I'm fed up with the slow delivery of water from various taps, so I'm considering what I can do about it. I guess I have two options:
[1] Fit a dual shower pump [2] Feed cold and the HW cylinder from the mainsI have a conventional boiler with a CW tank in the loft. I've already lifted the tank by about 1 metre, but being a bungalow, even the kitchen has low pressure.
If you go for a decent large 3 bar one like a Stuart Turner, this could feed all the taps if you wanted.
You would have to replace the cylinder. Open vented ones are not rated for mains pressure and you have to have a number of safety devices around them as well. Options are:
- Replace cylinder with pressurised type. This is not a DIY job and has to be done by a plumber qualified to do so (Building Regulations).
- Replace cylinder with a heat bank. e.g. DPS one. These have the large store of water in the cylinder on an open vented basis with a small header tank built into the top. This water is heated by the boiler to 75-80 degrees. There is a plate heat exchanger which is fed with water pumped from the store. Mains water goes through the other side of the plate heat exchanger and a flow switch activates the pump when you turn on a tap.v This could go in the loft instead of the cold water tank.
- Combi boiler of some kind.
Before going for any of these, do make sure that the mains water flow rate is at least 20 litres/min at the kitchen cold tap. If not, you won't have made an improvement.
And spend about £400-500 on the pump alone. Duh! You can buy a condensing combi for the same amount, just to run the shower and do the CH. The existing boiler can be left to heat the cylinder if need be.
What taps?
I would advise you to time and measure the mains flow using a bucket and measure using litres per minute. If you can get the pressure too all the better. They are rarely below 1 bar. 1 bar will give a decent shower.
There are a number of options. Assuming the mains will cope with one decent shower:
I would look at No. 2 above, if it is only showers that is the problem.
Mostly the kitchen and en-suite.
The latter has a lever tap which is probably only meant for a high pressure system. I can't find a similar one (gold, monoblock, lever, not modern).
The kitchen tap (Franke) was bought last month (see thread: Finished!) as a high flow model. It is possible there may be a kink in the pipe under the floor, but I can't get to it.
The shower isn't a problem, already got a ST Monsoon 100 pump (100ft head) on that, it almost takes your skin off. ;-)
Forgot to say, (oil) boiler replaced two months ago!
- Combi boiler of some kind.
Before going for any of these, do make sure that the mains water flow rate is at least 20 litres/min at the kitchen cold tap. If not, you won't have made an improvement.
The point is that spending £500 on a pump is a silly idea if the mains are suitable, as cheaper and better alternatives are around.
Most water companies only guarantee a minimum 0.7 Bar water pressure, but as Dr Drivel says it's rarely below 1.0 Bar. So it may be worth fitting a pressure gauge to your incomming main to check the pressure before you suspect a kink in an underfloor pipe.
| Most water companies only guarantee a minimum 0.7 Bar water pressure, = but as=20 | Dr Drivel says it's rarely below 1.0 Bar.=20
Does anybody know what the maximum mains water pressure is?. In my area the water comes down long high hill. In flatter areas the water towers look 100ft high. Do the water companies fit pressure reducing valves?=20 =20
--=20 Dave Fawthrop Some of my Hobbies: VDU Glasses=20
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.