An electric pump is a useful accessory for enhancing your showering experience and maintaining a steady pressure and flow of water to the shower head. Shower pumps work most efficiently on stored water rather than direct mains water to a storage tank, while not essential, is preferable.

Installing a shower pump is a relatively straightforward job, but to avoid the mistakes that are commonly made during the shower pump installation process, the team at Anchor Pumps have put together the following tips:

Failing To Provide Adequate Ventilation For The Pump

As with all electrical equipment, shower pumps generate heat, so the area around the pump should be well ventilated. Failure to provide this may result in the motor overheating and burning out. Don’t be tempted to insulate the pump. If you are concerned about it freezing then it’s in the wrong place and should be fitted in an alternative frost-free location. Furthermore, the pump should be easily accessible for purposes of maintenance and servicing.

Poor Placement Of The Pump

There should always be a distance of at least 600mm from the bottom of the cold water storage tank down to the top of the pump motor casing to allow for adequate system pressure. Effectively, the pump should be as low as possible and the water input head as high as possible. It should also be at least 600mm from the shower tray or basin to comply with electrical wiring regulations.

Inadequate Water Storage

Make sure you have enough cold water in the storage tank to supply both the shower and the hot water tank. More than 225 litres is advised to maintain a constant supply of hot water to the shower.

Attaching The Pump To The Floor

Never screw the pump to the floor as this will result in excessive vibration noise. It’s best to site it on a shallow bed of concrete or a concrete building block. This will absorb the vibration and keep noise levels down.

Failure To Flush

Before making the final connections to the shower pump the existing pipe-work should be fully flushed to remove all foreign bodies such as rust flakes and sediment from the system. Failure to do so could lead to debris entering the pump, impeding its function and shortening its useful life.

Anchor Pumps supply a wide range of shower pumps from leading brands including Salamander, Grundfos and Stuart Turner all available to buy online. Single and twin impellor and positive and negative head models are also available to purchase, with money-saving promotions now on all Salamander products at Anchor Pumps.

Advice from the Manufacturers

Many of the leading shower pump brands also provide guidance on their website, with videos, diagrams and step by step tips to help you when installing shower pumps. Salamander have a useful installation guide on their website, along with downloadable PDFs and YouTube videos for specific pump models such at the Home Booster Pump.