser to balance the cold main the same as the hot, you know you'v got fair head of water the CWSC being nice and high.

It is an option, but they tend to need mainanance a fair bit.

they don't seem to fair too well with mains on oneside and gravity on the other.

 

[josh]

ah right i didn't know that, i have never actually fitted one as never needed to.
what maintenance do they need?

 

[Killy Bing]

Non returns fail, they can "chatter" after a few years.

My trainer made a royal cock up over one too.

cold water storage was overflowing, the other tank was well above it.
so of course split coil.
no valves on the tanks so mains off for the job.
replace the cylinder for it to continue happening.

the valve had a hole in it.

customer was pleased having a new cylinder for the price of a faulty pressure equaliser.

 

[josh]

Made his money on that job then!
Have fitted a lot of TMV's now and a bloke i work with now and again said you'l have no end of trouble with check valves going on them but so far after 3 years of fitting a lot of them have yet to go back to one.

 

[albatross]

Fit pressure reducing valve on cold mains to give an easy life to the equaliser you fit, then fit a different shower. Many showers are fine on 15mm.