If it's already at max pressure (which is likely 7.6m or 10.8psi) then I doubt you'll need any sort of pump. Go buy a pressure gauge and test the hot water pressure. There should be a pressure release valve or a pipe out of the top so if you exceed the 7.6m, water can escape.
m16d,
Sep 25, 10:54am
Those booster pumps are next to useless. Rip the whole system out, cylinder included, and put in gas with high pressure hot and cold. You'll never regret it.
The water reservoir is near the top of a volcano for the whole area, so the water pressure at sea level is very high. There are no fittings that can stay on the end of a hose. I attach my water blaster to a low pressure outside tap.
tegretol,
Sep 25, 12:26pm
Thought someone who sells/installs these might say this!
Add to the install cost the replacement of internal pipes, electrician cost, gas installer cost, change of shower mixer.
A huge cost for what sounds like a small and very fixable issue.
trade4us2,
Sep 25, 3:54pm
And which could possibly be fixed for nothing using a spanner.
tygertung,
Sep 26, 7:42am
Try a low flow shower head; one that has lower than 4.5 litres per minute flow. The pressure will be much higher, believe me, and then you will save loads of money on hot water also as a side benefit.
tegretol,
Sep 26, 10:25am
How will changing the shower head to a low flow one increase the pressure? I think the OP wanted more flow anyway?
ruie,
Sep 26, 2:43pm
I have tried a multi-setting shower head which had both high pressure fine jets & also larger spray jets for low pressure & none of the settings gave satisfactory pressure or flow. I will visit the property to check the current pressure regulator setting. At this point, the best option seems to be to try an inline pump & at such little cost, I will give it a go.
tegretol,
Sep 26, 3:56pm
You still haven't told us what the HW pressure is at the tap.
tweake,
Sep 26, 5:09pm
i did some testing on mine today.
hot water without booster pump, 11psi (max low pressure tank, shower is crap). hot water with booster pump on, 19 psi (tested with some water flow needed to turn pump on. shower is a lot better) cold water, 115 psi.
talking to plumber today it sounds like the hot water regulator is chattering, i suspect due to being at its limits with that high mains pressure. so organised for a cold water regulator to be fitted (as well as some other stuff).
what probably doesn't help is the shower is probably a cheapy. however even the washing machine i have had to tune to get more hot water into it to get a warm wash. all the cold taps have ridiculously high water flows.
ruie,
Sep 26, 5:14pm
I'm hoping to get to the property this week & that is something I will measure.
tegretol,
Sep 26, 5:39pm
Yep - let us know before you spend dollars on anything else.
ruie,
Sep 27, 2:15pm
Thanks for all the pressure readings, that's going to be very useful as a comparison. This sounds very similar to my situation. I will get some readings at the property this week & post them here.
tygertung,
Sep 28, 2:24pm
It is like a water blaster. If you take off the nozzle, the pressure is very low but if you put the nozzle back on, the flow is reduced, but the pressure is higher.
Seeing as the pressure is higher, there will be a feeling of more flow.
We have a shower upstairs, one of those ones which has the rose coming out of the wall with the control lever around it. The pressure was very poor, it was pretty much dribbling down the wall. I blocked off a fair few of the holes in the head, from the inside and now the pressure is excellent.
tegretol,
Sep 28, 9:24pm
Excellent, I've just learnt that all of my years of study relating to flow/pressure fluid dynamics was totally flawed!
tygertung,
Sep 29, 8:51am
It was a feltonmix shower.
It does stand to reason that if the flow is reduced, the pressure is increased. Think of a garden hose and then put on a sprayer attachment. More pressure right?
tweake,
Sep 29, 6:01pm
not really. all your doing is returning it to the supply pressure. eg if the supply is 10 psi and half of the required flow of the shower head, the pressure at the shower head will be a lot lower. if you block half the head and reduce flow by half, the pressure will go up to the original 10 psi. if you block it 3/4's you still only get 10 psi.
so basically in your situation you have a flow problem, there is a restriction somewhere stopping it from getting full flow. fix that and you should be able to use the whole shower head.
tygertung,
Sep 29, 7:04pm
Why use the whole shower head and spend loads of money on hot water when can have less flow, save money and go down dzto the pub with your savings?
tegretol,
Sep 29, 7:26pm
This man understands the relationship between flow and pressure which no others on here seem to!
tygertung,
Sep 29, 7:39pm
This is correct, the pressure will increase when the flow is restricted. No it will not increase above line pressure, but it will increase back to line pressure.
Therefore a low flow shower head will increase the pressure and should give a satisfactory shower.
tweake,
Sep 30, 6:17pm
plumber came today. regulator fitted (and other things). can't tell the difference on the kitchen taps, cold tap still pours it out like a pot filler. shower is better, far more control, adjustment is a lot easier.
kittylittle,
Sep 30, 6:53pm
we had one on the shower. It was supposed to activate by itself, but never did - our pressure was too low. So connected it to a switch and manually turned it on and off. Pain in the butt! Replaced the pump with little effect. In the end the problem was solved when my hot water cylinder died (was about a 1970 model). Replaced it and problem solved! Would not have guessed that a hot water cylinder would affect pressure, but you live and learn.
tweake,
Sep 24, 11:04pm
i think you got fobbed off. with the flow switch pumps it doesn't matter what the pressure is. with pressure activated pumps the pressure turns the pumps OFF not on.
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