Salamander pumps

[baworrall]

We have a salamander pump ESP CV on negative head as it feeds a an upstairs shower washbasin and toilet that are higher than the two water tanks from mains. Recently the toilet keeps stopping and starting the pump ie it is hutning - not necessarily at the end of the cistern filling cycle. The upstairs sink and shower do not do this. Salamander technical line asked me to switch off the valves out of the pump which I did and they say because it did not do the hunting then it is not the pump. They dont seem to recognise that the pump will do nothing anyway once the valve is off as there is no flow of water to activate the pump. It just doesnt come on. I tend to think the problem is the pump not the cistern though cant be sure. The cistern doesnt seem to stop and start filling when the upstair washbasin is on as well. I think it could be that there is a low flow in the toilet : not enough to keep pump activated.
The pump also keeps letting us down occassionally when nothing will work though generally its OK.

Any ideas anyone? Salamander also suggested pumping up the pressure vessel which I have tried to no avail but I cant seem to get a pressure reading with a type pressure checker s/be 20 psi. Having pumped up vessel no different. No abnormal lights are coming on during operation on the pump. Can anybody suggest a plumber in Yorkshire area who is experienced in this that we could call out?

 

[Scubaman]

Hi,

We too have been having Salamanda pump problems! We've recently had a second shower installed and the old one (Aqualisa 22mm gravity feed) replaced with a modern 15mm feed unit. Cheaper to manufacture no doubt but we now need a pump!

The first pump was a CT75 Twin unit which would hunt exactly as you say, turning on / off over 100 times before stopping. A phone call to Salamanda suggested we had the wrong pump as our system serves a toilet, two wash basins, a double sink, a washing machine and dish washer on the same circuit. The CT75 Twin pump is only for showers and a RHP100 pump was suggested instead.

This has solved the hunting problem but we're still getting banging and spitting water from the sink mixer taps which means air is getting in somewhere - we have no idea where! Perhaps you need a RHP type pump or maybe we both need to use something other than Salamanda!!!

Good luck.

Regards