2nd shower pump in 2 months

Stigsmissus

Hi all, hoping someone has some ideas, can't get hold of a plumber and the only shower in house is out of action.

We replaced the shower pump over Xmas with a brand new one, that stopped working 2 weeks later, we figured it as faulty and got it replaced in store. Now 3 weeks later, the 2nd one won't work. Water from tank is flowing fine when we disconnect, however there is small plastic pieces found where the water flows thru. Found both times we've replaced the pump. Anyone any ideas what can be causing it, surely can't be 2 faulty shower pumps, could be water pressure or something else?

TIA

John.G

Does this pump both hot and cold water to the shower, the hot water must not exceed I think 65c otherwise pump npot covered by warranty. Also worth investing in a good quality pump like a stuart turner.

cnocbui

Mains water or a well?

Stigsmissus

Thanks for both responses,

Both pumps used have been Showermate/Stuart Turner, and pumps both hot & cold. Where would you see the temp?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120116504#Comment_120116504

Mains

cnocbui

What exactly is the main problem? Does the pump not turn on when the shower tap is opened or does it turn on but no water flows? And can you explain the plastic bits in more detail.

Stigsmissus

So all today shower was open but pump wasn't turning on, this eve I removed it, took it apart, reconnected it and it turned on, started working again with hot water, but noises coming pipes from pipes in shower. As before it will last a few days before stopping again. I imagine at this stage it's something blocking pipes maybe rather than a pump issue.

The plastic bits were evident in both pumps, when taken apart, small white bits, defo not part of the pumps from what I can tell so can only believe they are coming from the pipes somehow?

John.G

Are you sure they are plastic, might be bits of limescale from the HW cylinder, there are normally strainers on the hot and cold inlets to the pump, you might check for these and see whts in them.

Re HW temperature, it should be at whatever the cylinder thermostat is set to, normally 60C, or just measure it with a household thermometer.

cnocbui

Are the noises just with hot water and the sound of air with lots of spluttering at the outlet? And when you say it stops working, is that with turning on the shower with the hot fully open and no cold?

Reason I am asking is the hot intake should be connected to the cylinder via a special dedicated flange (wessex?) to stop it sucking air via the HW cylinder air vent. I get away with this wrong connection with only a brief initial spluttering and air sucking when first turned on, but others might not.

There has to be a flow of water to turn the pump on. If there were say an air lock in the hot side and you had the tap full hot and no cold, it might not turn on, but would if the tap was turned to cold.

Good call on the filters and limescale. If a filter's missing, limescale or plastic bits could jam a flow switch plunger and stop it moving when water flows.

It's not a two storey with the shower upstairs?