[UK] Water tank

[Matt]

If I remember the episode of this old house when they went to England, they do this because there isn't adequate water pressure without the tank.

[Matt]

I think they pumped it up to a holding tank. I don't remember exactly how or why they did this, but I seem to recall something about all the main water lines being very old as having something to do with it.

Hell for that matter I could have dreamed the whole thing up.

Speaking of this old house -

Frankly, I'm just glad they finally got rid of Steve.

But I don't like the clown they replaced him with either.

I think they should just go back to the formula of having a host who doesn't know what the hell he is talking about, and doesn't pretend to

- instead of having clowns who pretend to know what they obviously do not.

Also, the "new this old house hour" where they show long clips from "old this old house" episodes is confusing and makes my head hurt.

I also think that the plumber and the other builder guy (not Norm, the guy with the mustache) are getting WAY too much camera time, and it would be nice if they weren't always rehabbing a 2.5 billion dollar estate.

[Main Man]

Welcome to UK; we are different in many areas eg we drive on the left We have 3 pin plugs etc I doubt few if any clean their water storage tanks, and we all survive, save the odd Islamic fatwah event

[NanAndGrandadSmith]

I have a water storage tank in my loft in the uk, it supplies my hot water and bath water only. The tank is covered to prevent frost, and maybe possible bird/mouse contamination. I dont know why we have water storage tanks in the uk. Drinking water is off the mains. I have not heard of anyone cleaning the tanks.

[Speedy Jim]

Originally to forestall any possibility of cross-connection contamination of the public water supply.

And there is a newsgroup: UK.D-I-Y

Cheers, Jim

[nicksanspam]

Sounds like a good reason. The small low-flow city feed pipe is also cheaper, and a house can have water for some time after the city supply fails, eg for firefighting during a Blitz, and pressure regulation inside and outside the house is easier.

Nick

[Percival P. Cassidy]

So how do they get the water up to the tank? If the tank is 16ft or more above ground in the attic, the water pressure must be sufficient to fill the tank, so it also must be sufficient to fulfill the household needs

-- unless the tank refills only when demand drops.

Perce

On 07/20/05 05:16 pm Matt tossed the following ingredients into the ever-growing pot of cybersoup:

[nicksanspam]

It is, but the flow from the small main pipe is limited in the house. Why supply 10-20 gpm from the main pipe if an average house only uses

400 gallons per day, ie 0.28 gpm?

Nick

[lp13-30]

They have similar setups in Mexico, due to city water supply being erratic at best. The ones I have seen were on the roof though. Depending on the weather conditions, they have nearly hot water, heated for free. I found this out at a motel in Monterrey about 15+years ago. At first I thought they had the hot on the right side of the faucet, til I turned on the left and it was even hotter. Later looked on the roof and saw the tank, or tanks (forget if there was more than one). Larry

[Jean-Marc Delaplace]

Since I did not find a uk group devoted to home repair and diy, i put my question here. Why in UK is each house equipped with a water tank, itself filled through a float tap supplied with the city water? It is the only country where I could see this arrangement. It occupies plenty of room in a small flat, and poses disinfection problems thus needs a cleaning on a regular basis. Thanks in advance for helping me understand the reason of this requirement.

Jean-Marc Delaplace