shower pump problem

[mutley racers]

I fitted a pump a couple of months ago and have just been contacted by the client saying 1run 1st thing in the morning when he turns the shower on he has to wait for the water to flow from the head. But any other time of day it is fine. Now it is installed as the 1st draw off on both the hot and cold distribution pipes which the manual says is fine to do. And when ever you turn the hot and cold on on the bath it works fine. So no air lock. Any ideas of what to look for when I go. Cheers guys

 

[Stanios]

Is it connected to a flange on the cylinder side? Might be some air building up overnight at the top of the cylinder

 

[mutley racers]

 

[oz-plumber]

It may be a faulty / sticking pressure switch on the pump.

Depending on the tapware on the shower and bath, the bath may let more water through the tap than the shower tap - causing switch to activate.

 

[mutley racers]

It may be a faulty / sticking pressure switch on the pump.

Depending on the tapware on the shower and bath, the bath may let more water through the tap than the shower tap - causing switch to activate.

Thanks for your reply. The bath is not actually connected to the pump. I was just saying the pipe work down to the pump is not air locked as it comes off the normal hot distribution pipe

 

[oz-plumber]

The pump will have some sort of activation switching mechanism.
Have a look at that and see if it is not activating - due to whatever reason.
Some of those activation mechanisms are fairly ordinary - and if it is an intermittent problem, that's what I would be looking at.

 

[Stanios]

Also if pump is dragging air in it will cycle itself on and off. You want dedicated feed for the pump from cylinder and tank ideally.

 

[mutley racers]

Also if pump is dragging air in it will cycle itself on and off. You want dedicated feed for the pump from cylinder and tank ideally.

Yes dedicated feed is ideal but thought as MI's said this is ok I thought I would give it a shot

 

[oz-plumber]

Is the pump installed below the HW cylinder?

Is there a chance that the pump is losing its prime?

 

[mutley racers]

Is the pump installed below the HW cylinder?

Is there a chance that the pump is losing its prime?

It's installed so the base of the cylinder

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Have you got 600mm min from top of shower head to bottom of CWSC? If it's less with age it might effect the flow switch and make it less sensitive.

 

[mutley racers]

Have you got 600mm min from top of shower head to bottom of CWSC? If it's less with age it might effect the flow switch and make it less sensitive.

I have indeed got 600 mm from base of cwsc to the shower head. Going there this morning so shall see What's the matter

 

[mutley racers]

Also if pump is dragging air in it will cycle itself on and off. You want dedicated feed for the pump from cylinder and tank ideally.

it will cycle on and off if it's air will it? No mention of that. Just it takes ages to kick in 1st use in the morning.

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

Is it a dodgy shower head? Is it dripping all night and empting it self or something?

 

[mutley racers]

So went there, turned pump off and made sure water flowed freely from shower head. It did. So tried it just on the cold which was fine. Then on the hot, it just kept flowing sporadically. Fast slow fast slow. Checked filters on shower bar all clear. Turned pump on and it ran fine. Put it on cold it was good, put it on hot it flowed but whiny. Check filters on the inlet to pump and on the hot side there was a big chunk of cylinder insulation.

So, as it was an intermittent fault what was happening was, the guy like luke warm showers and so the shower wold be left in this setting and start, but the women like hot showers, and so when she left it in this setting it wouldn't.

Mystery solved.

Thanks for the advice guys