"Pumped electric" showers... All aspects of plumbing questions and answers, help, tips and information

[Elev8]

Hi guys... it's another low water pressure/elec shower question unfortunately...

About 2 years ago I replaced the electric shower in my upstairs bathroom.
I simply swapped in a new unit of the same wattage rating (this is fine by the regs I think).

Unfortunately, this (now not so) new shower also seems to have failed as no water flows at all. It was only a cheap one so I'm not too bothered. I'm thinking either the unit has caked up with limescale (bad where I live) or the pressure may have dropped off just a wee bit causing the shower to no longer flow.

So... I'm looking at either 1) Another like-for-like swap, or 2) One of these pumped electric showers, designed to cope with low mains pressure.

My question is this... are there any special fitting requirements for these pumped electrics? I'll keep the wattage rating the same, but was hoping to fit the unit myself. My current unit is fed on a T off the mains feed up in the loft which also feeds the 2 small head tanks.

I've read that the pumped showers MUST be tank fed and not off a mains T like mine. Is this the case?

Reason I ask is if I need to do pipework , I'll probably just bosh in another like for like swap as before & see how long it lasts first.

For info, these are the pumped thingies I'm talking about...
Google "tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Showers_Index/Pumped_Showers/index.html"

Thanks in advance for help chaps!

[plumbbob]

Before you dump the (not so new) electric shower have you checked the inline filter?? Many showers have an all too small metal gauze filter that blocks easily.

Yes it is true the pumped shower MUST be tank fed. IF you think about it, how can the pump "suck" the extra water? Where can it come from? There is a risk of air being drawn in when a cold tap is opened or worse, there is a health risk if the underground main is perforated.

[Elev8]

Hi Bob,

Thanks for the tip about the gauze filter. I didn't know about those and will definitely check. It definitely seems as though something is blocked or the flow restricted, because the shower starts to "work" and then seems to cut out, with the low pressure light on.

Thanks also for confirming that the pumped showers need to be tank fed. I had thought so too, but wanted to seek advice from someone in the know.