Shower Pumps

At Pump Sales Direct, we only stock products we truly value; products that we think our customers will value too. By only stocking pumps our customers have shown a demonstrable interest in, we strive to provide customers with all of their pump requirements. All of our offerings are sourced from the most reputable and best established manufacturers in the world - from Danish-based Grundfos to the German brand ABS. Every product is of the utmost quality, but, partly because of demand, partly because of the product itself, some products are able to separate themselves from the rest. In this post, we want to introduce you to some of our bestsellers and why you should consider purchasing them.

Salamander CT50 Xtra 1.5 Bar Twin Impeller Regenerative Positive Head Shower Pump

Over the past three decades, Salamander Pumps have slowly but surely cemented their position as one of the best and biggest manufacturers of shower pumps in the UK. Owing to their decision to completely overhaul their product range and revamp it according to feedback from installers and homeowners five years ago, their ascent has accelerated. Their twin impeller regenerative positive head shower pump is amongst our most popular products. Key to the success of any shower pump is how little noise it can emit. As well as being extremely quiet, the Salamander CT50 shower pump is straightforward to fit and very durable, making it everything you could ever ask for from a shower pump.

Grundfos UPS2 25-80 

Grundfos is a giant of the pumps industry. Merchandised by distributors in over fifty countries, you can expect to encounter Grundfos’ globe-spanning influence wherever you are in the world. You only get to such a coveted position by putting out products of supreme quality year after year. Grundfos’ UPS2 - 25-80 heating circulator pump is a perfect example of unmatched performance. Rated A, in compliance with EUP energy regulations designed to indicate to consumers a product’s  energy efficiency, this heating circulator from Grundfos will help your home more effectively heat and distribute water throughout your home - making your household more eco-friendly in the process.

ABS Robusta 200 W/TS manual/automatic submersible pump, 230v 

ABS, a branch of Swiss manufacturing powerhouse Sulzer, produces a range of more than capable submersible pumps. The Robusta 200TS (230V) submersible pump from ABS is a versatile and reliable offering. A light drainage submersible pump, it has proved one of our most bestselling products. Designed for pumping clear water and wastewater, it is an affordable way to keep your house, garden or yard free from flooding. It even has built-in level control and a check valve, just to make sure.

Here, we have presented three of our best selling products. If you have any questions about any of these products (or anything else for that matter) please do not hesitate to get in touch. You can contact us by phone, email or through our contact form.

If your bathroom is beginning to look tired and worn, it may well be time to consider making some changes. The thought of updating your bathroom décor is often accompanied by a sense of impending doom with the inevitable outlay of cash. An update to a rapidly deteriorating bathroom needn’t be an extremely expensive undertaking. On the contrary, with the right advice, you can rejuvenate both the appearance and efficiency of your bathroom affordably in one fell swoop. From replacing outdated, ineffective pumps with newer, more efficient alternatives to updating your décor DIY-style, transforming your bathroom for the better is very much achievable.

Quiet shower pumps

Replacing or installing a new shower pump is a practical move that will serve your bathroom well for years to come. If you don’t already have a shower pump installed, you only have yourself for to blame for the disappointingly weak water flow emanating from your shower. If on the other hand, you do have a shower pump bolstering your water pressure - and have had so for many years, it is most likely time for an upgrade. Technology moves at a rapid rate, and seemingly minor developments can culminate in major improvements in efficiency. This is true too of Salamander shower pumps and Stuart Turner shower pumps.

At Pump Sales Direct, we stock a range of energy efficient products, a great deal of which are shower pumps. Designed to run with extreme efficiency, the installation of one of the latest models of shower pump can equate to a 50% reduction in energy consumption, which is of benefit to both the health of the environment and your finances. Another factor worth noting is just how quiet shower pumps are now. A new shower pump is worth the investment to achieve the kind of tranquilly quiet bathroom you have always hoped for.

