Power shower - replace with pump?

[Supra_Ed]

Hi all, I'm looking to upgrade the shower in my loft room ensuite, it's a (dead and very) old Mira event power shower fed by 15mm pipes. The shower is currently located a floor above the hot water cylinder, and is either level/just below the cold water tank in the loft room cupboard.

Can I replace this setup with a new mixer shower but fit a standalone pump under the bath? Or will this cause problems as the pump isn't next to/at the bottom of the HWC? I'm hoping as it already has a pump at that height (albeit not a standalone one) that it won't be an issue to go to this different set up.

Sorry if I'm being really thick and this is on the forum somewhere but I couldn't find it easily from searching!

If it is possible to go this new set up, I am assuming I could just add a pump to the existing 15mm hot and cold inlets and use the old Mira power shower wiring to power a new pump that would sit under the bath

Thanks!

 

[Bonni]

The only thing I know is that pumps can only be used on storage tanks, don't pump/suck the hot water out of a boiler, and place the pump close to the tank. If you place it near the shower, they can sometimes air lock, so you have to waggle the shower/taps on and off to get it to work cos been there, done that.

 

[Supra_Ed]

Thanks for your reply. So am I right in thinking that if I already have a power shower in place that I can just plumb in a pump under the bath that then feeds a new mixer shower? Or would I need to change any other pipework leading to the new pump?

 

[Bonni]

Thanks for your reply. So am I right in thinking that if I already have a power shower in place that I can just plumb in a pump under the bath that then feeds a new mixer shower? Or would I need to change any other pipework leading to the new pump?

No idea, I'm a general builder that gets roped into plumbing. I would place the pump under the bath and give it a go. I did that and all I had to do every so often was switch the shower and/or hot tap off and then back on when it occasionally didn't work. A plumber told me well after that event that it should have plumbed in beside the hot water tank to prevent that.

 

[Madrab]

So am I right in thinking that if I already have a power shower in place that I can just plumb in a pump under the bath that then feeds a new mixer shower? Or would I need to change any other pipework leading to the new pump?

It could be as simple as that, on the other hand it might not be. In the simplest terms it's all about flow at the shower head. If you can exceed the min required by the pump then there won't be any issues with start up etc.

Usually the best place for a remote shower pump would be at the bottom of the hot water cylinder.