hmv4u
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Posts: 145
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Post by hmv4u on Jun 30, 2019 14:43:16 GMT
About 3 years ago I installed a shower with a thermostatic bar from amazon ,only about 60 quid,its fed from a gravity fed pump and since then about once + a year the bar starts to play up,usually it starts with not allowing water through to switch on the pump-I normally rectify this by,er hum, adapting the internal anti-syphon plastic valves after which its usually fine,the next thing is the temperature starts to go a bit dodgy with only a little turn between cold or very hot usually accompanied by stiffness in the temperature knob  so strip down and remove the temperature valve but as we don't suffer from hard water there is little or no scale-this sometimes cures it and sometimes doesn't,have tried dunking in boiling then cold water also soaking in vinegar but usually end up buying another cheapie bar at about £25 quid-I have been through about 4 or 5 and the current one is playing up. Am I missing a trick with these or is it a case of buy cheap buy twice(or 4 times in my case ) and if so what do you recommend ? |
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Post by battle1066 on Jun 30, 2019 18:15:57 GMT
About 3 years ago I installed a shower with a thermostatic bar from amazon ,only about 60 quid,its fed from a gravity fed pump and since then about once + a year the bar starts to play up,usually it starts with not allowing water through to switch on the pump-I normally rectify this by,er hum, adapting the internal anti-syphon plastic valves after which its usually fine,the next thing is the temperature starts to go a bit dodgy with only a little turn between cold or very hot usually accompanied by stiffness in the temperature knob so strip down and remove the temperature valve but as we don't suffer from hard water there is little or no scale-this sometimes cures it and sometimes doesn't,have tried dunking in boiling then cold water also soaking in vinegar but usually end up buying another cheapie bar at about £25 quid-I have been through about 4 or 5 and the current one is playing up. Am I missing a trick with these or is it a case of buy cheap buy twice(or 4 times in my case ) and if so what do you recommend ? For myself I fit Mira but for others I fit what I'm given - why Mira because I replace the cheaper elements more regularly and the Mira ones last around ten years trouble free service. |
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Post by dickpuller on Jun 30, 2019 18:21:59 GMT
Sounds like there’s insufficient flow for the Glow Switch to kick in.
If you drop the shower head lower does the pump start?
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hmv4u
Full Member
Posts: 145
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Post by hmv4u on Jun 30, 2019 19:50:37 GMT
Sounds like there’s insufficient flow for the Glow Switch to kick in. If you drop the shower head lower does the pump start? when they first start to play up (its a twin head shower type-one fixed one flexible)if you drop the flexible one down after a few seconds of dribbling the pump does kick in,I think that lasts so long before it doesn't, which at this point i usually dismantle the bar and remove the plastic valves and it operates as normal until the dreaded temperature problem starts, which leads me on to the second query about shower pumps - these problems may well be linked but not being a plumber I don't know how ? I started with a s/hand salamander ct50 which worked fine but over heated after 5 mins and then stopped,thinking I may be starving it I swapped the 15mm cold feed for a dedicated 22mm from the cold water tank which is in the loft about 8 feet above,the hot is a 22mm from a surrey valve on the hot water cylinder but the ct50 still overheated and I assumed Id been sold a pup,i bought a s/hand RSP salamander which worked fine and was a lot quieter,later due to concerns the pump was failing due to an drop in pressure(which I think was me swapping the flex shower head for one with too big holes in it-don't laugh,well go on then)I begged a s/hand(can you see a theme here ?) stuart turner shower pump off a relative who had swapped to combi, this didn't make a huge difference except in noise its LOUD but as its 2006 its every right to be , at this point I sent off for a low pressure flex shower head from China and what a difference ! anyway the noise is aggravating me and the time may have come for a new one,so any recommendations for that anyone ? |
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Post by battle1066 on Jun 30, 2019 20:17:33 GMT
Sounds like there’s insufficient flow for the Glow Switch to kick in. If you drop the shower head lower does the pump start? when they first start to play up (its a twin head shower type-one fixed one flexible)if you drop the flexible one down after a few seconds of dribbling the pump does kick in,I think that lasts so long before it doesn't, which at this point i usually dismantle the bar and remove the plastic valves and it operates as normal until the dreaded temperature problem starts, which leads me on to the second query about shower pumps - these problems may well be linked but not being a plumber I don't know how ? I started with a s/hand salamander ct50 which worked fine but over heated after 5 mins and then stopped,thinking I may be starving it I swapped the 15mm cold feed for a dedicated 22mm from the cold water tank which is in the loft about 8 feet above,the hot is a 22mm from a surrey valve on the hot water cylinder but the ct50 still overheated and I assumed Id been sold a pup,i bought a s/hand RSP salamander which worked fine and was a lot quieter,later due to concerns the pump was failing due to an drop in pressure(which I think was me swapping the flex shower head for one with too big holes in it-don't laugh,well go on then)I begged a s/hand(can you see a theme here ?) stuart turner shower pump off a relative who had swapped to combi, this didn't make a huge difference except in noise its LOUD but as its 2006 its every right to be , at this point I sent off for a low pressure flex shower head from China and what a difference ! anyway the noise is aggravating me and the time may have come for a new one,so any recommendations for that anyone ? For that type of pump problem (burning out, over heating and not starting) I've fitted somthing similar to this - STUART TURNER MONSOON 3 BAR TWIN NEGATIVE SHOWER PUMP UNIVERSAL 46158 www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SUPERB-STUART-TURNER-MONSOON-3-BAR-TWIN-NEGATIVE-SHOWER-PUMP-UNIVERSAL-46158/223547960590?hash=item340c7f2d0e:g:THwAAOSwHItc~1sNthere expensive regardless of manufacture (when purchased as new item) once you look at negitive one when the gravityhead pressure cause flow issues for correct pump activation response. |
