Do we need to keep water pump on all the time?

B

BetsyClark

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152
Hi

Our new house has a water pump. We have gas fired central heating, 2 showers run off the pump.

Thing is it's upstairs in the hot press and is quite noisy, and kicks in when the dishwasher is switched on, toilet is flushed etc and at night might be a problem for my sleeping toddler.

Recently it was switched off by a tradesman (don't know which one) and I didn't notice for a while, all water pumped well from taps and toilets flushed OK. My Q is - what does this pump do and do I need it?

Betsy
 
Does your dishwasher have a hot fed?

Nearly all dishwashers are mains fed (cold). They should not cause your pump to activate. Maybe the pump only sends hot and cold water to showers and either the pump is piped wrong or there is a fault within the pump.
 
BetsyClark said:
...at night might be a problem for my sleeping toddler........My Q is - what does this pump do and do I need it?
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First thing I'd say, is: if you're toddler hasn't awoken, yet, then he won't. The sound level, pump included, becomes part of his normal background level. They ain't half as fussy as you think !!

As for what it does, did you not notice, with pump off, any drop off in shower performance....??
 
Sounds to me like your ball cock is set too sensitive.... the pump shouldn't be going that often...
 
some pumps (ie the craps ones) make a noise (as if they're running all the time) and some do not. As with all things house building related if you done get fussy then you will be supplied with bog standard.
 
BetsyClark said:
Hi

Our new house has a water pump. We have gas fired central heating, 2 showers run off the pump.

Thing is it's upstairs in the hot press and is quite noisy, and kicks in when the dishwasher is switched on, toilet is flushed etc and at night might be a problem for my sleeping toddler.

Recently it was switched off by a tradesman (don't know which one) and I didn't notice for a while, all water pumped well from taps and toilets flushed OK. My Q is - what does this pump do and do I need it?

Betsy
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Hello betsy not a hard one to answer. The plumber has attached the pump to your main water suppy which means that any tap, toilet,shower,bath etc when in use will activate the pump. In your hot press there should be a switch simply turn it off as this will solve the problem. The pump in your hot press should only be on when you are having a shower or you want to fill your bath quicker. The plumber should have explained this to you. We have a 3 bar pump in our hot press which is above normal and We simply hit the switch when having a shower or bath and turn it off every other time. I would also say that the water supply board will not be happy with you as you are using up so much water by leaving the switch on. The tradesman which turned it off for you was doing you a favour. In case you are wondering there are no side effects to the pump by switching on and off, however you will be saving a lot of water.
 
Thank you all

The pump has been off since Friday and everything is working grand without it. The shower is weaker, but still good enough and it's good to know that there's no harm done if we turn it on just for shower.

I will ask the plumber if it's all set up OK, just for peace of mind.

Thanks again

Betsy
 
O'Fla said:
Hello betsy not a hard one to answer. The plumber has attached the pump to your main water suppy which means that any tap, toilet,shower,bath etc when in use will activate the pump. In your hot press there should be a switch simply turn it off as this will solve the problem. The pump in your hot press should only be on when you are having a shower or you want to fill your bath quicker. The plumber should have explained this to you. We have a 3 bar pump in our hot press which is above normal and We simply hit the switch when having a shower or bath and turn it off every other time. I would also say that the water supply board will not be happy with you as you are using up so much water by leaving the switch on. The tradesman which turned it off for you was doing you a favour. In case you are wondering there are no side effects to the pump by switching on and off, however you will be saving a lot of water.
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Dont understand that issue. Pumps only supply the same amount of water faster. The volume does not increase..
 
sfag said:
Dont understand that issue. Pumps only supply the same amount of water faster. The volume does not increase..
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Hello of course the volumn being used increases. As the water coming out is at a higher pressure more water is being used. Turn the bath on for one minute with the pump on and without the pump on. I think you'll find if you measure both ,when the pump was on it's at least 10 times greater.
 
a typical 3 bar pump gives out 9 litres of water a minute where as gravity can be from 4 to 6 liters a minute depending on head height so yes pump gives out a lot more water
 
doh. lads.
You dont fill a sink, or kettle or bath based on a time period.
You do it based on capacity. its the same volume each time.
A full bath is a full bath, except with a pump you dont ahve to wait as long.

The reason the plumber give the original poster a pump is that he was implementing a precaution agains the pressure dropping - possibly in the future.
In new builds it often happens that as other new houses get added the pressure drops.
In old roads there are often smaller leaks (in the roads mains) that go undected that will result in lower pressure over time.
 
i think what the guys are implying is more water will be used for showering, wash basins in bathrooms etc, as running a shower for 10 mins with a pumpw will naturally use more water than without.
 
dj01 said:
i think what the guys are implying is more water will be used for showering, wash basins in bathrooms etc, as running a shower for 10 mins with a pumpw will naturally use more water than without.
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Eh. y'know my taps are kind of revolutionary and let the water out less fast the less I turn them and faster the more i turn them. Pump or no pump. stopper or no stopper.
Have to say I still dont get it.

Did you guys not see that episode of Sienfeld where Kramers hair goes flat the water pressure gets reduced.
 
We have a similar 3 bar pump inthe hotpress and I have noticed that when it is switched off there is only a trickle of water in the taps. Is this noemal or is there something wrong with the way it was installed?
 
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