Guides · Showers
Salamander CT50 Xtra review: a 1.5 bar twin shower pump, researched
Researched Salamander CT50 Xtra review with maker specs, installation rules, older-model owner themes, suitability and alternatives. Not tested.
Affiliate links: We earn from some links to Wickes through the Awin network. You do not pay more. How this works.
Research note: We haven't had this product. This review is based on research (Salamander's published specs and installation guide, and owner feedback), not hands-on testing.
We haven't tested this. Figures are as the maker states them (checked 13 November 2026).
Our verdict
The UK-code CT50XTRA is a compact, twin-ended regenerative pump for boosting hot and cold water to one thermostatic mixer shower. It is a narrow fit: a gravity-fed system with a cold-water cistern, vented hot-water cylinder and enough natural flow for a positive-head pump. Salamander rates it at 1.5 bar closed head and publishes a 52.5 dBA noise figure. “Quiet” and “value for money” are Salamander's marketing descriptions, not findings from our own testing.
It is not for a combi boiler, an unvented cylinder, a negative-head shower or direct connection to the mains. If that describes your system, skip it. For the intended system, the clear performance figures, compact body and three-year warranty make it a straightforward entry-level option, provided the installation can meet Salamander's detailed requirements.
Salamander CT50 Xtra, positive-head twin, 1.5 bar. Check the system and installation guide before ordering; the button opens the retailer's current listing and price.
What it is
This is a flow-operated, positive-head shower pump. “Twin ended” means it boosts the stored hot and cold supplies separately. Positive head means water must already flow naturally through every outlet being pumped; Salamander says its positive-head pumps need 2 litres per minute from each hot or cold outlet. The CT50 Xtra product page limits this model to a single thermostatic shower.
Key specifications
These are maker figures from the current CT50 Xtra product page and CT installation guide, checked 14 November 2026.
| Specification | Salamander figure |
|---|---|
| UK product code | CT50XTRA (ROI code CT54XTRA) |
| Type | Twin ended, regenerative, positive head |
| Application | Hot and cold to one thermostatic shower on a gravity-fed system |
| Pressure | 1.5 bar closed head; 1.3 bar at 8 L/min; 1.0 bar at 16 L/min |
| Natural flow needed | 2 L/min from each hot or cold outlet to be pumped |
| Published noise | 52.5 dBA |
| Motor and electrical | AC induction, continuously rated; 230 V; 1.97 A; 455 W; 3 A fuse; 1.5 m pre-wired cable |
| Maximum water temperature | 60°C |
| Connections and hoses | ¾-inch BSP; four hoses; UK inlet isolating hoses are 200 mm and outlet non-isolating hoses 180 mm, 15 mm push-fit |
| Protection | IPX3 |
| Size and weight | 185 × 120 × 160 mm excluding hoses; 3.9 kg excluding hoses |
| Materials/features | EPDM/PTFE/ceramic seal, anti-vibration feet, inlet isolators |
| Approval | WRAS 250802702 |
| Warranty | 3 years, conditional on installation to the instructions |
An older 2022 datasheet can show a 65°C maximum and an older WRAS number. We use the current product page and November 2025 installation guide figures above: 60°C and WRAS 250802702.
Installation and safety
Not a DIY installation guide
Salamander's guide says: “Only suitable for gravity-fed systems. Do not install directly onto the mains water supply.” It also says: “The plumbing installation must comply with “The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999”, and all current regulations.” See our WRAS and water regulations guide.
For the electrical supply, the guide says: “Do not connect to an extension lead or shared electrical supply.” The attached plug must use an accessible socket installed to the IET Wiring Regulations; the guide allows a fused spur when fitted by a Part P-qualified installer.
The guide prohibits a shared or communal supply or cistern. It calls for adequate usable cold-water storage — 227 litres (50 gallons) per bathroom — and, in the circumstances it specifies, a 22 mm No-Stop Essex flange with a 76 mm dip tube on the hot feed. Hoses must be straight, the pump must be primed, and the water must stay at or below 60°C. Installing outside the instructions can invalidate the warranty.
Use a qualified plumber for the water system and a qualified electrician for the supply. This is not a DIY walk-through and it is not gas advice. Our hiring a plumber guide explains what to ask.
What owners report about older CT50 models
The discussions below concern older CT50 or CT50+ pumps, not the CT50 Xtra, so they cannot establish how the current Xtra performs. They are useful only as installation and troubleshooting themes.
- Running on or starting by itself. Owners described older CT50 pumps that would not stop or restarted with the shower off. Replies focused on a sticking flow switch (DIYnot discussion one and discussion two).
- Cycling at very low flow. An older CT50+ was reported to bang and cycle when a mixer was turned down. Replies linked this to the flow falling below what a flow-operated pump needs (DIYnot discussion).
- Noise and repeated failures. One older-model owner reported replacements becoming noisy. Replies questioned the flange, dedicated 22 mm supply, air ingress and cylinder temperature (DIYnot discussion). These are reports and forum suggestions, not diagnoses or CT50 Xtra test results.
For symptoms and safe first checks, see shower pump noise. Do not open a mains-powered pump yourself.
Pros and cons
Pros: compact; clear flow and pressure figures; continuously rated motor; four hoses and anti-vibration feet supplied; current WRAS approval; three-year warranty.
Cons: positive head only; limited to one thermostatic shower; installation and water-storage conditions are strict; the 52.5 dBA figure is the maker's figure, not our comparative noise test.
Who it suits — and who should skip it
It suits a home with a loft cistern and vented hot-water cylinder, one thermostatic mixer shower, and at least the natural flow Salamander requires. Have a plumber confirm the stored-water capacity, pipework, hot take-off and shower valve before buying.
Skip it if you have a combi boiler or unvented cylinder; need to connect to the cold mains; have a shower at or above cistern level; cannot achieve the required natural flow; or want to serve a bath, several outlets or a whole house. Start with shower pump sizing or, for a mains-fed problem, mains booster pumps.
Alternatives
- The Salamander CT75 Xtra review covers the 2.0 bar positive-head twin for the same basic system type.
- The Salamander CT Force 30TU review covers a 3.0 bar universal twin for positive- or negative-head gravity systems.
- The Bristan negative-head twin review covers a universal alternative, including a retailer specification conflict.
- Compare the whole set in shower pumps compared, or reconsider the shower type in electric versus mixer showers.
How we researched this
We have not installed, owned or tested the CT50 Xtra. We read Salamander's current product page, its November 2025 CT installation guide, the Wickes listing and Salamander support material on 14 November 2026. We also read four owner discussions about older CT50/CT50+ pumps and have labelled them as older-model evidence. Wickes customer reviews were not readable in our research pass, so we did not use them.
Will it work with a combi boiler?
No. It is for a gravity-fed system and must not be connected directly to the mains.
Is the CT50 Xtra positive or negative head?
Positive head only. Salamander warns that installing a CT Xtra in a negative-head system may mean it does not work.
How loud is it?
Salamander publishes 52.5 dBA. That is a maker figure, not a result measured by Leatmere, and the installation affects transmitted noise.
Why is a CT50 Xtra not starting or not stopping?
Check the symptoms against Salamander's support FAQs and call a plumber. Flow, air, leaks, installation and a flow-switch fault can produce similar symptoms; do not dismantle the electrical appliance yourself.
What is the warranty?
Salamander states three years, subject to installation and use in accordance with its instructions.
Sources
Sources opened 14 November 2026: Salamander CT50 Xtra, CT installation guide, Salamander FAQs and Wickes CT50 Xtra listing.