Have you ever needed to improve the performance of a single outlet in a house? One solution that can help is the recently launched TapBoost from Salamander Pumps. We caught up with Gareth Richards, Technical Director at Salamander Pumps, to find out more.
Why has Salamander Pumps introduced this new solution?
We’ve launched TapBoost as we spotted a real gap in the market for a solution that will improve the performance of just a single outlet in a home.
Households in the UK can have a variety of different plumbing systems, many of which have been changed, extended or replaced. This can produce a variation of water pressure and flow across the system and crucially, at different outlets in the home. This means that the water performance may be fine generally across the property, but with one outlet that is simply not preforming as it should.
And while there are plenty of solutions for boosting bathrooms or the whole house, if there is just a single tap in the home that needs boosting, opting for one of these bigger solutions seems like overkill and an excessive cost for the homeowner.
This is where TapBoost fills the gap in the market – offering a cost effective solution for when there is just one problem point.
How does TapBoost help to improve water flow for a single outlet?
TapBoost is an inline pump, which attaches directly to the incoming water flow of an outlet to improve the water performance.
What level of performance can it deliver?
It is designed to boost the water flow to 7 – 12 litres per minute (l/min), depending on the level of existing flow. For example, if an outlet has an existing flow of 2 l/min, TapBoost will add approximately 5 l/min, giving a total of 7 l/min out of the tap.
What is the size of the unit and whereabouts can it be sited?
TapBoost is compact and can be fitted at multiple locations around the house, including bathroom and kitchen sinks, bath taps, garden taps, toilet cisterns, dishwashers, washing machines and showers.
As TapBoost is designed to be sited close to an outlet, what level of noise does it make?
Our Research and Development team have designed TapBoost to ensure it is quiet in operation. The pump operates at a level of 34.2 dBA, which is much quieter than most pumps.
Can TapBoost be used on both a gravity-fed system and a mains-fed system?
Yes – TapBoost can be fitted in either a mains-fed or a gravity-fed system, as it is installed at the point of the outlet, rather than fitting to a combi-boiler for example. However, there must be a natural flow of at least 1.2L/min to activate TapBoost.
It’s also worth noting that in unvented systems, TapBoost should only be fitted onto cold water outlets.
Are there any particular things to be aware of when installing TapBoost?
The best place to install TapBoost is directly before the outlet to be boosted. TapBoost should always be installed indoors and can be installed horizontally or vertically, but never upside down.
It is supplied with ½” BSP male connections on the outlet and 15mm compression fittings on the inlet, compatible fittings will be required for the installation.
Will it solve water flow issues throughout a house, or would you advise a different solution for whole-house issues?
Although in theory multiple TapBoost pumps could be installed at different locations in a house to improve the performance of multiple outlets, if poor water pressure and flow is a problem throughout a property, it would be more cost effective to install a whole-house solution.
Depending on the home’s plumbing system, this could either take the form of a whole house pump, or larger inline pumps and accumulator tanks. If a home has a gravity-fed system, you should opt for a whole house pump such as our EVE pump – this is a universal pump (meaning it is suitable for both positive and negative head installations) with a variable bar rating, making it suitable for any gravity-fed system.
Alternatively, homes with a mains-fed system should opt for either our CombiBoost or HomeBoost pumps for a whole-house solution, as these can provide up to 10l/min and 12l/min respectively.
Or for larger properties with greater water demand, one of our AccuBoost tanks would be more suitable – these can provide up to 36l/min per tank. The tanks can also be linked together to provide even greater flow levels, if required.
