Pressure booster pump

iplogger1

On our plumbing schedule for new house build the plumber has allowed
for supply and fit of a Grunfos MQ3-45 pressure boosting pump.

I recall the first time I talked to him he said that brings pressure
up to a very good level (4.5bar peak) to allow for very good
pressure level for showers. He plans to fit Mira EV surface mounted
showers in ensuites/main bathrooms (our hot water is mostly heated by a
heat pump with immersion coil required to boost stagnant water
in the cylinder above the 45 degrees that a heat pump can deliver
so as to kill off bacteria,etc)

Here is a link to the spec on the pump. I was going to phone
plumber to ask him but would value folks comments on this pump

http://www.plumbersurplus.com/ProductDetail.aspx?Prod=11069&Cat=541

~ipl

ircoha

I have used the 220v version, v good.
4.5 bar might be a bit much.

u can fit a pressure reducing valve to take it down a bit

Also u might want to just have the showers and bath on the pump and not the toilets or washhandbasins so if they are used at night the pump does not run.

Endymion

iplogger1 wrote:

On our plumbing schedule for new house build the plumber has allowed
for supply and fit of a Grunfos MQ3-45 pressure boosting pump.

I recall the first time I talked to him he said that brings pressure
up to a very good level (4.5bar peak) to allow for very good
pressure level for showers. He plans to fit Mira EV surface mounted
showers in ensuites/main bathrooms (our hot water is mostly heated by a
heat pump with immersion coil required to boost stagnant water
in the cylinder above the 45 degrees that a heat pump can deliver
so as to kill off bacteria,etc)

Here is a link to the spec on the pump. I was going to phone
plumber to ask him but would value folks comments on this pump

http://www.plumbersurplus.com/ProductDetail.aspx?Prod=11069&Cat=541

~ipl

4.5 bar would hurt quiet allot if you stood under it. You need special water tanks and cylinders to operate at that pressure, your standard hot water cylinder isn't good enough. Normal water pressure in a house is around the 1 bar - 1 and a half bar mark. Power showers put out about 2 - 2.5 bars and their very strong. just to put some propective on it, you'll never operate it at it's peak pressure.

propertysue

Don't know much about pressure but a friend had a problem when a pump was fitted with the pressure too high, the pipes leaked due to the pressure so I'd check that first
Sue

ircoha

iplogger1 wrote:

On our plumbing schedule for new house build the plumber has allowed
for supply and fit of a Grunfos MQ3-45 pressure boosting pump.

I recall the first time I talked to him he said that brings pressure
up to a very good level (4.5bar peak) to allow for very good
pressure level for showers. He plans to fit Mira EV surface mounted
showers in ensuites/main bathrooms (our hot water is mostly heated by a
heat pump with immersion coil required to boost stagnant water
in the cylinder above the 45 degrees that a heat pump can deliver
so as to kill off bacteria,etc)

Here is a link to the spec on the pump. I was going to phone
plumber to ask him but would value folks comments on this pump

http://www.plumbersurplus.com/ProductDetail.aspx?Prod=11069&Cat=541

~ipl

Are u happy the EV can take 4.5bar?

I had a peep on the mira site and did not see an EV.

Also why surface mounted?

Endymion

And whats an EV when it's at home? Exchange valve? Eighties vynel?

Don't forget to put the PT into the OMD while twisting the HPT, like. :rolleyes:

ircoha

Carnivore: RTFP

He plans to fit Mira EV surface mounted
showers in ensuites/main bathrooms

Are u happy the EV can take 4.5bar?

I had a peep on the mira site and did not see an EV.

iplogger1

I was looking at the plumbers schedule again and I recalled
that he said the shower he was proposing was same or similar
to the one we have in the house we have on short term let
(because he was familiar with the plumbing in that housing
development). I checked this morning and it is a
Mira Event xs (I guess EV was some kind of bizarre abbreviation
the plumber put on the quote.. )

Surface mount showers I think because it avoided some messing
about with drilling/breaking tiles if I recall (I am sketchy
on that.. conversation happened about 3mths ago now and I need
to refresh the conversation with him next week when we meet
finally to go over the plumbing requirements for the house).


~ipl

tribesman

We have an Aqualisa 3.5bar pump for the showers.....
http://www.h-i-e.co.uk/acatalog/aqualisa_shower_pumps.html

The pressure is nice but far from excessive. We tried the 2.5 bar version first but felt that the pressure wasn't great. I wouldn't be too afraid of the 4.5 bar pump.

We have a separate 3/4" hot and cold feed for the 3 showers so that the pump does not come on for the sinks or for flushing the toilets. Maybe with 1/2" pipe the pressure would be higher.

The Aqualisa pump is nice and quiet.

towbar

We have the MQ3-35 It the 3.5 bar version and works very well. Our pressurised cyclinder works at that pressure and so no pressure reducing valve and all mixers and showers have equal pressure hot and cold. We feed it to all wash handbasins, showers and baths although not toliets. Pump is in garage so you dont hear it but the water is noisey at wash hand basins - and I will probably fit some sort of pressure reducing\flow limiter valve inline.

3.5 seems to be of pressure. The MQ series will work with toliets as they have a built-in anti-hammer feature and leak protection so if there is a slow pressure drain over time they cut off.

I cant see why anyone would pay €5-600 for a power shower when these pumps are cheaper. We had budgeted for 2 power showers and bought this pump for about €300 (cant remember if this was plus vat).

ircoha

OP: look like u dont need the big pump

From http://www.mirashowers.com/onlinecatalog/pdf/p3783_4.pdf

The Mira Event XS is a surface mounted all-in-one manual power shower. It is designed
for use with a mains voltage electrical supply and gravity fed hot and cold water
supplies. It features a built-in pump unit, manual mixer assembly and separate controls
for flow and temperature.

iplogger1

Actually the plumber has been in doing the first fix and I got
to talk to him about pressure pump,etc.
We are putting a large glass lined hot water cylinder in the
hot press which has larger exchange coils because we are
using the Ground source heat pump to provide our hot water
needs and the larger cylinder is required for that.
Because there is going to be less space in the hot press I
think he felt he couldn't fit the Grundfos pressure pump in
there and have it effectively sound insulated to cut down
on the noise of the thing.

What he has suggested instead is to provide a pressurised
water tank or some loft/attic tank which provides up to
4.5bar with very good pressure control via PR valves.
Does this make any sense ?

~ipl

mugwumpjism

I have a similar issue if I could get advice, we have a combi boiler and the pressure to the shower at best is ok and at worst is none at all (mornings very bad), our system is newly plumbed but it is all from the mains (I know now this is not allowed), so we are looking at getting a pump, problem is because of the set up a pump in the attic would only give pressure to the hot water (so the plumber said). Choices I have been given are, put a break tank (300L) out the back with a submersible pump plumbed into the bathroom system or pump on the main feed into the house. I share a feed with next door as it's a very old house so would have to get my own feed from the council, the builder left a buried pipe ready to go for this. The plumber reckons that even with my own feed because the pressure in the area can vary that it might not solve my problem to put a pump on the new mains. Any thoughts? Anyone have similar problems?