Pumps & Power Showers

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giraffeonastick

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Back for another question. I've had a Salamander CT90 Bathroom Universal pump added into my airing cupboard as part of a main bathroom refit (pressure in the house on my gravity fed conventional heating system was woeful). The pump tees straight off of the hot water outlet from my cylinder and serves the whole house.

Two questions:
1) I have a power shower in my ensuite. Am I going to damage the pump or the power shower by running the power shower now that the pump is in situ? I thought (probably incorrectly) that if you had a pump on the system, you shouldn't have a power shower; or am I confusing that with a combi boiler?

2) This pump is noisy! I was assured (and the Salamander website says too) that it was minimal noise. However with it where it is, I can't run hot water downstairs whilst my child is asleep; it'll waken her. Is there a way of creating a noise insulated box that I can put around the pump?

Thanks in advance
 
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I wouldn't install a system where I'd be feeding a pumped shower from a supply that is already an 'on demand' pumped supply. Who knows over time how the impellers and seals may behave and given you're using the pump as a whole house pump, which it isn't really designed for, then not sure how the warranty would go.

The hot and cold for the power shower should have it's own gravity fed supply, individually tapped from the hot and cold supplies. That pump can be cold mains fed but cistern fed would be better IMO.

They're the newer Salamander pumps and should be pretty quiet, location can make a difference ( cupboard space resonating, sitting on a hollow floor, etc) and if it has been installed correctly.
 
Thanks Rob. You're down the road from me (I'm in East Ren), do you fancy helping me out by putting right the wrongs?!!

I said from the start that I wanted the pump to feed only the hot feed to the bath taps and the shower. I was told repeatedly that it wouldn't matter if the pump fed the hot water in the house. I'm not stupid, I argued the toss but was assured it would be OK. I know I've been duped, I don't want the guy back in my property any more so I'll get someone in to fix it and learn a lesson to stick to my guns in future.

I'm going to look at mounting the pump on rubber bushes until I can get it moved to reduce the noise. It's on a fairly hollow shelf in the airing cupboard at the moment.

The power shower was in situ before the pump was installed. It's on its own hot and cold feed, although I'm not sure if it's cistern or mains fed, I'd guess mains.
 
Don't get me wrong, the pump is continuous rating, so no real issue with it feeding the whole house, it should cope with it, it just isn't designed for that job if it ever came to a warranty issue/question, if you see what I mean.
That being said, I would always recommend a brass impeller and housing for a whole house pump, a bit more pricey but longer term much more reliable, like the ST Monsoon or CT Force.

Is the power shower working ok being fed by a pumped hot and cold supply? As mentioned, I wouldn't be using a pump to supply water to a shower that has it's own pump, don't see the point for starters. Has it altered the shower's behaviour at all?
 
This is where I have the ability to get ranty. I suggested, as part of my wish list, that I wanted an ST Monsoon - i did my homework. Oh no no no, the fitter recommended this one and that was it. The power shower seems OK working as it is, - but I only tested it for a few minutes this afternoon after the pump had been installed. It's fed from this pumped hot and a mains cold. I was more concerned about damaging the pump, and now I'm concerned about the warranty if it's not used as intended.

Is it worth getting the pump moved to just feed the bath taps and shower in the bathroom (I should clarify: the bathroom shower is a gravity fed one. The power shower is in an ensuite at the other side of the house)
 
PM'd ...

Kinda surprised then that you didn't insist, if that's what you wanted?

It is easier just to tap the pump into the whole house than arranging separate feeds, install a flange, find and isolate the bathroom circuit and feed that alone from the rest of the house. Is this a single or twin pump btw?
Would your new pump be ok, probably, could it cause problems with your power shower later on, that's more the unknown.
 
I tried, I insisted, but this guy knew best, apparently.

I believe it's a single. It was chosen over my choice of ST because it can do negative head, which apparently - despite discussions and measuring, we did need after all.

As long as I have one working shower I'm not overly concerned at the moment, just as long as I don't knacker the pump!
 
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