PDA

View Full Version : Gravity Fed HWS pump















rapapa
4th November 2007, 11:48 AM
Hello,

We have moved into a rented house that has mains pressure cold water with gravity fed hot water. Consequently the shower pressure is pathetic. I have asked the owner to install a mains pressure HWS but the tightar** wont do it. I dont mind spending a little bit of money to get better showers and wanted to know if it is a simple cheap job to install an inline hot water pump like these ones on ebay:

HW pump1 (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/WATER-PUMP-INLINE-PRESSURE-BOOSTER-for-HOT-COLD-WATEr_W0QQitemZ320177158717QQihZ011QQcategoryZ46412QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)
HW pump2 (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/HOT-WATER-CIRCULATOR-PUMP-W-3-SPEED-240-VOLT-NEW_W0QQitemZ250182268331QQihZ015QQcategoryZ78973QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem)

Any other ideas would be appreciated. I have looked at installing an electric hot water system off the mains pressure cold water but these units require upto 40 amp electrical outlets as well as plumbing. I am yet to try an oxygenating shower head, Ive bought one but waiting for it to arrive. Ive even looked at moving but it tooks us ages to find an house that will accept our dog so I don't really want to go through all that again.
Thanks

wonderplumb
4th November 2007, 12:20 PM
Not something Id like to do installing a pump in the ceiling, youd have to put a safetray under it and drain it to outside, then there may be an issue with noise transmission through your ceiling. Another way to do it would be to take the HW line outside to the pump then back in. A lot of hassle for a rental place. What type of shower head do you have? Try the standard shower arm with the round head, you can get them from bunnies or reece for around $15, pull the flow restrictor out of it and see how you go. If the landlord is a tight wad, check that he hasnt had flow restrictors installed in the tap bodies.

zelig
5th November 2007, 10:09 PM
Try the standard round universal showerhead without flow restrictor like WP said but then the next problem is trying to adjust the temperature because the cold is so much stronger. You can help this by installing an aqualoc water saving washer in the cold side to slow it down aqualoc.com.au (http://www.aqualoc.com.au/mainframe.html) , you have to experiment with different models to get it right though.