by richieplum »
Sat Oct 06, 2007 11:22 pm
The pipes feeding the basin are most likely tank-hot, and mains-cold. To be sure turn off the main stop-tap to the house. Then try the cold water at the kitchen sink. If this is stopped then try the tap of the basin in the bathroom. If this has also stopped it is mains ( they usually are ). You CAN NOT pump mains ! If the tap runs regardless of the stop-tap being off then it is obviously tank, and can be pumped, but you are unlikely to be able to get sufficient water flow for your purposes through two 15mm pipes so it would almost certainly be advisable to fit new supplies. Once you are committed to that idea, it wouldn't hurt to fit the pump in the airing cupboard. Fit a tee into the hot pipe as soon as it leaves the top of the cylinder, and a tank connector into the storage tank in the loft. Take these two supplies to the pump in 22mm, and then away to the site of the new shower. Reduce to 15mm as close to the site of the shower as possible, and remember to fit two gate valves in the supplies to the pump to faciitate service ( 22mm gate valves cost about half as much as a length of 15mm pipe but save a lot of heartache ). There is a special tee piece available that fits into the top of the cylinder itself, but I can never remember its name, and I don't much like the thought of trying to turn out a fitting that may have been made in with boss white and hemp anyway so the soldered or compression tee option is always my favourite.
