Pump in peace!

A lateral approach to problem-solving has resulted in an innovative solution to effective shower waste drainage, which offers benefits for both the installer and the user….

Contour Showers, the UK’s leading manufacturer of showering solutions for the elderly and less able, maintains its Primo XTRA shower waste pump is unique in its design, thus overcoming all the inherent issues with conventional waste pumps, which are noisy, block easily, require precise siting to function properly and need regular maintenance. The company is so sure of Primo’s performance that it guarantees it for up to five years.

Primo XTRA utilises peristaltic technology similar to that employed in heart bypass equipment. The unit is operated by a flow switch in the cold water supply, or it can be linked directly to the shower; it monitors water flow and begins silently operating as soon as water begins to flow down the waste. Specially designed ‘rollers’ within the pump mechanism ‘massage’ the waste water along the pipework to maintain a constant flow regardless of the quantity of hair, soap and other washing debris that may be suspended in the water. The system thus prevents solids within the waste collecting and causing a blockage. The speed of the pump ensures a constant pressure and thus eliminates pockets of air accumulating and therefore reducing the traditional gurgling and slurping as the water drains.

Contour’s Primo XTRA is not ‘handed’ and can be installed horizontally or vertically up to 400mm above the shower tray waste, with the control box sited in- or outside the bathroom. It requires no non-return valves, and can be used with electric or mixer showers Primo XTRA is made from components that are 100% recyclable, so is therefore 100% recyclable at the end of its life.

Explains Kevin Bower, Contour Commercial Director, “So often people comment that shower waste pumps are noisy- to the extent that in multi-occupancy buildings such as blocks of flats or residential or care homes, neighbours are physically disturbed by the noise from the pump next door! And if the shower waste blocks, as it can frequently do, the consequences are at least disruptive and can be costly. We have applied our 50 years’ experience in providing showering solutions to develop Primo to overcome those issues by providing a solution that delivers ‘whole life’ value for money, which minimises noise and risk of blockage, and optimises durability: the motor in our Primo XTRA has been tested to run constantly at optimum capacity for six years- more than it would ever do in a ‘real life’ environment.”

Adds John Range,Director at Effectable Construction Services, “ In our opinion Primo XTRA is the most reliable pump on the market; with its five-year guarantee it provides the service user confidence coupled with long term cost savings incurred by service calls from older unreliable models.”

Contour supplies Primo XTRA with a range of kits to enable efficient installation whether with a shower tray, floor former or traditional screeded wetfloor area. Contour is the leading British manufacturer of shower solutions for the elderly and less able, manufacturing and supplying its product range in the UK. Its innovation extends beyond Primo: for example, all its shower trays feature Microban® active hygiene protection as an integral element of the tray, creating a surface hostile to microbes- including MRSA- and resistant to bacteria throughout the trays’ lifetime. Full details, CAD blocks and technical data are available on Contour’s website www.contour-showers.co.uk.
ENDS