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View the thread, titled "shower problem" which is posted in Showers and Wetrooms Advice on UK Plumbers Forums.

T

T & H Plumbing

I've just fitted this type of shower IMG_20140718_094442.jpg

Before I fit the shower I ripped out the bath and the pressure was fine since I have fitted the shower the customer complained that it was too cold and the pressure was rubbish as when they added more hot water the shower turned into a trickle

Got there and altered the shower so it kick hotter water out but when running the shower the pressure starts fine but then it dies and weirdly the pressure alternates between not good to rubbish flow, the basin taps are fine and the hot tap kicks out a decent pressure

Anyone advise what to do? Fit a pump or am I doing something wrong???
 
It will only work properly if both water feeds are balanced . Like john said if you put cold water main and gravity hot water then the cold will over pressure the hot.... what type of hot water is it ??????? Gravity or pressurised???
 
How high is the tank above the shower head? or was there a shower before hand? How do pipe runs go to shower? Up and over then drop down? To me it sounds like an air lock in the hot or as the others say unbalanced cold pipe.
 
No idea on that one customers just moved in and hadn't used it ;(

My money would be on the fact the old shower never worked properly either and now they are trying their luck.

I know too many people who have been caught out on this, especially on boiler services :-(

i always test everything before I work on it.

Even the people who seem the nicest can be arse bandits :-(
 
Your responsibility to check what you are installing is suitable. Quoting that it was piped that way beforehand wont cut it. Its only a two minute job to check the feed on the cold.

Its experience though. Next time it will be the first thing you check 🙂

Is it going to be easy enough to get a tank fed cold to the mixer?
 
Thinking about it I'm certain its mains cold and gravity hot, what would my options be?

You always need to check before swapping over, which I am sure you will do from now on haha. You either connect a gravity cold to it and get a poor shower probably. Or you need to pump it, don't pump the mains cold. That will still need to be tapped into the tank and run on its own to a shower pump. The hot feed will need a proper surrey or Essex flange from the cylinder as well.
 
You always need to check before swapping over, which I am sure you will do from now on haha. You either connect a gravity cold to it and get a poor shower probably. Or you need to pump it, don't pump the mains cold. That will still need to be tapped into the tank and run on its own to a shower pump. The hot feed will need a proper surrey or Essex flange from the cylinder as well.

Yep, as above. Preference to essex flange IMHO

This will be a bit of a lesson to check the feeds suit the shower you are fitting and check what is currently fitted. This customer might turn into a pain in the arse now. I would break the news to him that it will need to replumbed to gravity with or without a pump. If they dont want to fork out for that then I hope you have the old shower to put back and walk away
 
Your responsibility to check what you are installing is suitable. Quoting that it was piped that way beforehand wont cut it. Its only a two minute job to check the feed on the cold.

Its experience though. Next time it will be the first thing you check 🙂

Is it going to be easy enough to get a tank fed cold to the mixer?

Both pipes are behind tiles I'm afraid
 

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