MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
any plumbing engineers out there that can advise me?
I have a bar mixer shower fed from a twin impella pump and get crap flow from it.
it was installed by previous owners and it's never been great, but flow rate got stupidly low about 2 months ago, and after checking the pump was ok and the hot/cold feed was good I put it down to a failing wax mixer cartridge so bought a new cartridge (old one was plastic, the new one is brass). it now takes ages to get upto flow (a couple of minutes) - and I'm guessing that's just the quality of the cartridge?
but the real issue is why can't I get a good flow rate?
the cold water header tank sits about 1mtr above the hot water tank. the hot water tank sits on the floor, with the pump sitting next to it on the floor. the mixer unit sits about 1mtr above the pump/floor.
any suggestions?
Are you in a hard water area? I am and power showers last about two years.
nope, soft(ish) water - i.e. from the peaks.
ideas anyone? (pretty please)
Have you checked if there are any flow restricters fitted on the valve?
How's the hot feed to the pump taken from the hot draw off?
first check for filters, or flow restrictors on all the connections. Often they are installed on the inlet pipes to the shower, possibly to the pump as well.
Also check the elbow off the top of the cylinder for scale build up, although unlikely if you have soft water, although I have found them blocked with debris from the cold water storage cistern. Particular favourite if you have a plastic tank is swarf from people cutting the holes, even had the disc that is left from a hole saw work its way into a cylinder.
Disconnect the outlets from the pump and discharge into a suitable bucket to check the pump is working.
cheers chaps - will have a wet playtime tonight and investigate further.
getting wet is an occupational hazard!
On a similar note, though the output was good, so I put it down to the 'hose'. The lining of the old one had become twisted inside.