Aqualisa Quartz Electric shower - New & won't start

AlanD

We just installed (plumber installed) an Aqualisa Quartz Electric shower and tried to commission it following the instructions. There is power and there is water coming to the shower, but no way will it pump. The power will come on at the panel, but the pump won't come on.

Any ideas?

We have followed the instructions for the solenoid, pushing it up to allow water to flow. It dribbles out. When we check the water intake, there is plenty of pressure.

Shower - https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0042EOCWW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Fitting instructions - https://www.aqualisa.co.uk/media/amasty/amfile/attach/f9361d8c0c931589c8ee892d795f4b62.pdf

wiz569

Is there enough pressure in your mains supply? Needs a minimum of .9bar.

AlanD

wiz569 wrote: »

Is there enough pressure in your mains supply? Needs a minimum of .9bar.

It’s a gravity feed system, with prior triton shower having no issue. Now, we didn’t test the flow, so the exact measurement isn’t something I have.

However, when we remove the the filter and let the water flow, it’s a fast flow. Might suggest a minimum of 0.9?

corkgsxr

It's not a pumped shower.

What was previous shower??

wiz569

AlanD wrote: »

It’s a gravity feed system,

Its a mains fed shower you have installed according to your amazon link and the installation instructions.

Sleeper12

Aqualisa don't make Pumped electric showers.

Only Three Pumped electric showers on the market. Triton T900pi, Triton T90sr & Mira Elite SE.
You bought a mains fed shower and it needs to be connected to the mains supply. I'm stunned your plumber didn't notice that it doesn't have a pump!

AlanD

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Aqualisa don't make Pumped electric showers.

Only Three Pumped electric showers on the market. Triton T900pi, Triton T90sr & Mira Elite SE.
You bought a mains fed shower and it needs to be connected to the mains supply. I'm stunned your plumber didn't notice that it doesn't have a pump!

Seriously? Oh dear. Will have to look in to this

Lenar3556

AlanD wrote: »

Seriously? Oh dear. Will have to look in to this

You could consider putting a small pump on the feed to the shower from the cold water storage tank if you would rather not replace the shower with a pumped gravity fed unit.

corkgsxr

Lenar3556 wrote: »

You could consider putting a small pump on the feed to the shower from the cold water storage tank if you would rather not replace the shower with a pumped gravity fed unit.

Nearly cheaper to just put proper unit

John.G

Yes, I certainly wouldn't advise a external booster pump.
Assuming you can only now sell that shower on done deal or suchlike it might be worth connecting it to the mains, assuming the shower is upstairs you may find that the mains cold feed to the cold water storage tank is running adjacent to the supply to the shower and it would be a very simple matter to connect in there. Obviously, if the mains pressure is poor then a non runner, IMO you need a minimum of 2.5 bar static at ground level, the only way to check this accurately is with a pressure gauge, your plumber might do this and the change over for nothing in view of the invisible pump. You will get a rough idea by measuring the flow rate from your downstairs cold kitchen tap. If you post the area that your living in Sleeper12 should be able to advise of pressure problems.

Sleeper12

Just to add to your joys on the subject, if you bought this from Amazon, B&Q, Argus, Homebase, Screwfix or any other UK company (even with irish stores) you most likely have no Irish warranty. The warranty offered by Aqualisa UK is for UK only. If the shower didn't pass through the hands of the Irish agent then the Irish agent won't offer an Irish warranty(why should they as they made no money on the shower). B&Q, Argus, Homebase, Screwfix here in Ireland import their showers directly from the UK. They don't pass through the Irish agent so even with an Irish receipt, from lets say screwfix, the Irish agent won't offer a warranty. Some Aqualisa products have a 5 year wattanty. I'd rather pay the extra & source from an Irish company & get my full warranty. Unfortunately non of the UK based companies tell you about the warranty situation & some even boast about the warranty even though you wont actually get one

Lenar3556

Any particular reason to avoid an external booster pump? I have often seen it done in buildings which were fully pumped and gathered it worked well in these instances. Not a first choice granted, but in the circumstances may be simpler and more cost effective than back tracking on the shower.

