My shower pressure has dropped.

[Stickems.]

Recently my shower pressure has dropped. I thought perhaps that it was due to drop in mains pressure, but now realise that mains pressure can't be the cause because the cold is fed from the tank in the loft and the hot is fed from the hot tank which is also fed from the tank in the loft. I also wondered if it could have been a drop in atmospheric pressure, but as I have never heard of this affecting showers I have decided to discount this cause, unless of course anyone knows differently. The distance between the bottom of the cold tank in the loft and the shower head is one meter. I have a thermostatic mixer valve which is designed to work with a head of water from one meter upwards. Before I take the valve to pieces, is there anything that I could do to determine the cause? Would increasing the height of the water in the cold tank work?

[BigWallop]

Do you live in a hard water area? Even just slightly hard water will eventually deposit scale on the inside of the pipework. Any reduction in the internal bore of the pipes, especially to something skittish like a shower valve, will cause the symptoms you're getting.

Try looking in the cold tank for scale build-up around the sides and on the entry points to the outlet pipes, and if you do see some then all the pipes are almost certainly being affected by it as well. If none is obvious, then it's time to strip down the valve and look for loose, worn or dry head gear which is not allowing the valve to operate properly.

It's never a bad idea to raise the head height of a water supply to a shower, but it doesn't just mean filling the tank any more than normal. It means you have to lift the whole tank up higher. As you use the water from the tank the level drops to a point where the float valve detects the drop and begins the filling process again. Adjusting the water level in the tank for a such a small increase in the actual valve detection point is not worth the trouble, and might also cause more problems in the future if the valve fails and the water begins to over-fill.

How long is it since the valve was over-hauled? How often do you flush the pipework out and clean the inside of the tap heads? Pretty regular maintenance is needed on all things, and it does help in catching problems before they become a nuisance.

[Stickems.]

I've had the mixer valve in for six years and I do live in a hard water area, so I guess that means that I need to strip down the mixer valve. Thanks for your comments.

"BigWallop" wrote in message news:2kXpe.47728$ [e-mail]... | | "Stickems." wrote in message | news:fEWpe.4091$ [e-mail]... | > Recently my shower pressure has dropped. I thought perhaps that it was due | > to drop in mains pressure, but now realise that mains pressure can't be | the | > cause because the cold is fed from the tank in the loft and the hot is fed | > from the hot tank which is also fed from the tank in the loft. I also | > wondered if it could have been a drop in atmospheric pressure, but as I | have | > never heard of this affecting showers I have decided to discount this | cause, | > unless of course anyone knows differently. The distance between the bottom | > of the cold tank in the loft and the shower head is one meter. I have a | > thermostatic mixer valve which is designed to work with a head of water | from | > one meter upwards. Before I take the valve to pieces, is there anything | that | > I could do to determine the cause? Would increasing the height of the | water | > in the cold tank work? | >

| >

| Do you live in a hard water area? Even just slightly hard water will | eventually deposit scale on the inside of the pipework. Any reduction in | the internal bore of the pipes, especially to something skittish like a | shower valve, will cause the symptoms you're getting. | | Try looking in the cold tank for scale build-up around the sides and on the | entry points to the outlet pipes, and if you do see some then all the pipes | are almost certainly being affected by it as well. If none is obvious, then | it's time to strip down the valve and look for loose, worn or dry head gear | which is not allowing the valve to operate properly. | | It's never a bad idea to raise the head height of a water supply to a | shower, but it doesn't just mean filling the tank any more than normal. It | means you have to lift the whole tank up higher. As you use the water from | the tank the level drops to a point where the float valve detects the drop | and begins the filling process again. Adjusting the water level in the tank | for a such a small increase in the actual valve detection point is not worth | the trouble, and might also cause more problems in the future if the valve | fails and the water begins to over-fill. | | How long is it since the valve was over-hauled? How often do you flush the | pipework out and clean the inside of the tap heads? Pretty regular | maintenance is needed on all things, and it does help in catching problems | before they become a nuisance. | |

[BigWallop]

Not necessarily strip the valve down. You could clean and clear the scale, if any is noticeable, with an inhibitor solution of some kind. Always read the label for solution mixes if using the water to wash with. Never use on drinking water supplies, unless stated to do so. Always allow two or three complete fills and empty cycles before using the water again. But it will tell you on the bottle or packet how to use it properly.

Cleaning the whole system out every couple of years is not a bad idea, and will probably save you loads of money on replacing parts and fixing appliances. Scale isn't a bad thing, it's just an annoyance. It's easily cleared with new solvent things that are on the market. Take a bottle of that Cillit Bang stuff for example. Doesn't cost much for a bottle of that, and if used to clean out the whole system every two or three years, then it's a cost effective method of general maintenance.

Good luck with it.

[Stickems.]

I like the idea, but can't see how I can clean the valve. Would I remove it and flush it out, or would I put something in the cold water tank?

| | | Not necessarily strip the valve down. You could clean and clear the scale, | if any is noticeable, with an inhibitor solution of some kind. Always read | the label for solution mixes if using the water to wash with. Never use on | drinking water supplies, unless stated to do so. Always allow two or three | complete fills and empty cycles before using the water again. But it will | tell you on the bottle or packet how to use it properly. | | Cleaning the whole system out every couple of years is not a bad idea, and | will probably save you loads of money on replacing parts and fixing | appliances. Scale isn't a bad thing, it's just an annoyance. It's easily | cleared with new solvent things that are on the market. Take a bottle of | that Cillit Bang stuff for example. Doesn't cost much for a bottle of that, | and if used to clean out the whole system every two or three years, then | it's a cost effective method of general maintenance. | | Good luck with it. | |

[Stickems.]

I fixed it. I poured a 50% solution of malt vinegar in water into the valve, left it for 30 minutes. Now back to normal, brilliant.

| | | Not necessarily strip the valve down. You could clean and clear the scale, | if any is noticeable, with an inhibitor solution of some kind. Always read | the label for solution mixes if using the water to wash with. Never use on | drinking water supplies, unless stated to do so. Always allow two or three | complete fills and empty cycles before using the water again. But it will | tell you on the bottle or packet how to use it properly. | | Cleaning the whole system out every couple of years is not a bad idea, and | will probably save you loads of money on replacing parts and fixing | appliances. Scale isn't a bad thing, it's just an annoyance. It's easily | cleared with new solvent things that are on the market. Take a bottle of | that Cillit Bang stuff for example. Doesn't cost much for a bottle of that, | and if used to clean out the whole system every two or three years, then | it's a cost effective method of general maintenance. | | Good luck with it. | |

[BigWallop]

So that's what's in Cillit Bang then? :-)

[EricP]

Nothing, it's just crap. :)) Stale dog piss is a useful alternative.

[BigWallop]

ROFL!!! Does it have to be Stale? :-)

[EricP]

Yes, more ammonia.

HTH :)

[BigWallop]

More aroma you mean. :-)

[EricP]

Thats why it's sooo good. You work much faster to get away from it. :))

[FurryWurry]

By the way...

Some of the water companies have been dropping their water pressure to reduce the wastage from leaks.

Obviously not relevant in your case since neither are directly fed from the mains, but for others in a similar predicament.