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[gsdtrainer]

OK, if you guys are so hot tonight can anyone tell me what is going on with our plumbing system?  The plumber either doesn't know what's happening, or is useless at explaining it.

I am told that it is called a 'power shower', although the water heater is not in the shower.  There is a hot water tank heated by the GCH, and an electric pump that pumps hot and cold water to the shower.  The tub has normal hot and cold taps.  There are also 2 or 3 water tanks in the loft.

The problem is that the electric pump switches off after 12 minutes or so.  Usually it is both sides, but sometimes just the cold water stops and scalding hot water comes out.  We have been after the landlord, and he has had the plumber in.  

The plumber says we are using up the hot water, but then why would the pump stop?  Wouldn't it just go cold?  It certainly shouldn't go hot when we run out of hot water!  Help please!

If this is happening,you have a faulty shower.they are thermostatically controlled and should shut down if it goes over the set temperature.

quoteNot neccassarily, it could be a simple shower valve witout thermostatic control [/]
Didn't think of that,Mark,I was thinking of the power shower units

[Kevin Wood]

Power showers should be fed from a single header tank (the same tank as is feeding the hot water cylinder) and the outlet to the cold side of the pump must be below the level of the outlet to the hot water cylinder so that it is the hot side which sucks air first in the event of a low water level.

TBH, most power showers can use water faster than the tank can fill, so it is vital that the header tank capacity is sufficient.

It sounds to me like one or more of the following is wrong with your setup:

1) more than 1 header tank feeding the system (header tanks connected to form a single capacity are OK)
2) incorrect levels of outlets from the header tanks
3) insufficient header tank capacity
4) slow filling of the header tank or tank not filling to an adequate level

I would point out to your landlord that the installation is likely to be dangerous and not compliant with water authority regulations.

Kevin

[theolodian]

Cheers guys, I'll get up in the loft in the next day or so and check it out again with a better idea of what to look for.  

Soooo much simpler in the states.  Brute force.