Stuart Turner ST15 Twin reed switch magnet problem

Ricta · 11-12-2019 3:39pm #1

Hello,

is it possible to get replacement magnets for the ST15 reed switch? I have attached a photo of the magnets, you can see that the bottom one has the white platic cap pushed out, it looks like the magnet has corroded and expanded. The problem is that the pump will intermittantly not switch on, it can take a few goes at turning the shower off and on to get it going, sometimes it will just refuse to start again if switched off midway through a shower. I have checked and cleaned all filters in the shower thermostatic valve, the pump has worked fine for three years, nothing has changed in the plumbing infrastructure since it was installed.

The pump says no replaceable parts inside, but these magnets are easily removed from inside the two outlets. Hopefully they can be got as spares, otherwise I am looking at the cost of a new pump!

Or would anybody out there have an old ST15 Twin that they are dumping that they could take the magnets out of? I will buy them.

regards

Sleeper12 · 11-12-2019 10:24pm

I always assumed that the showermate pumps were disposable pumps. If I am wrong then you will be able to get parts from Modern Plant, Domestic Pumps or St Pumps. All three are in Dublin. Modern Plant are the official agents & they charge through the nose for parts.

K.Flyer · 11-12-2019 10:35pm

You will have better luck with ST Pumps or Domestic Pumps as Modern Plant will only sell "service packs" which is almost a full pump in parts.
There are no spares listed for the ST15, but if you bring the floats to either of the above they may be able to match it up with something.
Just keep in mind the time spend messing around with it compared to buying a new one.

Ricta · 11-12-2019 11:44pm

I sent emails to Modern Plant, ST-Pumps, Domestic Pumps and Stuart Turner UK. ST UK replied that they did not carry spares for these as they were made especially for Modern Plant, and to contact them. Will see what comes back.

In the meantime, my time being my own and having plenty of it, and thinking that the intermittant problem may be because the extended length of the floater, due to the plastic cap being pushed up, is preventing the magnet to travel sufficiently up the pipe to activate the reed switch reliably, I cut off the white plastic that was beyond the black body (picture attached) and put the pump back in service. Will see how it behaves over the next few weeks. It's only a temporary fix, I think, because I guess the metal magnet will continue to degrade and expand and push the cap off completely. But hopefully I'll get a couple more years out of it.

It's a shame that an otherwise perfectly working pump has to be dumped for the want of a part that that would cost a euro or two to make. I believe the EU is working on legislation to force manufacturers to provide parts for domestic white goods and make them repairable and thus hopefully reduce the amount of goods having to be recycled, and manufactured in the first place, better for the planet.

I've set a reminder to update here in four weeks.

Ricta · 19-01-2020 6:17pm

A very kind gentleman plumber gave me one of these magnets, and some excellant advice including what type of pump to buy, if necessary. After installing the magnet the pump seemed to work ok for over a week, but then new symptoms started, slowing down and speeding up when shower was switched from rain head to hand held, and then it randomly would start buzzing when the shower was not in use at all.

So I replaced it with an Stuart Turner ST Plus, as recommeded to me, a model that I could not see advertised anywhere, not even on Modern Plant's website.

All's well so far.

Stuart Turner ST15 Twin reed switch magnet problem

Comments