How to choose the right shower pump
Choosing the right shower pump can be quite confusing and with such a variety on the market, the impact the water pump can have on the shower system can be huge. Mr Central Heating only offers a couple of brands of shower pump. Our most popular brand is Grundfos as it is probably the brand that offers the most comprehensive range on the market. There is also the fact that Grundfos offer the best quality manufactured shower pumps, and the company offers excellent support and back up. The brand itself is synonymous with domestic and commercial pumps. It is one of the largest pump manufacturers in the world and has a testing facility in Denmark that sets the standard for all of Europe.
In this blog we will try and take the jargon out of a getting the best pump for your house. There is also a pump exchange guide that is available from Mr Central Heating if you call your local store.
What types of shower pumps are there?
The first bit of jargon that you may come up against is single or twin impeller! This refers to the number of impellers or rotors inside the pump. A single impeller will just pump one flow of water and the twin impeller pump will pump both the hot and cold water supply to your shower head. So if you have an issue with just the cold water you would use a single and if you want to pump the hot and cold water then you need to use a twin impeller shower pump. The next bit you might come across is whether it is negative, positive or universal. This is a reference to the position of the hot water tank also known as the hot water cylinder. The position of the water tank is considered negative when it is located either underneath or beside the shower or outlet that you need to increase the water flow on. If you have the hot water above the shower or tap then you have a positive head, so there is pressure there to help the pump. A universal shower will do both and a really good option. A good test to see if do not have a great head of water is to drop the shower head and see if the flow rate reduces. You need to use a universal pump if you have a negative head of water and these are generally more expensive. A head pump will be ideal for those with a positive head water system. Occasionally it is worth planning ahead when fitting a new shower or shower pump and consider the rest of your plumbing system before you purchase anything new. If you're considering moving to a combi-boiler system or looking to remove your cold water storage tank or changing your gravity-fed-system in the future, then all these aspects need to be taken into consideration choosing a new shower pump.
Shower pumps and water pressure
The next one is down to you and the amount of water and pressure that you want. The more bar rating a pump, the better the pressure, the better the flow and the more outlets that it will cover. Grundfos also offer a number of really big, whole house pumps and mains boosters that suit houses that have really poor pressure coming into a property. The good news is whether you have a low water pressure, or a higher pressure, there are solutions that can help, especially in the case of low pressure, which can be qutie common in British homes. Check out Homeboosters, Amazon Extras and MQ3 Range. So if you just want a cost effective solution to a poor shower use a Niagara 1.5 Bar Twin pump which will boost your flow up to 1.5 bar on the hot and the cold water. If you want a whole lot more then you need to go to a 2.0, 3.0 or 4.0 Bar pump. These days most people want a power shower, so even if the water pressure available from the mains water supply is low there are ways to get around the problem. Those homes that have high mains pressure are in more luck, so those looking for a monsoon of water when they take a shower have a wider range of options available to them. After reading this article you are now a pump king or queen so should be in a much better place to select the correct pump type. Unfortunately you have one more choice to make and this is to do with your budget. More cost effective shower pumps are plastic bodied like the Niagara range but if you want to pay a little bit more look at the Amazon range which is brass bodied and has a better performance. The Grundfos range has made it easy to find the shower pump you want and please do not get confused by the product codes as once explained these are also easy, such as the example below.
Shower Pump Codes
S = Shower T = Twin S – Single N = Negative P = Positive or Universal So the following pumps can be described as follows. STN – Shower Twin Negative SSN – Shower Single Negative SSP – Shower Single Positive STP – Shower Twin Positive We hope that this has made the difference but if you are still unsure how to choose the right shower pump call your local Mr Central Heating branch.