Décor

A new shower pump will improve the practical makeup of your bathroom, but it won’t have the kind of impact (at least aesthetically) that actually altering your décor will have.

Lighting

A change in lighting can make a deceptively drastic difference to your bathroom. Scientific studies have demonstrated the strength of the relationship between lighting and mood.  Neglecting older fluorescent lighting in favour of newer LED lighting is an inexpensive way to generate a mood-boosting ambience in your bathroom.

Paint

In a similar fashion to the way a change in lighting can elicit a positive response, so too can a fresh coat of paint. Again, opting for lighter colours is the best strategy. While repainting your bathroom is inexpensive, it does however demand a fair amount of hard work. From ridding the bathroom walls of soap scum to painting around toilet tanks, painting a bathroom properly is no easy task.

Armed with this knowledge, you should be well-equipped to go about injecting a new lease of life into your bathroom. If you are interested in purchasing one of our products but still have a few questions you need answering before you take the plunge, please do not hesitate to get in touch. You can contact us by email, phone or through this contact form.

At Pump Sales Direct, one of our most enduringly popular products is the shower pump. And as one of our most popular products, the burden of responsibility falls on us to provide all potential and current customers with the information with which to make a smart and informed purchase. As simple as the premise of a shower pump is - to boost the water flow emanating from a shower - there are a variety of surrounding complexities that can act as stumbling blocks for customers. One of the most prevalent of which we are going to attempt to answer today - can a shower pump be used with a combi boiler?

What is a combi boiler?

Combi (or combination) boilers are the culmination of a recent spate of research and investment into making a more compact, energy-efficient and cost-efficient replacement for the traditional boiler. While their comparable efficiency has made them a popular choice in recent years they still lag someway behind conventional boilers - partly because of their newness and partly because they can only service smaller properties.

Essentially, a combi boiler is a central heating boiler and a high efficiency water heater rolled into one single compact unit. They operate at mains pressure, which means they don’t the hot and cold water tanks that typically provide for a traditional boiler - which has has advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, they are able to provide an instant supply of temperature regulated water as and when required. On the other hand, they are only able to provide homes with a limited supply of water, meaning that combi boilers are only really sufficient for smaller properties where its capacity to provide hot water to only one source at a time isn’t an issue.

Why can’t a shower pump be used with a combi boiler?

Combi boilers’ reliance on mains pressure is both a blessing and a curse. While it saves space by rendering hot and cold water tanks redundant, it also negates the possibility of adding a shower pump to the system to bolster water pressure.

What are the alternatives?

Ideally, you made sure to check that the flow rate and capacity of your combi boiler is compatible with your shower prior to purchase. However, if you hadn’t, you may need to install an entirely new shower in order to get your water pressure up to the desired level.

What if I don’t have a combi boiler?

If however, you don’t have a combi boiler fitted in your home, shower booster pumps are more than capable of boosting your shower’s water pressure. Instead of being stuck with a shower that isn’t compatible with the rest of your home’s system, most traditional setups can easily be altered and adjusted for the better with the addition of a home booster pump.

Stuart Turner shower pumps and Salamander shower pumps alike, we have a diverse range of quiet shower pumps available at Pump Sales Direct. If you have any questions or queries about any of our products, please do not hesitate to get in touch with a member our team by email or phone - or even this contact form.

A shower pump can have a transformative impact on the quality of the showers in your home. There can however, be an imposing number of barriers to acquiring a quality and affordable pump that perfectly services your home. A shower pump is a sizeable investment and you want to be sure that every penny that you do put towards it is worth it. Acquiring a top of the range product that services your home perfectly is essential. With this in mind, we have put together this guide that answers many of the most common questions and queries that people have when it comes to Grundfos shower pumps. There are a number of inherent factors that affect the lifespan of shower pumps but it is worth noting that there are external factors that also play a role.

