why cant you use some showers off the mains?

jon1981

Hi,

I have a T90i which is fed off the mains, but the new model T90si is says not to connect to the mains, why is this so?

Saruman

Probably so as not to drop the pressure in the rest of the house. By mains i assume you mean water and not Power.

Xennon

The T90si has a pump in it, the T90i doesnt

jon1981

thanks for the reply,

yeah i meant water mains. the T90i does have a pump Xennon. Im starting to wonder now if that type of shower should have never been connected to the mains in the first place?

Avns1s

jon1981 wrote:

thanks for the reply,

yeah i meant water mains. the T90i does have a pump Xennon. Im starting to wonder now if that type of shower should have never been connected to the mains in the first place?

No it shouldn't!

jon1981

what harm can it do? is it dangerous?

Avns1s

Dunno about what harm it could do. I presume that possibly the water pressure could damage the works of the shower. I don't know offhand what the pressure rating of the T90i is. Some mains supplies could be outside the range.

I do know that the T90i needs constant pressure to ensure a constant water flow and temperature. Hence, it's supposed to be plumbed directly from the header tank.

jon1981

you see, the bathroom has no pipes coming from the storage tank. The pressure isnt that great from the mains in the bathroom. And there arent many choices for mains showers out there

vallo

I always thought that it was only your kitchen sink and your feed into the cold water tank that should be mains-fed.
Ice makers in american style fridges should be as well, but all other taps and appliances like showers are supposed to be fed from the hotwater cylinder and the cold water tank in your attic.

Avns1s

jon1981 wrote:

you see, the bathroom has no pipes coming from the storage tank. The pressure isnt that great from the mains in the bathroom. And there arent many choices for mains showers out there

Is there no possibility of running a pipe from the tank to the bathroom?

It would be a better option.

The reason someone fitted the T90i on a mains system was probably to try and boost the pressure of the water if you have low pressue as you say. In this situation, it's unlikely that a mains shower will be sucessful. You could do a pressure test and see if the pressure is within range for a T80si which is the mains equivalent of the T90. You'll have to check with the plumbers merchants for the lowest pressure that the T80 will work at.

Personally, I think a pipe back to your tank is your best option. If your bathroom is upstairs or you have a bungalow, then it should be a very easy job.

Avns1s

vallo wrote:

I always thought that it was only your kitchen sink and your feed into the cold water tank that should be mains-fed.
Ice makers in american style fridges should be as well, but all other taps and appliances like showers are supposed to be fed from the hotwater cylinder and the cold water tank in your attic.

Agreed but some showers can be mains fed also. This is the setup I have, as you have described but with mains supplies for T80si.

jon1981

how can i know for sure it is a mains feed?

Avns1s

jon1981 wrote:

how can i know for sure it is a mains feed?

Can you turn off your water under the sink or outside?

If it's from the mains it'll stop flowing immediately. If it's from the tank, it'll flow away as normal for quite a while....... until the tank empties.

jon1981

Avns1s wrote:

Can you turn off your water under the sink or outside?

yes
theres my answer, well the shower i have no works fine, i might just chance my arm with the T90si, you see if i get another shower specifically for mains, it means retiling the wall and also the pipes are on the wrong side for a non mains shower, its just gonna cost alot more money to get a mains shower

Avns1s

jon1981 wrote:

yes
theres my answer, well the shower i have no works fine,

Do you mind me asking, if its working fine, why are you changing it?

jon1981

its on its way out, its not heating the water like it used to, we have about 6/7 years now. so im looking at replacing it before it totally packs in