Surrey Flange... Absolutely necessary or not?

Treadway1

ormus wrote: »

try lowering the water level of the CWS tank.
or fit a larger tank. maybe two tanks linked?
(just thinking out loud).

Think out loud away, all suggestions are welcome

Id read in a few places that lowering the water level would help, so I bent the ballcock arm last night to do this but didnt figure out the backfilling issue until this morning so it had still started to overflow when I got up.

Out of interest though, what does the lower water level do? Is it a case of having more water means more pressure being exerted down in to the cylinder and then causing the system to overflow (hence why the vent was overflowing) and having less water lowers the pressure of water being forced out of the CWS tank.... Now Im thinking out loud so realise I could be talking complete gibberish! :rotfl:

Canucklehead

Hi.

Have you connected the shower pump to the cold main?
If yes then no, disconnect it.Not allowed.

Unless you address the fact you have cold mains and gravity stored water for hot you will never have a satisfactory shower (unless you use a venturi type shower mixer, such as the Ideal Trevi?)
Rip up the floors and fit a dedicated hot and cold supply to the shower pump would be my recommendation.
You can ,and should fit, NRVs to the hot and cold pipes this will reduce your hot water flow as the bore is restrictive .
So you can see how you will be going round in circles until you bite the bullet and do it properly.

GSR.

Treadway1

Canucklehead wrote: »

Hi.

Have you connected the shower pump to the cold main?
If yes then no, disconnect it.Not allowed.

Unless you address the fact you have cold mains and gravity stored water for hot you will never have a satisfactory shower (unless you use a venturi type shower mixer, such as the Ideal Trevi?)
Rip up the floors and fit a dedicated hot and cold supply to the shower pump would be my recommendation.
You can ,and should fit, NRVs to the hot and cold pipes this will reduce your hot water flow as the bore is restrictive .
So you can see how you will be going round in circles until you bite the bullet and do it properly.

GSR.

Thankfully, I did know it was illegal to pump a mains supply before I bought one. . On an aside though, I also found out that this means a jet washer (for washing your car, etc.) connected to the mains, i.e. an outside tap, is technically illegal as youre still pumping a mains supply.... Who knew! :eek:

Anway, I think youre right in that Im going to have to run a new feed for the shower. Im wondering if I can take it from the cylinder and up over the ceiling in the loft, which would make it easier. I know that Id then have no gravity feed on it but as it will be going through a negative head pump, Im hoping that shouldnt be a problem. I can also run a cold water feed easily enough from there as well.

More work to be done then.... :sad:

rorygooner

Treadway1 wrote: »

Hey all,

Im hoping that after the childish giggling at the name (;)), someone may be able to offer some advice on whether or not a Surrey flange is essential with the new shower pump Im putting in?

Ive read up loads about them and know that they are to stop air bubbles going through the pump and causing premature wear on it and that one of the connections feeds the existing pipework and the other should be used for a new pipe run to the shower pump, but thats where my problems lies, in that it physically impossible to run a new feed from the hot water cylinder to the bathroom (Well, not without ripping up the floorboards in about 3 rooms anyway!!! :eek:)

So my question is, is it absolutely imperative that I fit one of these flanges and what will happen if I dont?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Treaders

Once you have fitted your flange to the top of the cylinder you would tee off from the hot water feed to your pump, from there go straight up into the roof space, then route that across to the shower room and drop down, no need to lift any floor boards.

Nukumai

ormus wrote: »

An Essex flange requires a hole to be drilled in the side of the tank.

Though in some cases (like my own) the availability of a suitable secondary return inlet on the HWC can preclude the need for a hole to be drilled.