Brand name

A well-respected and well renowned brand name is often a signifier of quality and the same is true for shower pumps. At Pump Sales Direct, you will only find products from leading manufacturers, meaning that you can rest assured that each and every purchase you make is a worthwhile investment.

Water quality in your area

The hardness of water is dictated by the levels of dissolved minerals that are present within it. High volumes of magnesium and calcium make hard water particularly reactive - leading to a plethora of inconvenient outcomes. Washing your hands with a combination of soap and hard water is likely to leave behind a residue of sorts. Similarly, in the presence of heat, dissolved calcium reacts to form solid carbon carbonate, which is why hard water leaves behind scale in heating equipment throughout the home. Because of this reaction, the harder the water is in your area, the quicker your shower pump is likely to deteriorate. Therefore, the lifespan of a shower pump can be reduced by the quality of your water supply.

So, what is the average lifespan of a shower pump?

Typically, excepting the influence of all the aforementioned factors and any other uncontrollable interruptions, you can expect a shower pump to last for somewhere around eight years. Of course, this is just a generalised observation and if you are looking for further indication of the durability of the shower pump you are buying, you are best checking the duration of the warranty that has been offered to you. A warranty more or less guarantees the product’s survival. At Pump Sales Direct, the vast majority of our shower pumps are protected by comprehensive two year warranties.

Where to direct any further questions and queries you may have

If you feel any of your questions have been left unanswered, or if you simply need further explanation or clarification, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Our dedicated team are ready and waiting to field any of your questions and queries. Call us on 0800 008 6405, email us or use the contact form on our website.

If you have spent a fair bit of time browsing through the range of shower pumps we have on sale, you may have noticed a piece of notation you were not familiar with - the letter B. Accompanying the brand of shower pump, the number of impellers it has, and its listing as positive or negative head, is a two digit number that lies somewhere within the 1.0 to 5.0 range. This number is an indication of a shower pump’s bar rating. To give you a better insight into exactly what bar is, how it works and how it should affect your decision to buy or not buy a particular shower pump, we have put together this helpful guide.

What is bar?

First things first, an explanation of bar is required. Bar is a metric unit of atmospheric air pressure, and the bar rating of a shower pump is a reflection of its ability to generate pressure. The higher the bar rating, the higher pressure the shower pump is capable of generating. More precisely, 1 bar of pressure is equal to the pressure exerted by 10m of water. Although there are instances of pumps with a full range of bar ratings from 0.5B right through to 5.0B, the vast majority of shower pumps lie somewhere in the 1.5B to 4.5B range.

What bar shower pump do I need?

The sheer scale of the room you aim to service with your shower pump is perhaps the simplest yet strongest indication you can garner of the bar rating you’ll need. A pump with a 0B or 0.5B rating (a rating which you’ll really struggle to find) is incapable of generating any of its own pressure, meaning it is largely reliant on gravity to shift water from A to B. At the opposite end of the spectrum are pumps with a rating of 4.0B, which possess the ability to move masses of water. So much so, that a Grundfos shower pumps guide suggests that a pump with a rating of 4.0B can service two bathroom suites single-handedly. From that, you should have a better idea of the kind of bar rating your shower pump is likely to need.

What other factors should I consider?

Alongside bar, there are a number of other factors you should consider before committing to buy a certain shower pump. Just as important, if not more so, is the positive or negative head status of your shower pump. So too is the pump’s centrifugal or regenerative status. You can read about the implications of positive and negative head shower pumps, as well as centrifugal and regenerative shower pumps here.

What next?

Hopefully, you have a far greater understanding of bar, and how differences in its rating are likely to affect the kind of shower pump you require. If you need a more detailed explanation, or want some clarification on the specifications of a particular product, you can contact us by phone (0800 008 6405) email (customerservices@pumpsalesdirect.com) or through the contact page on our website.

