Shower Pumps

Stuart Turner Shower Pumps

Grundfos Watermill Shower Pumps

Surrey Flange

Shower pump selection guide

With the increasing demand for high performance showers, shower pumps are rapidly becoming the norm in the UK rather than the exception. Where a gravity fed hot water system is installed in the home, the installation of a shower pump can make a dramatic difference to the performance of the shower.

Gravity systems & water storage

Gravity systems & water storage
When selecting a mixer shower for use on a gravity system, the most important thing to consider is the flow rate that is achievable from the shower rose. Unless you have water pressure of at least 0.5 bar, which is equivalent to a gap of five meters between the bottom of the cold water storage tank (2) and the shower rose (4) you will need to select a 'Low Pressure' shower valve, capable of supplying a satisfactory shower at water pressures as low as 0.1 bar, (which is approximately one meter difference).

You will be able to get a rough idea simply by observing the flow rate of water that you receive from the bath taps. Remember that you will be mixing hot and cold water but if it appears slow then the chances are that the showers performance will be disappointing.

Pump

The solution is to fit a shower pump that pushes the water to your shower mixer thus creating an invigorating powerful showering experience. If you opt for the pumped solution you must ensure that you have plenty of hot water storage capacity, for pumped showers can deliver anything between 11 - 25 Litres of blended water per minute, and this will drain the average sized cylinder very quickly.

You will have an idea of the amount of hot water that you have available by looking at the physical size of your cylinder and monitoring your everyday usage. For example the depth of hot water that you are able to achieve when running a bath before the hot water runs out. If you do not have large volumes of stored water you will need to upgrade your storage capacity.

There are two types of shower pump.
The first is a single impeller pump, with one driving blade which pumps the water, as it is mixed, to the shower head. This means of course it must go between the mixer valve and the head.

The second is a twin impeller pump. This is connected to both the hot and cold water before they reach the mixer valve and can be sited, ideally, in the airing cupboard. Most pump manufacturers will specify that the pump must be within 4 metres of the hot water cylinder and at least 30mm below the cold tank. Pumps, as with power showers, must have a dedicated water supply that serves no other outlets.

They must also be connected to the hot supply with an anti aeration flange such as an Essex, Warix or a Surrey flange.

An electrical connection is needed and should be taken from a switched, fused spur on a ring main outside the bathroom. It will be rated at 5 amps.