How To Install Shower Pumps

Posted on August 17, 2010 by David

An inadequate ‘head’ is, of course, one of the commonest reasons why a shower won’t work properly. Although the minimum distance between the base of the cold water cistern and the shower rose must be 1 m (3ft), for best results this distance ought to be 1 .5m (5ft) or more.

However, all is not lost if you can’t get this head because you can install a shower pump. They’re expensive but they can make the difference between a stimulating shower and a miserable, low-pressure trickle, which isn’t much good to anyone.

Different types of pump are controlled in different ways. Some have manual switches which are controlled by a pull-cord. In this case the pump is only switched on after the water has begun to flow, and is turned off before it has been stopped. Other pumps are operated automatically when the water is turned on at the shower by the movement of water in the pipes.

You can install a simple pump between the mixer and the shower rose outlet, but you may find it difficult to conceal. On the other hand, automatic pumps must be connected into the water supply before it reaches the mixer, so it’s easier to choose a convenient site where the pump can be hidden from view or disguised.

Shower pumps need quite a lot of plumbing in, and if you’re not careful about planning you may end up with a lot of exposed pipework. It’s also worth remembering that when you wire up the electricity supply you have to connect the pump to a fused connection unit with a double-pole switch, And if the pump is situated inside the bathroom it must be protected from steam and water (except in the case of units specially designed to be inside the shower cubicle).