Increased investment into sport, accompanied by developments in science and technology, have dramatically changed the way elite level athletes are being treated for their injuries. Some of the newer treatments that had previously been reserved only for full-blown injuries have now been incorporated into the everyday routine of many professional athletes, as part of a strategy to enhance rest and recovery. And no treatment has benefitted more from changing attitudes than hydrotherapy.

Whole Body Cryotherapy

An exercise that started as a treatment for rheumatism in Japan in 1989 has since become standard practice the world over. By plunging the body into startling temperatures of -160°C, the brain reacts by stimulating the process of vasoconstriction - causing the arteries and the veins that carry blood to narrow. Because of this, less blood, and therefore fewer white blood cells, reaches the inflamed areas of the body, resulting in a reduction in swelling. Other rumoured effects include a feeling of well-being, increase in mood, and better quality sleep. The scientific basis is, at best, sketchy, but that hasn’t stopped the likes of Leicester City and the Welsh rugby team from undergoing whole body cryotherapy on a regular basis.

Cold water immersion

While human nature explains why whole body cryotherapy has superseded the popularity of ice baths (people would rather be colder for a shorter period of time) the evidence actually suggests that the less popular (and harder to endure) practice is actually a more effective one. Research published in June declared that undergoing cold water immersion at 8°C for ten minutes produced a greater decline in tissue temperature and blood flow than those who underwent whole body cryotherapy at -110°C for just two minutes.

Traditional hydrotherapy

Hydrotherapy in its truest sense is used throughout professional sports. Typically in a heated, rectangular pool, athletes benefit from the reduced load environment offered by the water. For this reason, traditional hydrotherapy is particularly popular for early forays into rehabilitation. Because of the variety of depths, underwater exercises can be accomplished by players with different injuries at different stages of their injuries.

Standard hot shower

As much as it seems that wince-inducing cold is the only way to go when it comes to hydrotherapy, a standard warm shower can also be beneficial. Because hot water encourages vasodilation, blood flow is increased - meaning muscles are relaxed and lactic acid is flushed out - making a warm shower the perfect way to recover from anaerobic exercise. And, as with any hydrotherapy treatment, you want to make it as easy as possible to endure, so investing in a shower booster pump that can provide you with the perfect water pressure is a must.

In summary, hydrotherapy is far from a perfect way to address recovery, but it is nevertheless a helpful one. The effects may be minimal, but that can be the difference between success and failure. And nowhere are these margins more critical than in the world of elite professional sports, which is probably why they have been more widely adopted in this arena than anywhere else.

Designing a new bathroom can be a real headache. More often than not, bathrooms are already one of the smaller sized rooms in the house. When you add showers, sinks and toilets to it, it can make planning your new bathroom very tricky indeed. Juggling these space constraints whilst simultaneously worrying about functionality, visual appeal and durability, can lead to a muddled approach, and a disappointing, sub-par bathroom. To walk you through this process, and point out what you should be prioritising, we have put together this quick guide to designing a new bathroom.

Functionality

At the end of the day, a bathroom’s functionality is of utmost importance. If your shower doesn’t work and your toilet doesn’t flush, you’re going to run into some problems. With this in mind, you want to be certain that all of your appliances, regardless of appearance, will function the way you need them to. And Grundfos pumps UK are a manufacturer you can rely on. From home booster units that can resolve low water levels to central heating circulators that can single-handedly improve efficiency across an entire system;  Grundfos can help you sculpt a superbly functioning bathroom.

Durability

When you are investing money into anything, one of the very first questions you should ask is: how long is it going to last? And this ethos is definitely applicable to bathrooms. While wallpaper might be an attractive short term investment, it is exactly that - short-term - it might be visually appealing, but it won’t last a fraction of the time that tiles will. Tiles are far better suited to tolerate splashes of water and clouds of steam, offering you superior value for money.

