Installing a Power Shower

[Mark69]

Ok everyone, i hope that you can help me out here (please)

Missus has ben pestering me for a new shower installing for some time now (a couple of months). Im fairly handy at DIY and work in the construction industry so not a complete noob but do not know it all by a long shot.

We currently have a set of taps on the bath with a flexi hose coming off the bath tap set to a shower head. The pressure is poor, very poor.

The system, i believe, is gravity fed with a boiler downstairs in the kitchen and hot water cylinder in a cupboard upstairs. The base of the cylinder is approx 1.5m below the shower head and 3m below the cold water tank. The cold water storage tank is in the loft. I believe the system is vented

The hot water pipe from the hot water cylinder to the bath tap appears to run underneath the floor (the floor gets warm when either the heating is on (there is a rad in the bathroon) or when you run a bath. I assume from this that the floor void isnt very deep (but then again we are at first floor level).

I am thinking of buying a mixer shower (say £120) and then adding a pump (say a 1.5bar pump approx £99 - that should suffice). I can fit the blending valve and re-tile/decorate the bathroom no problem. I will also probably have to replace/repair some of the plasterboard.

I just need help/advice re the pipework configuration.

Ok, so there's a hot water feed pipe coming out of the hot water cylinder for the hot water. Can i cut into this pipe (somewhere next to the hot water cylinder in the airing cupboard) then install a tee junction off to the shower pump (shower pump also sited in the airing cupboard next to the hot water cylinder) and then from the pump take the hot water feed up into the loft, across the top and back down through the cavity of the timber stud partition upon which the blending valve will be fitted? then conect hot water pipe to the back of the blending valve?

Also, i guess that i would need to take a dedicated supply from the cold water storage tank in the loft, down to the shower pump in the airing cupboard and then from the pump, back up into the loft, accross and down the stud partition to connect to the back of the blending valve?

The distance between the airing cupboard/hot water cylinder and shower head is approx 4 linear metres.

Sorry for such a long post, but hopefully somebody can help.

Any help/feedback/comments will be gratefully received.

Regards


Mark

 

[kevplumb]

this might give you some idea

 

[Mark69]

Thanks Kev!

So if i've got this right, i could cut into the hot water vent pipe and take a feed to the pump from that (as long as its the first tee off)

Hope that's ok, if not, will go with a 22mm Essex flange option (are essex flanges fairly cheap? generally). Are these pretty easy to fit to the hot water cylinder?

The hot water cylinder already has a thermostat so i can control temp.

Thank you for your help and quick reply!

Regards


Mark

 

[Mark69]

^^ Bump ^^


Anyone else have any advice / comments? Any help will be much appreciated.

Regards


Mark

 

[Lee-King]

Surrey flanges are easier to fit than an Essex flange IMO. Essex flanges can be fiddley if never attempted before, once the hole has been cut into the side of your cylinder there is no going back. I've never dropped one into the cylinder trying to install one before but it is easily done, if that occurs it will end up sitting in the bottom of your cylinder coroding away.

Surrey Flange



Surrey flanges screw into the top of the cylinder, alot easier than installing an Essex flange. They come in varied sizes, be carefull when buying to get the right size for your cylinder.



But if you can't get in there well enough to install this, the essex flange is the way forward.

Good luck.

 

[Softus]

Hope that's ok, if not, will go with a 22mm Essex flange option (are essex flanges fairly cheap?

Yes. But you also need to own (or buy) a hole saw of the correct size.

Are these pretty easy to fit to the hot water cylinder?

Yes.

Essex flanges can be fiddley if never attempted before, once the hole has been cut into the side of your cylinder there is no going back. I've never dropped one into the cylinder trying to install one before but it is easily done

I don't agree that it's easy to drop one.

Surrey flanges screw into the top of the cylinder, alot easier than installing an Essex flange.

I don't see how they can be easier. For one thing you have to disturb the top cylinder joint, and not all of them are willing to come apart. Secondly, it's hard to get a Surrey to end up pointing exactly where you want it. Thirdly, they can get blocked with scale and stuff.

I'd use an Essex every time.

 

[Mark69]

Thought some pictures of airing cupboard/ hot water cylinder may help.

Any comments or advice. I'm thinking of the essex flange option, how much do they cost (roughly speaking)?

 

[bab]

Mark i might be opening my self for abuse but tap straight in to the 22mm oulet on the cylinder & drop straight down into the pump & it'l be fine. But i would strongly recomend not going over the top but run the pipes under the floor if possible to reduce the isk of air locking. If you are using soldered joints never older a pipe above the pump as solder can drop into the impellor & jamb it prepare the pipes above the pump inlet & outlets prior to attatching.

 

[kevplumb]

i might be opening my self for abuse

howay this is a plumbing forum bonny lad

 

[Softus]

Any comments or advice. I'm thinking of the essex flange option, how much do they cost (roughly speaking)?

I'll do ya one fer a fakkin' pony me old mukker.

There - was that rough enough for you Sir?

 

[Mark69]

Ok everyone, thank you for all your help, it is much appreciated.

I have drawn a rough sketch of what im planning to do, i would be grateful if you could check it over and tell me where im going wrong!?

Once again, thank you for all your help to date. (ps. i realise that i havent shown the cold water supply to the hot water cylinder etc)

 

[Mark69]

Also, is the electrical supply easy enough to wire up? is it low enough power to be taken from a lighting circuit in the loft perhaps?

Many thanks...

 

[uug197h]

the electric would need to be on a spur not from a light the electric needs putting in by someone that has part P as its notifiable, or Why not put an electric shower in?

 

[kevplumb]

the electric would need to be on a spur not from a light the electric needs putting in by someone that has part P as its notifiable, or Why not put an electric shower in?

pleeeeeese

oh exuse me part p

be a forgotten memory in 6 mths

 

[Mark69]

Thanks guys. Kev does the sketch look ok? "should" it work?