Shower help please

[Steve H]

Hi, its not been a good start to the year for me so far and I now seem to be having trouble with the showers in the house and before I call out a plumber I would appreciate any advice etc.
I have 2 showers and they are both fed from a pump in the airing cupboard. The pump has 4 copper pipes going to it (hot water in and out for each shower I presume)

Up until a few days ago all was fine but now, even if I trun the shower control to max the water is not very hot at all (the water is still piping hot from the taps on the sinks)

I assume that I may have problems with the pump itself, it is still making a noise and pumping through the water but it seems to be "cooling down" the water as it passes through. I am not experienced with the way these things work but I assume, unlike an elecrtic shower, that all the pump does is pump the already hot water at a greater pressure.

Any avice/help would be appreciated
Steve

[gtr-gaz]

Steve H said:

Hi, its not been a good start to the year for me so far and I now seem to be having trouble with the showers in the house and before I call out a plumber I would appreciate any advice etc.
I have 2 showers and they are both fed from a pump in the airing cupboard. The pump has 4 copper pipes going to it (hot water in and out for each shower I presume)
Steve

Sounds like you have the same set up as me.
The four connections you have on the pump will be hot and cold in, hot and cold out. Perhaps the hot supply to the pump is being restricted in some way?

If the pump has been installed correctly you will have a dedicated supply directly from the cold feed tank and the hot water cylinder.

[Steve H]

gtr-gaz said:

Steve H said:

Hi, its not been a good start to the year for me so far and I now seem to be having trouble with the showers in the house and before I call out a plumber I would appreciate any advice etc.
I have 2 showers and they are both fed from a pump in the airing cupboard. The pump has 4 copper pipes going to it (hot water in and out for each shower I presume)
Steve

Sounds like you have the same set up as me.
The four connections you have on the pump will be hot and cold in, hot and cold out. Perhaps the hot supply to the pump is being restricted in some way?

If the pump has been installed correctly you will have a dedicated supply directly from the cold feed tank and the hot water cylinder.

Thanks for the reply, The pump was working correctly up until a couple of days ago, I am at a loss to work out where a blockage/restriction could be as it is the hot thats low and therefore the cylinder is sealed?
Steve

[gtr-gaz]

It will be a twin impeller pump. The one pumping the hot must be knackered then?

[blindswelledrat]

I have a similar problem at home although mine has been much more gradual but exaggerated with the cold weather.

Is the hot water definitely the same temperature straight from the tap?
Its not always easy to tell- but mine is slightly cooler (I know this from running the kids bath and the amounts of hot and cold I have to put in).
THis happened to a colleague of mine and after changing a whole boiler under advice it turned out to be a problem with the shower unit itself. Something (maybe limescale?) had interfered with the unit, which resulted in the whole hot water system being contaminated with cold water-hence the hot water going through the shower was now cooler then being mixed with cold-stopped being hot.
Not sure if I have explained that very well but I shall be trying it at the weekend.

[Steve H]

gtr-gaz said:

It will be a twin impeller pump. The one pumping the hot must be knackered then?

Does this mean a new pump?

[garycat]

Does the hot water feed come from the top of your water tank via surrey flange? If not it may be sucking air in which will restrict the amount of hot water

http://www.grundfos.com/web/homeukwgb.nsf/Webopsla...

[Ferg]

Steve H said:

gtr-gaz said:

It will be a twin impeller pump. The one pumping the hot must be knackered then?

Does this mean a new pump?

Depends. Some makes are better than others for spare prices and availability.

[Ferg]

Are both showers the same??
It sounds like the thermostatic cartridge is sticking, to be honest, but then only one shower would do it.

[Wings]

Ferg said:

Are both showers the same??
It sounds like the thermostatic cartridge is sticking, to be honest, but then only one shower would do it.

That was my thoughts also, since I had to replace one only last week for a Deva shower.

[blindswelledrat]

Ferg said:

Are both showers the same??
It sounds like the thermostatic cartridge is sticking, to be honest, but then only one shower would do it.

Where is one of those?
How do you get to it?

[Ferg]

blindswelledrat said:

Ferg said:

Are both showers the same??
It sounds like the thermostatic cartridge is sticking, to be honest, but then only one shower would do it.

Where is one of those?
How do you get to it?

What sort of shower do you have, Tom?

[MKnight702]

I have exactly the same problem with my shower pump, (Triton 550i). The pump is a twin impellor unit and one side (the hot) seems to have packed up. When the pump is on and a shower is run you only seem to get cold water, when the pump is switched off and a shower is run it works as well as it ever did (light drizzle). I have phoned the Triton helpline but they weren't able to suggest anything other than swap the connections to see if it was one impellor, but seeing as you can't buy a new impellor but just the housing I guess a new pump is called for.

[blindswelledrat]

Ferg said:

blindswelledrat said:

Ferg said:

Are both showers the same??
It sounds like the thermostatic cartridge is sticking, to be honest, but then only one shower would do it.

Where is one of those?
How do you get to it?

What sort of shower do you have, Tom?

Sorry I dont have the faintst idea.
It only has one tap that you turn further to make it warmer. Twin pump for it in the loft.
Is that enoguht information?

[Ferg]

Well you need to get the 'innards' out, so to speak and without knowing what make it is I'll struggle to tell you how! Isolate the water supplies and take it careful...
Once you get it out you'll see which bit is supposed to move to shut the hot down. A good descale in vinegar or similar and grease with silicon grease.

[blindswelledrat]

Ferg said:

Well you need to get the 'innards' out, so to speak and without knowing what make it is I'll struggle to tell you how! Isolate the water supplies and take it careful...
Once you get it out you'll see which bit is supposed to move to shut the hot down. A good descale in vinegar or similar and grease with silicon grease.

Nice one, cheers. Ill let you knwo how I get on.

[manty]

Could be pump cavitation. try turning the cylinder stat down and see if it improves

[manty]

Could be pump cavitation. try turning the cylinder stat down and see if it improves

[manty]

Could be pump cavitation. try turning the cylinder stat down and see if it improves