Visual appeal

Your primary concern should always be quality, but that does not mean you need to scrimp on the visual aspect of your bathroom. Brass fittings have experienced a resurgence as of late, mostly because of its warm tones that help to distinguish it from the  cold and clinical looking, albeit popular, chrome and nickel. A distinctive vanity cabinet can have a similarly drastic effect. By acting as the focal point of the bathroom, it can add a healthy amount of character. It is however, vitally important to consider how your own financial and space restrictions can dictate your ability to outfit your bathroom in the exact way you want it to.

Space

One way of circumventing a space issue is to choose a floating vanity cabinet. Its ability to float far from voids the traditionally elegant nature of the vanity cabinet, and creates space that otherwise would not exist. As well as providing additional storage space, the floating vanity cabinet, more importantly, creates the perception of a larger bathroom. Equally deceptive but effective are large mirrors and glass panels, both of which are adept at creating the illusion of a bigger bathroom.

As much as they wouldn’t like to admit it themselves, the elderly are some of the most vulnerable people in society. Stairs can rapidly transform from a cruise to the first floor, to an everyday obstacle. The same can be said for bathrooms.  And that is why it is so important to know how to adapt bathrooms in the most effective way to eliminate daily hazards. The measures taken, of course, depend on the state of the person’s mobility and health. With that in mind, here is a range of options for adapting a bathroom for an elderly person.

Walk in bath/ shower

Walk-in options are a minimalist yet effective way to make baths and showers more easily accessible. They don’t carry the same stigma (and association with assisted living) as bath seats, boards and joists do, yet they make the transition into the bath equally as easy. Walk-in baths remove the hurdling of the bath walls that can become so imposing as agility deteriorates with age. Simply walk straight in and take a seat and wait for the warm, bubbling water to rise.

Bath lifts and hoists

Naturally though, there are circumstances where more drastic changes are required. Bath lifts and hoists can be a saviour for those with very limited mobility, providing them with the ability to wash unaided. Lifts and hoists vary from metal and motorised to inflatable cushions.

Grab rails

For those who are slightly unsteady on their feet, grab rails are straightforward additions to shore up a bathroom. Grab rails with suction pads are ideal for re-positioning and when you are on the move, but they don’t quite offer the solidity and stability of fixed rails. Stuck for where exactly to put them? If you have any doubts or concerns, it is always worth enlisting the help of an occupational therapist to ensure everything is up to scratch. Where the welfare of your relative is concerned, you can't afford to be unsure.

Extractor fan

An extractor fan is an unobtrusive and inexpensive way to dramatically reduce the risk of slipping. It is a nightmarish thought to think of someone we care about being rooted to the floor after a fall. The installation of an extractor fan goes a long in allaying these fears. By removing the steam generated by a hot bath or shower quickly, the moisture that would otherwise accumulate on bathroom surfaces is eliminated, dramatically reducing the chance of slipping.

Non-slip flooring

The extractor fan on its own will not completely remove slipping as a hazard, and further precautions like non-slip flooring are a sensible way to go. Non-slip flooring can be relatively cheap, but if you insist on cutting costs, you can cover the most at-risk areas with strategically placed mats. Another alternative is non-slip tape, which is equally effective. There does come a point where you don’t want to compromise on the look of the bathroom however, and there are a range of sleek non-slip tiles available to buy.

Regardless of how you elect to customise your bathroom, it is pointless without having a powerful source of steaming hot water you can rely on.  A twin impeller shower pump can provide you with reliable sources of both hot and cold water, all but eliminating disappointing lukewarm baths and showers.

By definition, a pump is a device that moves fluids by mechanical action. The form which this mechanism takes is becoming more and more diverse. We are all familiar with central heating pumps and shower pumps, but pumps are increasingly being used to save lives across the globe, thanks to the latest technology. From people suffering from heart problems in the UK, to those struggling with respiratory problems in Malawi, pumps have been able to grant them all a new lease of life.

Preventing death from waterborne diseases

In many areas across the world, people do not have access to clean, safe drinking water. Often dependent on a single body of water, residents often have no choice but to consume contaminated water plagued with disease. Inevitably, this leads to countless deaths from diarrhoea, dysentery, typhoid and cholera.

