Connecting Existing Water Pump to 2 showers (plumbing help)

raxx99

Hi All,

I have a question regarding my water pump and having it connected to 2 separate showers.

So a twin water pump is currently connected to my main bathroom shower and provides sufficient water pressure when using. Recently we have had our bathrooms re-fitted. The only issue is the ensuite shower has virtually 0 hot water pressure directly out of the mixer tap (no pump connected). My question is, is it possible to extend the pipes (hot+cold) that feed the main shower, and T it off to supply the ensuite shower too? Would this still work?

Sort of like my crude illustration below. The pipe illustrated in red would be the proposed new extended connection. Appreciate any help here 

raxx99

Also to add, can I get away with just extending the hot water pipe, and leaving the cold from the mains in shower 2? The pump is twin so wasn't sure if I HAD to connect/extend both pipes to shower 2 in order for the pump to actually work.

ThisIsWeird

raxx99 said:

Hi All,

I have a question regarding my water pump and having it connected to 2 separate showers.

So a twin water pump is currently connected to my main bathroom shower and provides sufficient water pressure when using. Recently we have had our bathrooms re-fitted. The only issue is the ensuite shower has virtually 0 hot water pressure directly out of the mixer tap (no pump connected). My question is, is it possible to extend the pipes (hot+cold) that feed the main shower, and T it off to supply the ensuite shower too? Would this still work?

Sort of like my crude illustration below. The pipe illustrated in red would be the proposed new extended connection. Appreciate any help here 

Do the two blue lines represent two separate pipes - presumably Hot & Cold - or the sides of a single pipe?

And where does the cold supply to your en-suite come from - a tank or the mains?

But, in essence, if your cold supply is from a CWS (a storage tank), then you should connect both H&C from the pump to your en-suite. If your cold is from the mains, then you might be ok with running just a pumped hot, but you'll be taking a chance.

In short - whatever supplies your existing bathroom shower, you should continue to your en-suite. In any case, it ain't any more tricky to run two 15mm pipes than one :-)

raxx99

ThisIsWeird said:

raxx99 said:

Hi All,

I have a question regarding my water pump and having it connected to 2 separate showers.

So a twin water pump is currently connected to my main bathroom shower and provides sufficient water pressure when using. Recently we have had our bathrooms re-fitted. The only issue is the ensuite shower has virtually 0 hot water pressure directly out of the mixer tap (no pump connected). My question is, is it possible to extend the pipes (hot+cold) that feed the main shower, and T it off to supply the ensuite shower too? Would this still work?

Sort of like my crude illustration below. The pipe illustrated in red would be the proposed new extended connection. Appreciate any help here 

Do the two blue lines represent two separate pipes - presumably Hot & Cold - or the sides of a single pipe?

And where does the cold supply to your en-suite come from - a tank or the mains?

But, in essence, if your cold supply is from a CWS (a storage tank), then you should connect both H&C from the pump to your en-suite. If your cold is from the mains, then you might be ok with running just a pumped hot, but you'll be taking a chance.

In short - whatever supplies your existing bathroom shower, you should continue to your en-suite. In any case, it ain't any more tricky to run two 15mm pipes than one :-)

So those are 2 pipes for hot and cold I believe. Only issue I have was access to the cold water connection on the shower 2 just out of reach without ripping out new tiles and shower tray. So I have just extended the hot 15mm pipe to shower 2 from a splitter on shower 1 hot pipe. The cold water is from mains in shower 2. Seems to be working in shower 2 as I've tested. Yet to test shower 1/both at same time as it's still being fitted. Not too fussed about them both having high pressure at same time, as long as one does that's next to perfect for me.

Thank you for your advice

EssexExile

I have three showers from 1 pump, no problem. as ThisIsWeird says, just replicate what you have in the existing bathroom.

ThisIsWeird

raxx99 said:

ThisIsWeird said:

raxx99 said:

Hi All,

I have a question regarding my water pump and having it connected to 2 separate showers.

So a twin water pump is currently connected to my main bathroom shower and provides sufficient water pressure when using. Recently we have had our bathrooms re-fitted. The only issue is the ensuite shower has virtually 0 hot water pressure directly out of the mixer tap (no pump connected). My question is, is it possible to extend the pipes (hot+cold) that feed the main shower, and T it off to supply the ensuite shower too? Would this still work?

Sort of like my crude illustration below. The pipe illustrated in red would be the proposed new extended connection. Appreciate any help here 

Do the two blue lines represent two separate pipes - presumably Hot & Cold - or the sides of a single pipe?

And where does the cold supply to your en-suite come from - a tank or the mains?

But, in essence, if your cold supply is from a CWS (a storage tank), then you should connect both H&C from the pump to your en-suite. If your cold is from the mains, then you might be ok with running just a pumped hot, but you'll be taking a chance.

In short - whatever supplies your existing bathroom shower, you should continue to your en-suite. In any case, it ain't any more tricky to run two 15mm pipes than one :-)

So those are 2 pipes for hot and cold I believe. Only issue I have was access to the cold water connection on the shower 2 just out of reach without ripping out new tiles and shower tray. So I have just extended the hot 15mm pipe to shower 2 from a splitter on shower 1 hot pipe. The cold water is from mains in shower 2. Seems to be working in shower 2 as I've tested. Yet to test shower 1/both at same time as it's still being fitted. Not too fussed about them both having high pressure at same time, as long as one does that's next to perfect for me.

Thank you for your advice

Shower 2 has mains-supplied cold? And shower 1 has what cold?
Is there an accessible lift above these bathrooms? If so, could you take new feeds from the pump, up and over, to the en-suite?

raxx99

Yes shower 2 cold is connected to mains, and shower 1 cold seems to be connected to water pump as well as hot. To be honest I've always had problems turning the temperature low with the shower 1, it seemed to always be quite warm no matter how low I would set it. Now that shower 2 has mains cold and pump hot, temperature seems to be nicely controlled by the new mixer. It may just have been a damaged old mixer in shower 1 that caused the temperature imbalance perhaps.

I have a loft above, but again the issue is having to rip up newly fitted bathroom to get to pipes again. Just doesn't feel worth it.

ThisIsWeird

raxx99 said:

Yes shower 2 cold is connected to mains, and shower 1 cold seems to be connected to water pump as well as hot. To be honest I've always had problems turning the temperature low with the shower 1, it seemed to always be quite warm no matter how low I would set it. Now that shower 2 has mains cold and pump hot, temperature seems to be nicely controlled by the new mixer. It may just have been a damaged old mixer in shower 1 that caused the temperature imbalance perhaps.

I have a loft above, but again the issue is having to rip up newly fitted bathroom to get to pipes again. Just doesn't feel worth it.

So you have plumbed the en-suite shower with pumped hot and mains cold? And it works? There's your answer, then
Not sure what is likely to happen if both showers used at the same time - I guess that just needs a trial too!
If shower one had both H&C supplied by the pump from a stored water system, then the lack of obtaining a cool shower temp is most likely down to a faulty thermo cartridge.