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[ians]

We've got one of those showers with a pump next to the hot water tank and a valvle in the cubicle.  Its very good compared to the integrated electric ones that produce nothing but a dribble..

However its started playing up.  When you turn the shower on, it takes a while to activate the pump - does eventually but should be (and used to be) instantaneous.  When you turn the shower off, the pump runs on for quite a while - up to a minute or two before it turns off.

So I am wondering what activates/deactivates the pump and why it appears to be getting lazy...  (we live in a hard water area so could be limescale related..)

Any plumbers in the house??

[miggy]

Had a simular problem, it turned out to be the pressure due to the pump being scaled up in the impelers.

Cleaned the pump and it worked fine after that.

The pump works of pressures.

[ians]

How did you clean the pump?  Strip it down or somehow flush it through?

Cheers
Ian

[miggy]

I stripped it down as all the fittings were quick release.

[sir moanalot]

i dont work on many shower pumps but would suspect a sticking valve operated by the electrical connections, someone may offer a different possibility ?

[TheBoy]

Must be the season for broken showers

[Matchless]

Majority of shower pumps use flow sensors in the outlet pipes, they get gummed up and cant move freely so either wont switch pump on or (in the case of mine at present) wont turn it off when you close the valve.
Just needs a strip down and clean, possibly a little kettle descaler in the hot sensor.

[smoothomega]

Can sometimes be flow sensors but more often than not they are pressure switch operated and lime scale can prevent correct operation, isolate the pump and remove, fill each side of the pump with a strong mix of fernox and leave overnight, this should free up any sticking valves/sensors. Hope this helps and good luck  
Cheers, Jez

[ians]

Thanks for your replies chaps.

Interestingly if I turn the temp control all the way to cold, the pump switches on immediately.     I guess this is due to the higher pressure of the cold supply from the cold tank in the loft, vs the hot water tank that sits next to it :-/  Doesn't affect it turning off though.

I will research further at the weekend when no doubt it will be pissing down again eliminating outside jobs ..