That is why it is so important that wells are built to provide safe drinking water. Fresh water can be transported up to ground level from hundreds of feet below using submersible pumps, providing residents with water they can consume without risking death.

Saving those that are too ill to undergo a heart transplant

A research programme headed by world renowned heart surgeon, Sir Magdi Yacoub, has made huge strides towards saving the lives of those who would otherwise die waiting for heart transplants from cardiomyopathy. Instead, a 3 by 5 inch pump is implanted into the abdomen and attached to the left ventricle. Deputising for the failing left ventricle, the HeartMate 2 allows the heart to continue to pump fresh blood around the body.

While the heart is bolstered by the pump, the patient is given high doses of heart failure drugs that the diseased heart would not otherwise be able to cope with. Many patients, who were so ill that they were taken off the heart transplant list, were able to make a full recovery thanks to this pump without even having to undergo a transplant.

Innovations that are saving people in the developing world

In the developing world, conventional medical technology is invariably too expensive to procure. Fortunately, researchers at world leading universities like Rice and MIT have created viable, cost-effective alternatives for those in developing countries in desperate need of medical assistance.

Bicycle pump nebuliser

One such example is the spawn of MIT’s Innovations in International Health; a nebuliser constructed using a bicycle pump. For the unfamiliar, a nebuliser provides emergency relief for patients suffering from respiratory diseases. The bicycle pump replaces the air compressor of the nebuliser, and allows it to run in the absence of electricity, making it a more cost-effective and versatile replacement.

Fish tank pump CPOP machine

Another example of innovation at its finest is the fish tank pump that is being used to ensure the survival of premature new-borns in developing countries. Researchers at Rice University have created a functioning Continuous Positive Airway Pressure machine for a tenth of the price - using only a box and a fish tank pump. Trialled in Malawi, the device had an immediate impact, the survival rate of premature babies jumped from 43% to 71%.

World Water Day is fast approaching on the 22nd March, and there is no better time to review how much water you use in the shower. Whether your shower is nothing more than a 30 second, Formula 1 pit stop, or the half an hour highlight of your day, it is essential that you have the right shower pump to maximise the efficiency of this experience. World Water Day is a global effort to tackle water conservation and installing the correct shower pump is just one of many steps you can take to play your part. 

How much water do you use?

The average person in the UK uses approximately 62 litres of water in a single 8 minute shower. Of course, this is dependent on an array of factors. From the flow rate of your shower to whether you use a gas or electric hot water heater to the temperature of the shower itself.

How much does it cost to run a shower?

Similarly, the cost of running a shower is also dependent on a variety of factors. In general however, for the average person in the UK, an 8 minute shower costs approximately 25 pence. Over the course of a year, the average UK family spends approximately £416 showering.

Tips for saving water in the shower

In light of the UN’s sustainable development goal of halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and increasing water recycling and safe reuse, these tips are the essential guide to doing your bit for the planet:

• Have a Navy/combat shower

Named after the supposed proficiency of US armed forces, a navy or combat shower is where you turn off the shower whilst you apply shampoo and soap, and then resume the shower when you are ready to rinse. Ruthless military efficiency does in fact reduce the amount of water used and money spent.

• Collect the water you waste while the shower heats up

While we wait in anticipation of the shower reaching our desired temperature, we are wasting litres of water. Collecting this usually wasted water and using it instead to, for example, water plants, is a simple exercise you can carry out to save water.

• Don’t brush your teeth in the shower

You may be a great multi-tasker but you are not great for the environment. Brushing your teeth or shaving in the shower whilst litres of water go to waste may be time saving but it is not energy or money-saving. A simple change like this can benefit the planet and your pocket.

Ideally, this guide has given you some simple tips to help you save water, energy and money and has encouraged you to become an active participant in World Water Day.