How to Choose a Booster Set: A Practical Guide for Buildings

Anyone living in a building where the shower goes weak on the top floor, or where the pressure collapses the moment two taps are opened at once, is really looking for the answer to the same question: “What kind of booster set do I need?” The answer is not in a catalogue, it is in the building itself: how many floors, how many flats, how much water is drawn at the same time?

Two numbers decide everything: flow rate and head

Flow rate (m³/h) is the total amount of water the building can draw at any one moment; it is calculated from the number of flats and how they are used. Head (m) is the pressure the pump has to generate for water to reach the tap on the top floor with enough force; it is made up of the height of the building, the losses in the pipework and the pressure you want at the tap. Get these two right and the booster set is right; get one of them wrong and either the water runs short or electricity is wasted.

Variable speed or fixed speed?

A fixed-speed booster set works between two points: when the pressure drops it starts at full power, and when the tank is full it stops. In the shower you feel this as fluctuating pressure. A variable-speed (inverter) set adjusts its speed to demand: low speed for a single open tap, full capacity in the morning rush. The pressure stays steady, electricity consumption falls, and because there are no starting surges the pump lasts longer. The Etna variable speed range is the product we install most often in this class.

How many pumps?

In small buildings a single pump may be enough, but in medium and large buildings groups of two or three pumps are the standard. The reason is not only capacity but redundancy: even if one pump fails, the building does not lose its water. The pumps alternate so that they age evenly. In residential complexes and commercial buildings, stainless steel bodied sets are our preference for hygiene and service life.

Tanks, vessels and the fire system

Where the mains pressure is insufficient or intermittent, the booster set is installed together with a water tank; the pump draws from the tank, not from the mains. Choosing the expansion vessel correctly reduces how often the pump starts and stops. And one thing that must never be confused: a fire booster set is a separate system — it is designed to EN 12845 and is not combined with the domestic water set.

In short: your selection checklist

• Establish the number of flats and floors (flow rate and head come from these).
• Choose a variable speed model for comfort and for the bill.
• Ask for a multi-pump set in medium and large buildings (redundancy).
• If the mains supply is weak, plan the tank and the booster set together.
• If there is a fire main, a separate fire set is mandatory.

We have described installation, commissioning and maintenance on our Ankara booster set installation page; the site survey is always free.

Projenza Engineering and Energy Solutions — an Ankara-based mechanical installation and energy company. About Us • Services • Projects • References