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Plumbing problem.......
Northy - 27/12/05 at 05:39 PM

Every time we run the hot tap now after we turn in off the shower pump runs for a fraction of a second. It's the type where the pump is not part of the shower and is next to the hot water tank.

It's just started doing it, anyone any idea why? Is it anything to worry about? #

Cheers,

mangogrooveworkshop - 27/12/05 at 05:43 PM

low mains pressure perhaps

Ferg - 27/12/05 at 06:06 PM

It isn't anything to worry about really. The flow switch is sensing a tremor in the pipe. If you want to stop it fit a check valve at the pump inlet. That normally stops it.

Northy - 27/12/05 at 06:18 PM

So why has it just started doing it?

Ferg - 27/12/05 at 06:44 PM

A few possible reasons. I'ts normally down to the tap setting up a tiny waterhammer in the pipe. Rather like the noise you sometines get with ballvalves, but much smaller. Could be a pipe clip somewhere not holding the pipe as tightly as it did when it was new.....

Northy - 27/12/05 at 08:48 PM

Nothing to worry about then, cheers.

G

Northy - 28/12/05 at 10:59 AM

Just an update, it doesn't do it if you turn the hot taps on or off in the bathroom, or if you turn the hot tap off slowly in the kitvhen. Only if the hot tap in the kitchen is turned off quickly.

Does that sound right? Still nothing to worry about?

rusty nuts - 28/12/05 at 11:07 AM

Is your shower pump plumbed into the common hot water pipe or is it in just the feed to the shower?

Ferg - 28/12/05 at 12:35 PM

That certainly sounds like there isn't a dedicated hot to the pump. It's not a problem, but if it annoys you fit a check valve.

Northy - 28/12/05 at 12:42 PM

quote:
Originally posted by rusty nuts
Is your shower pump plumbed into the common hot water pipe or is it in just the feed to the shower?


Er, I don't know. The previos owner fitted it, how do I tell?

Northy - 28/12/05 at 12:43 PM

quote:
Originally posted by Ferg
That certainly sounds like there isn't a dedicated hot to the pump. It's not a problem, but if it annoys you fit a check valve.


Don't mean to be thick, but whats a check valve?

rusty nuts - 28/12/05 at 01:18 PM

When I installed the pump for our shower it was plumbed into the pipe that only fed the shower. It's possible ? that yours is plumbed into the pipe that feeds all of the hot taps ? which could explain your problem, but I could be talking a load of bovine excrement as I'm not a plumber

Ferg - 28/12/05 at 03:30 PM

Any shower ought to be plumbed with a dedicated hot and cold to avoid fluctuation of flow. However, in practice so long as the cold is dedicated and not serving any other outlet it's acceptable. What you REALLY don't want is a commoned cold...then if someone uses the cold elsewhere you remove some skin from your body.....

A check valve is just a sprung loaded non-return valve that can be fitted on the inlet to the pump. It isolates the flowswitch on the pump from water tremors and prevents annoying false start-ups.