Increasing Pressure and flow in gravity systems
You can increase the pressure of your gravity system by 3 or 4 metres head with a single ShowerPowerBooster SP2B pump fitted next to your hot water cylinder.
This can make every tap and shower better and we call this the whole house solution.
The same pump but with alternative fitting locations can improve the flow and pressure to a single tap and shower and it improves flows and pressures in any existing gravity system, with no major changes to your plumbing. A shower power booster can simply add 3 or 4 metres head to your pressure (better than moving your cold header tank from the loft to the roof apex), fitting our pump to protect and boost a single tap or shower, a shower power booster, can boost and protect the flow and temperature at a shower or tap and we call this the protected flow solution.
There are 2 basic choices of where to fit a single or pair of shower power boosters.
1) Immediately next to the hot water cylinder the pumps can boost every tap and shower in the house (Whole House Solution).
2) On the pipes that feed a shower or tap only, it will maintain that shower even if other taps are being used in the home (Protected Flow Solution).
These options are shown are in our fitting guide along with options such as boosting electric showers, combination boilers, and much more. You will get a booklet with our pumps but download our latest fitting guide by using the orange link on this page.
Most people get away with just a single Shower Power Booster pressurising the shot, which should balance an existing cold pressure if the cold is gravity fed or if the cold is mains fed. A good mixer tap will balance hot and cold with a pressure differential of 4 to 1 or even 5 to 1 (which is why we have carefully sized the pump as we have – powerful enough but not too powerful so that it unbalances the pressure).
If you want to double the pressure added by a Shower Power Booster (SP2B £125), just fit a 2 pump pack (SP21S £155). Adding a second slave pump in series (in any order), double the pressure added.
Because our pumps will not cavitate, you can fit them far away from the cylinder and a good choice is under a bath, in the loft, and anywhere its easy to get at the existing pipes to fit one. Slice the pipe (remove 110mm of straight pipe), insert the pump, tighten the compression joints (everything is provided and ready to fit for 15mm and 22mm pipe), plug it in.
Because our pumps will not pull in air, you can fit them close to the airing cylinder or directly under a cold water tank in the loft.
You can also buy metric to imperial conversion olives for Irish customers and those with old Victorian plumbing systems, but you will need to buy stiffening inserts if fitting onto a plastic pipe.
If your hot and cold supply are both very low pressure, or your mixer is very poor at balancing pressures, then go for a SP22S to give balanced flow, but if you are unsure you can always try a single pump on the hot and upgrade by buying an extra pump (discounted prices for existing customers). If upgrading to balanced flow, we recommend that you upgrade with a second automatic rather than just a slave, as this will eliminate hunting which might result from a mixer tap adjusting temperatures too slowly then overcompensating.
For those that want more pressure than a single pump can deliver, you just fit a second shower power booster in series on the hot to give you twice the pressure, but be careful as you may need to rebalance the cold by putting this on mains pressure or add another shower power booster on the cold.
At the heart of the invention is a brass fitting and non return valve which allows upstream and downstream pressure cells either side of the pump. This gives us the unique ability to use a much smaller pump very efficiently. The end result is that we can achieve results equal to pumps 20 times larger. The pump will react to the flow and pressure needed for a bath or a shower or tap, giving the correct flow and pressure automatically for each, and will even go into a safe energy-saving mode if pumping against a closed tap.
Connecting a Shower Power Booster To The Mains
Connecting a shower power booster to a mains supply is very easy and this can be a major advantage over our competitors. Click the link below to see how.
Connecting a Shower Power Booster To The Mains.
General Fitting Instructions
The pump will fit into 22mm or 15mm pipe either vertically or horizontally. Cut the pipe using a pipe slice (we sell these on our web site showerpowerbooster.com), and prepare the copper pipe (wire wool), remove the compression nuts either end, insert the fitting, tighten the compression joint.
*Check for leaks and retighten accordingly.
*Plug into 3 pin socket.
*Pumps can be ordered to connect directly to 15mm pipework and have the adaptors fitted prior to dispatch.
*If you have difficulty fitting the pump because there is little ‘play’ to move the pipes apart, then consideration should be given to using a ‘compression slip joint’ (available on our web site showerpowerbooster.com). Simply cut the pipe again to take a section of pipe out. Use the slip joint to reassemble after the pump is fitted.
* The automatic shower power booster is designed as a slip fitting so another slip joint may not be required.
Power supply
The fully automatic shower power booster has an integral magnetic rotor which, when water flows, causes the rotor to turn creating changes in magnetic flux. A Hall detector detects these changes in magnetic flux and switches the pump on/off depending on water flowing or not.
Position of the pump
The pump can be fitted anywhere between the cylinder and the tap or shower you wish to improve. Do not fit it between the hot water cylinder and the vent pipe from the cylinder to the cold water tank in your loft.
*There is an arrow on the pump indicating the direction of flow.
*The pump will improve any tap or shower in your home fed by that pipe, so for maximum effect the pump can be fitted close to your hot water cylinder to serve multiple taps and showers. Close to the tank it should have plenty of water to pump. Try to avoid putting it too far away from the cylinder as it will only pump water that reaches the pump and the pump may starve. Provided the pump does not starve, many customers have excellent results fitting the pumps in a bedroom close to the shower.
*If fitted vertically on a horizontal pipe, make sure the barrel of the pump is rotated downwards to avoid trapping air. In many homes the pump is an excellent way of clearing air trapped in pipework downstream of the pump.
Draining the pipe to fit the pump
There is no need to drain the hot water cylinder in order to fit the pump.
1 Turn off the cold feed which goes into the bottom of the hot water cylinder by turning the control valve clockwise.
2 Turn on any hot tap which is below the level at which you want to fit the pump and wait until you the flow stops. If the flow does not stop after a few seconds check that the control valve between the cylinder and the tank is fully closed.
Hint:
Drain from an upstairs tap if you can as this will drain the pipe quicker and there is less chance of pulling in air to parts of the system that do not need to be drained.
If the flow does not stop, it is because the control valve is broken and for your own piece of mind this should be replaced asap. Take the opportunity of replacing the valve at the same time as fitting the pump. The flow to the cold tank can be stopped by tying the float valve into the closed position or turning off the incoming mains supply. The cold tank should be emptied by opening a cold tap. Always place a towel beneath the pipe you are fitting the pump, as there is always a chance of a dribble of water in the pipe.
Suitable Applications
In most homes, a single pump on the hot is all that is required, as the mixer tap or shower will balance the flow. Avoid mixers and taps which are designed only for high pressure systems. The majority of thermostatic and manual mixer taps are designed to work with one or two metres head and with showerpowerbooster give a truly excellent shower.
