shower pump problems!!!

[obseen16]

hi guys. i fitted a new techflow shower pump for a customer a few weeks ago, the pump was a replacement pump for the exact same model of pump that was there before, since then the customer has come back to me saying the pressure is not as good as it used to be, i went over and discovered that there was an air lock in the hot water side, since then he has come back again and said the hot water is cooler than normal yet his cylinder is hot and hot water is good temperature in other parts of the house.

the only thing i can think of is that when i replaced the pump i didnt replace the flexis, on the 2 flexis from the hot and cold outlets there was a socket on each that had a very thin blue pipe going form one to the other, could this be pushing cold water into the hot outlet? all i did was replace the pump.

there doesnt appear to be a surrey valve on the hot pipework but they didnt have a problem like this with the old pump at all.

hope someone can shed some light on this.

 

[sonray ltd]

>2 flexis from the hot and cold outlets there was a socket on each that had a very thin blue pipe going form one to the other

whats this pipe never seen one before on any pump.

>doesnt appear to be a surrey valve

techflow will recommend one for any of their pump. a surrey, essex flange etc.

teeing of the dhw is not ideal for any pump.

 

[obseen16]

hi sonray thanks for replying so quick.

the dhw is not teed it has its very own pipe coming off the hw cylinder. i think it must have air in it and the lack of water flow in the hot is compensated by the cold foutlet through this little blue pipe, thats the only thing i can think of, its really weird, as i keep saying to the customer all i did was replace the pump like for like. surely just doing that cant create this kind of problem????

im so confuggled, even the guy i used to work for has no idea.

 

[sonray ltd]

im abit lost
>the dhw is not teed it has its very own pipe coming off the hw cylinder.

from what must be a flange as the dhw has to come from the top as well.

>i think it must have air in it and the lack of water flow in the hot is compensated by the cold foutlet through this little blue pipe.

is this a add on pipe someones done ? as i never seen any techflow or any pump that has cold connected to the hot.

 

[obseen16]

>i think it must have air in it and the lack of water flow in the hot is compensated by the cold foutlet through this little blue pipe.

is this a add on pipe someones done ? as i never seen any techflow or any pump that has cold connected to the hot.

in answer to your first bit, yeah i think it has a flange on the cylinder as the dhw feed from top of the cylinder is connected with a weird fitting i have never seen (im guesing its a flange) and the vent pipe which feeds the rest of the house also comes straight out the cylinder to.

in reply to the above quote. i dont think its an add on as such, i have never seen this done on any domestic jobs, the only place i have ever seen this blue pipe before was on an industrial gas main testing kit, the pipe is about 2-3 mm in diameter. i tried to advise the customer to get a surrey valve but his point of view was if the old one worked fine without one why should i.

ooh i am in a pickle with this one,

 

[sonray ltd]

tell him theirs a lot of things done in plumbing that work, don't mean they are right though. whos the plumber you or him ?

if it was a proper flange it wouldn't be drawing in air. tell him answer that one.

can you get a pic of this set up ?

don't you just love these know it all diyers do this do that.

why didn't he do his self ? or did he know their was a problem before but know you've touched it you must of caused it.
you got to watch them customers

met them before change a rad then tell you the toilet don't flush but it did before you done the rad.
they kindly get told where to go.

 

[obseen16]

hehehe. thanks sonray, he most definatley is one of those customers, even worse is he is a friend of a friend so its harder to tell him where to go, think this time ill see if it is another air lock if so ill advise him to fit a surrey valve either by me or (the more prefferable option at the moment) by someone else. ill see if i can get a pic to post on here.

thanks for the words of wisdom sonray, much appreciated,

 

[sonray ltd]

>so its harder to tell him where to go.

is it

otherwise he's wasting your time
and i always say if its another fault not connected to what i've done then its chargable.

 

[obseen16]

>so its harder to tell him where to go.

is it

otherwise he's wasting your time
and i always say if its another fault not connected to what i've done then its chargable.

hehe i think my biggest problem is that im to kind. i did the last call out as a good will gesture and didnt charge. and im not charging this time either.
its already cost me more than its worth, i shudder when i see his caller id on my phone now lol.

 

[sonray ltd]

don't you just love them jobs that you want to get out of and go home and wait all night for the dreaded phone call.

you always get the gut feeling when a jobs not going smooth.

 

[obseen16]

we just an update, i went over the other night to have a second look. when i got there i turned the shower on and it worked perfectly, the customer aso did this and it was fine,

i just advised him to keep an eye on it and ill call him next week to see how it goes,