Salamander CT60BU negative head shower pump - intermittently coming on after use

[Steve-T]

I have just had a Salamander CT60BU negative head shower pump reinstalled after the previous same pump failed. The old pump initially after installation, would intermittently come on after use. This would occur every 10mins or so and then after time there was a period of an hour. after a week or so, this stopped and the pump settled in as such.

This is a newly fitted bathroom, with the existing feed coming from 22mm into the room. This was then reduced to 15mm and up to the shower controller. Every single pipe join was pressure tested once installed, so I am happy there is not a leak in the pipework.

Following the installation of the new pump, the intermittent starting is far more frequent as follows..::

4 mins 30 sec

5 mins 53 sec

8 mins 0 sec

11 mins 58 sec

19 mins 05 sec

This is after the shower has been used for serval minutes. I believe that it is heat related in the way that the time between starts decreases, thus the pipework/joints are cooling down. It will get to to point where the pump stops coming on intermittently.

We have put a 1/4 turn on the hot water input to the shower control, however this is now tight and we would be reluctant to make further turns due to the risk of damaging the washer by over-tightening.

There is a dome on top of the pump which has a Schrader valve (car tyre valve) which I assume is to increase or decrease pressure in the dome. I cannot find any information about this dome nor the valve. It is not mentioned in the pump set up, nor anywhere on-line, so thus far I haven't touched it.

The pump is installed onto a Salamander rubber pump mat. The Flexi hoses are virtually straight, all bar one that is 11 degrees, but well within the 35 degree tolerance.

The hot water tank has a Surrey Flange fitted to it to negate the issue of air bubbles reaching the pump. This flange has been in situ for at least 23yrs, but I can find nothing documented on-line to suggest that this might need changing. I don't believe this has anything to do with the intermittent starting, however the pump runs at 69-70db, whereas Salamander state that it should be 46-47db. That's probably in lab conditions though, a bit like a car manufacturers MPG.....

The pump is situated approximately 3ms away from the hot water tank, which is on the same level and served with 22mm pipe. This again is within the 5m tolerance for pipework.

Any ideas gratefully received,

Steve

 

[SalamanderPumps]

I have just had a Salamander CT60BU negative head shower pump reinstalled after the previous same pump failed. The old pump initially after installation, would intermittently come on after use. This would occur every 10mins or so and then after time there was a period of an hour. after a week or so, this stopped and the pump settled in as such.

This is a newly fitted bathroom, with the existing feed coming from 22mm into the room. This was then reduced to 15mm and up to the shower controller. Every single pipe join was pressure tested once installed, so I am happy there is not a leak in the pipework.

Following the installation of the new pump, the intermittent starting is far more frequent as follows..::

4 mins 30 sec

5 mins 53 sec

8 mins 0 sec

11 mins 58 sec

19 mins 05 sec

This is after the shower has been used for serval minutes. I believe that it is heat related in the way that the time between starts decreases, thus the pipework/joints are cooling down. It will get to to point where the pump stops coming on intermittently.

We have put a 1/4 turn on the hot water input to the shower control, however this is now tight and we would be reluctant to make further turns due to the risk of damaging the washer by over-tightening.

There is a dome on top of the pump which has a Schrader valve (car tyre valve) which I assume is to increase or decrease pressure in the dome. I cannot find any information about this dome nor the valve. It is not mentioned in the pump set up, nor anywhere on-line, so thus far I haven't touched it.

The pump is installed onto a Salamander rubber pump mat. The Flexi hoses are virtually straight, all bar one that is 11 degrees, but well within the 35 degree tolerance.

The hot water tank has a Surrey Flange fitted to it to negate the issue of air bubbles reaching the pump. This flange has been in situ for at least 23yrs, but I can find nothing documented on-line to suggest that this might need changing. I don't believe this has anything to do with the intermittent starting, however the pump runs at 69-70db, whereas Salamander state that it should be 46-47db. That's probably in lab conditions though, a bit like a car manufacturers MPG...

The pump is situated approximately 3ms away from the hot water tank, which is on the same level and served with 22mm pipe. This again is within the 5m tolerance for pipework.

Any ideas gratefully received,

Steve

Good morning,

In the first instance, following use of the pump, we would recommend that you leave everything as it is (ie. pump on electrically etc) and isolate the two outlet hoses on the pump. Leave these switched off for as long as the pump usually takes to come on and off a few times. If it does come on and off, it would be worth giving our tech team a call on 01915162002 as you may need further investigation. If the pump does not come on while isolated, it tends to mean there is a pressure drop somewhere on the system. In regards to heat, its unlikely that there would be a sufficient pressure drop to activate the pump on cool down when you take into account the buffer in the vessel. If you do want to check the pressure in the vessel, there's a sticker on the side of the vessel with the set pressure, a cap on the top of the vessel - simply remove the pump from situ and use bike/car/hand pump to check.

hope this helps

 

[Steve-T]

Its inadvertently sorted itself......

Whilst checking that the flexi-hoses were on tight enough I turned the hot hose by 5-10mm on the pump. The pump now pressurises once after between 15mins to 60mins after use.

I can live with that!!!!