I didn’t recommend re-routing it to the mains, because unless the mains was of exceptional capacity there is a risk of poor performance / varying pressure / scalding. It could be ok, but I though a tank fed booster pump would provide much better security of supply.

Regarding the warranties, the retailer is obliged to honour any warranty that they offer at the point of sale, but that might not include onsite service. I had an experience with screwfix a couple of years ago with an aquastream shower I bought for my own house which was offered with a three year warranty. There was a significant cost saving at the time. After 2+ years the pump started screeching. I called them, ordered a complete replacement shower and they credited the faulty one on return for which they supplied a prepaid box. The service was excellent and it was a good outcome for me at the time.

Indeed if I recall correctly, the reason I purchased it in the first instance was that my existing one had a similar fault and the Irish agent was unable to come to look at it until they had other work in the area, which was expected to be weeks away. Then when I suggested I buy the parts, they were so expensive that I was better value to replace the whole thing. I remember they also told me that as I would have to fit them myself there was a reduced material defect warranty on that parts they were supplying - don’t think I will be in any rush back there!

John.G

I suppose its up to the OP really, if he wants to retain that particular shower then he has two choices, to install that booster pump or try the mains route.

Sleeper12

Lenar3556 wrote:

Any particular reason to avoid an external booster pump? I have often seen it done in buildings which were fully pumped and gathered it worked well in these instances. Not a first choice granted, but in the circumstances may be simpler and more cost effective than back tracking on the shower.

This is the only way we will install a mains fed shower. A pump is the only way I can guarantee the client that the mains fed shower will work correctly. I couldn't be relying on the mains pressure 24/7

salamiii

airlock

https://www.eatmoretoast.com/aqualisa-quartz-shower-not-working-how-to-fix-it/

Sleeper12

salamiii wrote:

airlock

That's a different shower. It's a digital power shower. OP has a mains fed electric shower or at least that is what they linked to.

John.G

Sleeper12 wrote: »

This is the only way we will install a mains fed shower. A pump is the only way I can guarantee the client that the mains fed shower will work correctly. I couldn't be relying on the mains pressure 24/7

Its unlikely but possible that AlanD is living in a reliable mains pressure area like myself with a mains electric shower. If he does decide to hold on to that shower and pump it could you recommend any particular brand/type of single pump?.

Sleeper12

John.G wrote: »

Its unlikely but possible that AlanD is living in a reliable mains pressure area like myself with a mains electric shower. If he does decide to hold on to that shower and pump it could you recommend any particular brand/type of single pump?.

There are parts of Ireland that have fantastic pressure. Think I remember one poster getting 15 bar reading at the bottom of a valley (or so he said) but in Dublin we can't take the chance. You could get 1.5 bar reading at the time of installation & it could drop to below 1 bar a few weeks later. Where we are happy to install mains fed shower are in apartments where the whole complex is pumped or where the apartment has it's own pump already. I don't get involved in installing pumps anymore. If I can't quote for it over the phone then it's work we'd rarely take on. Installing a pump adds a variable to it that would require a site visit first. In short I can't recommend any single pump as I'm not very familiar with them

AlanD

We switched the feed from tank to mains.....sorted and working well.

Thankfully the switch was easy. A mistake on our end not knowing the difference when buying

John.G

That's great news especially with a 10.5 kw shower.

Pkiernan

Sleeper12 wrote: »

There are parts of Ireland that have fantastic pressure. Think I remember one poster getting 15 bar reading at the bottom of a valley (or so he said) but in Dublin we can't take the chance. You could get 1.5 bar reading at the time of installation & it could drop to below 1 bar a few weeks later. Where we are happy to install mains fed shower are in apartments where the whole complex is pumped or where the apartment has it's own pump already. I don't get involved in installing pumps anymore. If I can't quote for it over the phone then it's work we'd rarely take on. Installing a pump adds a variable to it that would require a site visit first. In short I can't recommend any single pump as I'm not very familiar with them

At 15 bar he could install a turbine and have his own Mini Ardnacrush!