1. Home
  2. UK Do-It-Yourself Forum
  3. Checking water pressure

Checking water pressure

I'm considering buying a kitchen tap that has a recommended working pressure of 1.0 - 5.0 bar.

So, how do I check the pressure with the current tap still installed?

TIA

Reply to
F
Loading thread data ...

formatting link
to your outside tap, or any other mains water supply (Like a washing machine feed (assuming it is mains fed), and it will tell you the pressure.

If the tap is connected to the mains water (If it is the main Kitchen tap, then it should be!) I would expect your new tap to be fine.

Toby...

Reply to
Toby

Thanks, but is there a way to do this without any equipment. Timing the flow into a bucket?

I suspect the present tap is a 'low pressure' tap so might not be comparable.

Reply to
F

The minimum water pressure (as guaranteed by Ofwat) is meant to be around 10 metres, or 1 bar, to a degree of approximation.

If you open the tap full, this corresponds to filling a one gallon container in about 30 seconds.

I wouldn't think you have more than the 5 bar that you quoted.

Reply to
Jim

OTOH, if the hot water is not at mains pressure, then it could very well be marginal.

Chris

Reply to
Chris J Dixon

I can't imagine the pressure exceeding 5 bar. Wouldn't the Water Authority tell you if this was possible?

Reply to
Timothy Murphy

Where is the reading taken? They are only resposible for the flow and pressure up to your stoptap in the street IMHO

Adam

Reply to
ARWadsworth

My static pressure is ~10bar. Can't be sure as my gauge only goes up to

7 bar but when I did it via a length of garden hose you could hear[1] there was still a bit to go as it reached the end of the scale. [1] One gets used to the rate of change of flow sounds as well as the creaks & groans of hose & hoselock connectors when pressurising a closed hose!
Reply to
Scott M

On Fri, 01 May 2009 12:18:57 +0100 someone who may be F wrote this:-

That tells volume flow rate, not pressure.

If there is a washing machine point in the house

formatting link
do the job.

The cold side should be connected to the main. The hot side is more likely to be a problem. What sort of hot water system is there and, if it is fed by a storage tank how high is this above the tap? As has been implied to get 1 bar it needs to be 10m above (a rough approximation but good enough).

These are all static pressures (though the main pressure is likely to vary over time).

Reply to
David Hansen

Ah yes. Ours is about 8.5 bar. It blows hozelock Y valves apart quite nicely.

(Which wouldn't be so bad if they didn't cost so much )-:

Gordon

Reply to
Gordon Henderson

Check that it turns off when you turn off the stopcock. That way you know it's on the mains. Mains is by law not less than 0.7 bar and generally several times that.

Reply to
YAPH

Scott M coughed up some electrons that declared:

Bloody hell. I thought my 7.5 bar was excessive.

At least you don't need to buy a pressure washer!

Reply to
Tim S

John

Do you have a source for that please? I ask as I was checking a few weeks ago (with a view to a new boiler) and found then in the OFWAT FAQ:

"The guaranteed standards scheme (GSS) sets out that water companies shall maintain a minimum pressure of water in the communication pipe serving the premises supplied with water of seven metres static head. Companies also monitor the number of properties at risk of low pressure against an indicator known as DG2. The DG2 measure is ten metres head of pressure, at the external stop tap, at a flow of nine litres per minute. This should be sufficient to fill a one-gallon (4.5 litre) container in

30 seconds. "

Of course the GSS may not set the same minimum as the law but I'd like to know where I stand in case I end up with a marginal supply.

Reply to
neverwas

Not that I could lay my hands on. I'm probably remembering the same one you quote (or that your quote refers to).

Reply to
YAPH

Hot water is stored in a cylinder topped up from a cold water tank in the loft. Tap to bottom of the loft tank? No more than ~5M.

Reply to
F

Your hot pressure will be 0.5bar. Might work ok with that tap, but might be a bit dribbly.

Reply to
Scott M

Hah! Yes, you certainly don't stick your fingers in front of the fine nozzle of the hose gun thingy!

Reply to
Scott M

Thanks. Looks like it might be a good idea to find something that works on a lower pressure.

I don't like dribbly...

Reply to
F

...

You are all very lucky. My pressure is so low I have to use a pump to get the water up to the tank in the attic (admittedly very high).

Reply to
Timothy Murphy

An outside tap or washing machine inlet is the usual place to check pressure I think.

Reply to
Stuart Noble

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.