Shower pressure drop!

[Phantom]

Our motorhome shower seems to have reduced in pressure over a period of time. The Reich Tandem 19L/M water pump is operated by a switch in each tap so out of interest I did a flow test on all taps using a measuring jug. Results in cold full open position were kitchen tap 3.33L/M, basin tap 4.28L/M but that is a replacement, and shower just 2.5L/M even with hose and head removed!
The water pump is easy to access so I tested it in a bucket of water and it had about the correct flow rate at zero back pressure. The fresh water tank is vertical with about 75cm lift to the shower tap and 90cm to the other taps so it seemed odd that the shower had the least flow even though it is exactly the same tap as the higher kitchen one. So I disconnected the cold feed from the shower tap and tested the flow again, gravity alone 3L/M, with pump 5L/M, but with tap connected just 2.5L/M. So the tap itself is halving the flow rate, but seems to be operating correctly, so I still suspect the pump is the problem. Do pumps wear and deliver less pressure? From delivering 19L/M to 5L/M over a 2m open hose seems a big drop. I'll try my spare 10L/M pump to see how it compares.

 

[wildebus]

Our motorhome shower seems to have reduced in pressure over a period of time. The Reich Tandem 19L/M water pump is operated by a switch in each tap so out of interest I did a flow test on all taps using a measuring jug. Results in cold full open position were kitchen tap 3.33L/M, basin tap 4.28L/M but that is a replacement, and shower just 2.5L/M even with hose and head removed!
The water pump is easy to access so I tested it in a bucket of water and it had about the correct flow rate at zero back pressure. The fresh water tank is vertical with about 75cm lift to the shower tap and 90cm to the other taps so it seemed odd that the shower had the least flow even though it is exactly the same tap as the higher kitchen one. So I disconnected the cold feed from the shower tap and tested the flow again, gravity alone 3L/M, with pump 5L/M, but with tap connected just 2.5L/M. So the tap itself is halving the flow rate, but seems to be operating correctly, so I still suspect the pump is the problem. Do pumps wear and deliver less pressure? From delivering 19L/M to 5L/M over a 2m open hose seems a big drop. I'll try my spare 10L/M pump to see how it compares.

I don't have an answer but I will relate a recent story .... in my Zebra Camper I recently sold I had a Surflow pump that Oppy generously gave me back in 2018 and it worked fine for me.
The new owner decided to replace it with a new pump and he said it is both quieter and gives a lot more pressure - I don't know the details of the new pump but on the basic evidence it would seem pumps age?

 

[maingate]

Our motorhome shower seems to have reduced in pressure over a period of time. The Reich Tandem 19L/M water pump is operated by a switch in each tap so out of interest I did a flow test on all taps using a measuring jug. Results in cold full open position were kitchen tap 3.33L/M, basin tap 4.28L/M but that is a replacement, and shower just 2.5L/M even with hose and head removed!
The water pump is easy to access so I tested it in a bucket of water and it had about the correct flow rate at zero back pressure. The fresh water tank is vertical with about 75cm lift to the shower tap and 90cm to the other taps so it seemed odd that the shower had the least flow even though it is exactly the same tap as the higher kitchen one. So I disconnected the cold feed from the shower tap and tested the flow again, gravity alone 3L/M, with pump 5L/M, but with tap connected just 2.5L/M. So the tap itself is halving the flow rate, but seems to be operating correctly, so I still suspect the pump is the problem. Do pumps wear and deliver less pressure? From delivering 19L/M to 5L/M over a 2m open hose seems a big drop. I'll try my spare 10L/M pump to see how it compares.

You need to measure the height from the tank to the shower head, not the tap. Also the shower head has a fine grill which is probably gummed up due to hard water deposits. Take it off and clean it.

 

[Phantom]

You need to measure the height from the tank to the shower head, not the tap. Also the shower head has a fine grill which is probably gummed up due to hard water deposits. Take it off and clean it.

The shower head and hose are clear, I measured the flow without them attached. But yes, the flow would likely be much less another metre higher. I reckon that the pump has got tired, likely 16 years old and it's just had 6 months of full timing. More testing required!

 

[Rob H]

Our motorhome shower seems to have reduced in pressure over a period of time. The Reich Tandem 19L/M water pump is operated by a switch in each tap so out of interest I did a flow test on all taps using a measuring jug. Results in cold full open position were kitchen tap 3.33L/M, basin tap 4.28L/M but that is a replacement, and shower just 2.5L/M even with hose and head removed!
The water pump is easy to access so I tested it in a bucket of water and it had about the correct flow rate at zero back pressure. The fresh water tank is vertical with about 75cm lift to the shower tap and 90cm to the other taps so it seemed odd that the shower had the least flow even though it is exactly the same tap as the higher kitchen one. So I disconnected the cold feed from the shower tap and tested the flow again, gravity alone 3L/M, with pump 5L/M, but with tap connected just 2.5L/M. So the tap itself is halving the flow rate, but seems to be operating correctly, so I still suspect the pump is the problem. Do pumps wear and deliver less pressure? From delivering 19L/M to 5L/M over a 2m open hose seems a big drop. I'll try my spare 10L/M pump to see how it compares.

Does the pump have a relay or is it drawing power through tiny tap microswitches .. just a thought ..

 

[Phantom]

Does the pump have a relay or is it drawing power through tiny tap microswitches .. just a thought ..

Taps have microswitches.

 

[Eric Eke]

I don't know if this helps but my house showers seams to need me to remove the thermal temperature cassette yearly and put it in a jug of limescale remover as it clogs up

 

[Phantom]

I ran a temporary 10m hose from the waterpump to shower tap and it worked great at the shower head as it should, so it seems that there was some restriction in the existing hoses. So I flushed all the tap hoses back into the watertank using a hosepipe and mains pressure and now the water flow is much better though still not as good as it should be. I couldn't see any residue in the tank, but maybe some sort of cleanser could be beneficial?