General Plumbing

Water Pump Installation

If the shower upstairs runs weak, or an old pump has finally given up, a correctly chosen and properly plumbed pump gives you steady pressure at every outlet. We size it, fit it, wire it, prime it and test it, and leave it running quietly.

Call 01273 911551
Loft heating plant board with a red circulating pump, four zone valves and copper pipeworkLoft heating plant board with a red circulating pump, four zone valves and copper pipework

What's involved

Pumps come in several shapes, and the right one depends on how your water gets to the tap in the first place.

Shower And Whole House Pumps

Single and twin impeller pumps for gravity fed systems, sized to the outlets they serve and matched to positive or negative head.

Replacing A Failed Pump

Swapping out a pump that has seized, started leaking or turned noisy, and putting right whatever in the original install shortened its life.

Pressure Vessels And Controls

Accumulators and pressure vessels that steady the supply and stop a pump switching on and off every time somebody runs a tap.

Pipework And Connections

Dedicated draw offs, isolating valves, strainers, check valves and flexible tails, plumbed and wired so the pump can be serviced later.

First, is a pump actually the answer

Weak water is not always a pump problem, and fitting one to the wrong fault just makes an expensive noise. A partly closed stopcock, a furred up shower hose, a blocked filter or a scaled mixer will all feel exactly like low pressure at the outlet. So the first thing we do is measure what is arriving at the property and what is reaching the tap, and find out where the drop actually happens.

It also matters a great deal how your house is fed. A gravity system, with a cold tank in the loft and a hot water cylinder below it, is the classic candidate for a shower or whole house pump. A mains fed home is different: pumping straight off the incoming main is restricted under the water regulations, so where more pressure is genuinely needed the answer is usually an accumulator, or a break tank with a booster set, rather than a pump spliced into the supply pipe.

A pump fitted to the wrong problem is louder, not better.

Choosing the right pump

For a gravity system, the choice comes down to a few things. A single impeller pump boosts either hot or cold; a twin boosts both and keeps a thermostatic shower balanced. Then there is head. If the cold tank sits well above the pump, a standard positive head unit is fine. If the tank is barely above the shower, or the pump sits at the same level, it needs to be a negative head model that can start on flow rather than waiting for gravity to push it.

Getting the flow rate right matters too. Oversize a pump for a single shower and it will draw the tank down and pull air; undersize it for a bathroom and an en suite running together and neither is satisfying.

Fitting it so it lasts

Most of the pumps we are called out to replace early failed for install reasons, not manufacturing ones. Air is the usual culprit, so a pumped hot supply gets taken from a proper dedicated draw off on the cylinder rather than the vent pipe, where air collects. The cold side is taken low in the tank, clear of any sediment sitting at the bottom.

The pump itself goes on a solid, level base with room around it to get a hand in later. It is connected with flexible tails to keep vibration out of the rigid pipework, and given isolating valves on both sides so it can be serviced or changed without draining anything. Strainers and a check valve go in where the system needs them, and the electrical connection is made off a suitable fused, switched supply.

More information

What we test before we call it finished

  • Every joint, with the system at full working pressure
  • Flow and pressure at each outlet the pump serves, hot and cold together
  • That the pump primes properly and is not drawing air
  • Noise and vibration levels with the pump under load
  • That it cuts in and out cleanly instead of cycling rapidly
  • The thermostatic shower staying stable when another tap is opened
  • Isolating valves working, and the pump accessible for future servicing

After that it is a matter of keeping an eye on things: unusual noise, a change in pressure or any sign of a weep are all worth a call, and the manufacturer's guidance will set out any periodic checks.

Part of a bigger job

Pumps often come up in the middle of something else. A new bathroom, an extension or a loft conversion changes what the system is being asked to do, and it is far easier to plan the pump in at first fix than to find room for one afterwards. We do complete bathroom design and installation, and first and second fix plumbing, so it can be designed in from the start.

We are based in Woodingdean and cover Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Lewes, Shoreham-by-Sea, Haywards Heath, Seaford, Burgess Hill and surrounding Sussex towns.

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Before you book

What people usually want to know before we fit a pump.

How do I know if I need a water pump?
Weak flow upstairs, a shower that fades when another tap is opened, or a bath that takes an age to fill are the usual signs. That said, low pressure can just as easily be a partly closed valve, a scaled shower head or a blocked filter. We measure what is arriving at the property and what is reaching the outlet before recommending a pump.
Can a pump be fitted to a mains fed system?
Not directly. Pumping straight off the incoming main is restricted under the water regulations, so on a mains fed home the usual route to better pressure is an accumulator, or a break tank with a booster set. We will look at your incoming supply and explain which of those suits the house.
What is the difference between a single and a twin impeller pump?
A single impeller pump boosts one supply, either the hot or the cold. A twin boosts both together, which is what a thermostatic shower needs to stay balanced when the pressure changes. Which one you need depends on the outlets being served and how they are fed.
Why do some pumps need to be negative head?
A standard positive head pump relies on gravity to start it, so it needs the cold tank to sit well above the outlet. Where the tank is barely higher than the shower, or the pump sits level with it, a negative head model is required because it can sense flow and start itself. Fitting the wrong type is a common reason a pump refuses to run reliably.
Will a new pump be noisy?
A correctly sized pump, sat on a solid level base and connected with flexible tails, should be quiet enough to forget about. Noise and vibration usually come from rigid connections, a loose mounting, air being drawn into the pump, or a unit that is too big for the job. We check all of those as part of the install.
What maintenance does a water pump need?
Very little day to day. Keep an eye out for unusual noise, a change in pressure or any sign of a weep at the connections, and follow the manufacturer's guidance for any periodic checks. We fit isolating valves either side so servicing or replacement later does not mean draining the system.
How do I get a quote for having a pump fitted?
Give us a ring on 01273 911551 and tell us which outlets are affected and whether you have a tank in the loft. We usually want to see the system before quoting, since the right pump depends on how the house is fed. You can also call in and talk it over at 58 Warren Road in Woodingdean.
Which areas do you cover?
We are based in Woodingdean and cover Brighton, Hove, Worthing, Lewes, Shoreham-by-Sea, Haywards Heath, Seaford, Burgess Hill and surrounding Sussex towns.

Let's sort your water pressure

Tell us what the showers and taps are doing and we will work out what your system needs.

Call 01273 911551