Pulsating Shower Pump - Plumbing Forum | Plumbers Forums

didydave · 26-07-2008

I have just replaced a shower in a clients house. The shower i took out was a simple leaver shower with hot and cold water coming in at the sides and mixed water coming out of the the third pipe. the one i have put back in is exactly the same stype and infact i used a lot of the original fittings to make the connections. All the fittings are consealed behind the tiles with a chrome leaver tap and the hose only showing. The pipe work behind the tiles were not changed and neither was the elctric pump.
The problem i the client is now having is that when the shower head is over a certain height the pump pulsates. Is this a faulty shower pump or something that i have done? the only that was fitted that was not according to instrcutions was that the shower mixer was fitted upside down, as was the original one, so that the hot feed was on the right not the left.
If you have any ideas please let me know.
David

NickH · 27-07-2008

Pulsates how ? does it switch on and off or surges ?

didydave · 27-07-2008

it switches itself on an off very quickly, pulsing

sagsy · 27-07-2008

is the pump a salamander pump if if it you will need to contactact salamander and get them to send yiu a backflow valve that is fitted on hot water outlet on pump.

didydave · 28-07-2008

No It's not a salamanader pump in fact i have no idea who the pump is made by. does it matter if it's salamander or not? I will check with my local suppliers to see if i can get a backflow valve for it.
Thanks
Didydave

sagsy · 28-07-2008

The reason I said this was I had the same problem when I fiited the salamander pump. I contacted them and they told me to fit the backflow valve on the hot outlet, they even supplied the valve FOC. you could also just fit a double check valve on the hot outlet pipe going from pump to shower.

didydave · 28-07-2008

I have contacted Salamandar, thru their website and await a conversation however if a double check valve solved your problem sagsy then it's worth a try. certainly better than ripping out the new shower and old pump.
cheers.

28-07-2008

sounds like the pump is on the border line of a positive/negative situation.
if your not getting the correct flow per min gravity it will pulse or not start at all.

i would of fitted the mixer the right way round and changed the hot/cold on the outlets from the pump.

Chris R · 28-07-2008

Re contacting Salamander - I have tried a few times to contact them via the website and they never reply - it is best to give them a ring. I have the smae problem - Salamander called it 'ram-rodding' and have sent my customer a free valve to sort it

didydave · 29-07-2008

I wish i had turned the shower round now but sadly that is no longer an option as the whole thing is now tiled however if this is rma rodding with a check valve stop or make the problem worse? Oh and the old shower was fitted upside down with out any problems so why would the new one, which is exactly the same design, have this problem?
Thanks to all who have replied to my plee's