Can water pump flow be adjusted?

[TobyQuest]

Hello

Can water pumps be adjusted to reduce and save water, so my water tank lasts for longer?

I tried changing 3 different shower heads but they all use the same amount of water. Kitchen sink tap seems to pour out a lot of water too but if i turn the tap down a bit, the boiler switches off and it's only cold water

 

[jollyrodger]

Hi
Some of the older Sureflow pumps could be adjusted I believe ,but as you have found your boiler is reliant on pressure .
You could try a quicker shower, get wet turn, off, soap, turn on rinse turn off .
And less water in the sink .
All a learning curve .

 

[Jev88]

Have you tried a trigger operated shower head - only sprays when you squeeze trigger, saves loads of water.

 

[TobyQuest]

Mine is a Flojet.
Actually I'm already taking showers that way and trying to use as little as I can but still getting through it faster than I would like particularly when doing my washing up

 

[TobyQuest]

Have you tried a trigger operated shower head - only sprays when you squeeze trigger, saves loads of water.

View attachment 382456

It's a good suggestion actually. But it does mean one hand is held on the button so it's only half as fast to rinse off as using 2 hands so I'm not sure if I would gain much

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[Wissel]

I've done it using a flow reducer called a CP961. Works well

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[Wissel]

Oh, another thing I fitted - just to the shower. Again, works well:
Amazon product ASIN B00JQDKTUS
This can reduce the flow or shut it off completely.

 

[TobyQuest]

Does reducing the flow in such a manner cause extra resistance for the pump and a) use more electricity and b) cause it to break faster?

 

[pappajohn]

Reducing the flow will have the same effect as partly opening a tap.....
The boiler will probably cut out as it does now when you partly open a tap to reduce water used.

 

[Raul]

Yes and no, if you got a expansion vessel that would work brilliant.The pump has to work harder if encounters resistance until the preset pressure is reached for the switch.

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[pappajohn]

Expansion vessel is only to smooth pump pulse surges, nothing to do with flow rate.

 

[TobyQuest]

Yes and no, if you got a expansion vessel that would work brilliant.The pump has to work harder if encounters resistance until the preset pressure is reached for the switch.

I don't understand sorry

 

[Raul]

Nothing to do with pump surges. It smooths differential pressures, and cancels out false demand on the pump.

 

[Raul]

I don't understand sorry

When you partially shut a tap, you reduce the flow, but the pressure is still there and pump still operates until that opening of the tap is small enough to build enough pressure to trigger the switch of. A pressure vessel bladder will compress enough to take the volume pumped and, sudden firm up, then pressure builds and the switch will operate.
Depending on the pressure vessel size, you will have a reserve of water under pressure(air in the bladder), that does not need pump operation until pressure decreases enough. Pressure vessel reduces the amount of on and of switching of the pump. It can help with the flow without affecting the pump resistance, only by the size of the storage under pressure.

 

[TobyQuest]

I see. Thanks for explanation. Is that the same thing that is known as an acummulator tank?

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[pappajohn]

Nothing to do with pump surges. It smooths differential pressures, and cancels out false demand on the pump.

Every days a school day.
Been misinformed for years and never thought to Google.

 

[TUCANO]

Paper plates and kitchen roll save a lot of water

 

[Jev88]

It's a good suggestion actually. But it does mean one hand is held on the button so it's only half as fast to rinse off as using 2 hands so I'm not sure if I would gain much

It saves a lot of water, fact. ?
All that wasted water whilst washing or doing your hair? Turn the head off and only turn it on when you actually need to get wet or sluice off suds.

 

[mitzimad]

if youve got an instantaneous water heater you need a certain flowrate to keep it running this is why most vans have storage water heater and a 20psi or less pump

 

[Raul]

Every days a school day.
Been misinformed for years and never thought to Google.

I know you won’t agree with me but, my understanding of surge, is a sudden spike over the nominal. Pump doesn’t do that, it works at nominal from on to of. The bladder takes the knock before reaches the tap. A bit like a shock absorber on a bumpy road.