Poor HW flow.

I changed a pair of taps for a customer a few weeks ago, and ever since, they have complained about the lack of flow from the hot tap. I've gone through everything to check I have done nothing wrong, but found no fault at all. The flow from the basin tap is also pretty poor, but no overly so. The downstairs kitchen hot tap does flow better. All cold taps are connected direct to the mains, and run fine.

I'm coming to think that the main fault is lack of head from the HW cylinder, combined with a poor arrangement, where the HW pipe is 22mm from the cylinder for around 2 metres, then changes to 15mm pipe for the last 2 metres to the bathroom. The HW cylinder sits at floor level upstairs, with the feeder tank just above it, so not a lot of head above the sink level really.

I've suggested they get rid of the 15mm pipe, and run 22mm at least until the bath tap, and that should help. The nagging doubt in the back of my head is that when I do this, the flow rate will still not improve markedly, so I'll look an idiot doing the job, but getting no result.

Has anyone done such a thing? And did it improve matters? Thanks Alan.

Reply to
A.Lee
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A.Lee brought next idea :

Have you used the correct tap type? Some are designed for and need mains pressure hot water to achieve a full flow.

Reply to
Harry Bloomfield

Did you fit taps of continental design?

Many of these are designed for pressurised HW systems and have relatively narrow water pathways.

There is a different standard for taps intended for UK low pressure HW systems. If it was working OK before then this is likely to be the cause. Changing pipes would nt make much difference if so.

Solutions are:

- Change taps to a type suitable for low pressure

- Put header tank in loft

- Introduce pump between cylinder and tap

- Change HW system for mains pressure type.

Reply to
Andy Hall

Could it be an airlock as a result of the drain-down?

Try blowing it out with backflow of mains pressure with a hose connected from hot to cold tap?

Reply to
dom

Most likely it's the design of the taps. Many modern taps require a head of 0.5 to 1 bar to provide decent flow. From your description you've got 0.2 bar max. I've got exactly the same problem, flow was great with my original 'contract' taps, now it takes 10 minutes to run a bath with my new 'fancy' taps. If there's space in the attic you could always raise the cold water feed tank. 1 metre (0.98m for the pedants) = 0.1 bar pressure.

Reply to
Bovvered?

Bought a set of taps once from Homebase. Fitted them. Cold water ran fine but no hot water at all. Searched and double checked everything - no joy. Took the tap off completely and took it apart expecting to find something wrong with the washer or workings - no, not that. Then tried to feed a length of wire through the tap outlet -- the damn thing was completely choked up with slag (?) from the casting process. Took it back to Homebase and they exchanged it no problem.

Reply to
Neil Ross

I got caught with a couple of pairs of taps which gave a poor HW flow, it turned out that they were Eurotaps & designed for mains pressure.

Don.

Reply to
cerberus

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