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hmv4u
Full Member
Posts: 145
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Post by hmv4u on Jun 30, 2019 21:23:44 GMT
thanks battle,I appreciate your input-I have heard monsoons are good pumps and I will look at these
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Post by rocketmanbkk on Jul 1, 2019 6:57:08 GMT
About 3 years ago I installed a shower with a thermostatic bar from amazon ,only about 60 quid,its fed from a gravity fed pump and since then about once + a year the bar starts to play up,usually it starts with not allowing water through to switch on the pump-I normally rectify this by,er hum, adapting the internal anti-syphon plastic valves after which its usually fine,the next thing is the temperature starts to go a bit dodgy with only a little turn between cold or very hot usually accompanied by stiffness in the temperature knob so strip down and remove the temperature valve but as we don't suffer from hard water there is little or no scale-this sometimes cures it and sometimes doesn't,have tried dunking in boiling then cold water also soaking in vinegar but usually end up buying another cheapie bar at about £25 quid-I have been through about 4 or 5 and the current one is playing up. Am I missing a trick with these or is it a case of buy cheap buy twice(or 4 times in my case ) and if so what do you recommend ? For myself I fit Mira but for others I fit what I'm given - why Mira because I replace the cheaper elements more regularly and the Mira ones last around ten years trouble free service. Totally agree there Battle, Mira in my house & never missed a beat in 15 years Buy cheap buy twice |
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Post by dickpuller on Jul 2, 2019 6:37:33 GMT
I think you have a ‘head’ & flow problem. You're thinking it’s the Pump or Valve.
Can you post up a wee sketch of sizes & set-up of the pipework etc?
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hmv4u
Full Member
Posts: 145
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Post by hmv4u on Jul 3, 2019 22:56:31 GMT
Attachment Deleted22mm pipe from loft /surry valve via isolater ball valves to 15mm pipe into pump and back out on 15mm to shower bar
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Post by battle1066 on Jul 4, 2019 16:42:59 GMT
22mm pipe from loft /surry valve via isolater ball valves to 15mm pipe into pump and back out on 15mm to shower bar The installation shows areas which could be greatly improved and for very little cost to you. i would start by keeping all pipework at 22mm until You get to the shower mixture valve, remove any deformation of the pump felix's. |
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hmv4u
Full Member
Posts: 145
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Post by hmv4u on Jul 4, 2019 22:17:29 GMT
thank you,will look into changing this at the same time as swapping the pump
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Post by DIYDafty on Jul 4, 2019 22:58:57 GMT
For myself I fit Mira but for others I fit what I'm given - why Mira because I replace the cheaper elements more regularly and the Mira ones last around ten years trouble free service. Totally agree there Battle, Mira in my house & never missed a beat in 15 years Buy cheap buy twice I bought a top end "Mira mode" shower and I'm so glad I chose Mira. Very, very happy with it. Considering how much quality stuff you get in the box, it was very good valve too. A joy to open, install and then use. Only "problem" is that after using soldered 22mm with pretty much no elbows, it absolutely blasts water out! So will probably be asking on here in due course about restrictors etc. Still, a lot easier to restrict flow than to increase it ..... |
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Post by dickpuller on Jul 5, 2019 15:01:23 GMT
Och, all these shower pumps are unreliable, noisy & piss poor pressure. I did this years ago & it works a treat👍👍
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hmv4u
Full Member
Posts: 145
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Post by hmv4u on Jul 6, 2019 17:23:05 GMT
Och, all these shower pumps are unreliable, noisy & piss poor pressure. I did this years ago & it works a treat👍👍 that's a seriously impressive setup ! from the comments it seems to use a 3 way valve to divert the boiler output round 2 heat exchangers taken from out of combi boilers and heat the cold water mains for the shower valve ? can I ask is the top 22mm pipe the return to the boiler ? if so is the shower bar only being supplied with hot water ? |
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Post by dickpuller on Jul 7, 2019 7:54:05 GMT
Och, all these shower pumps are unreliable, noisy & piss poor pressure. I did this years ago & it works a treat👍👍 that's a seriously impressive setup ! from the comments it seems to use a 3 way valve to divert the boiler output round 2 heat exchangers taken from out of combi boilers and heat the cold water mains for the shower valve ? can I ask is the top 22mm pipe the return to the boiler ? if so is the shower bar only being supplied with hot water ? That’s about it matey, one Bar Shower Mixer only. I use it every day & Olive sometimes washes her pussy in it. |
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so strip down and remove the temperature valve but as we don't suffer from hard water there is little or no scale-this sometimes cures it and sometimes doesn't,have tried dunking in boiling then cold water also soaking in vinegar but usually end up buying another cheapie bar at about £25 quid-I have been through about 4 or 5 and the current one is playing up.
