Do water companies routinely lower the mains pressure in winter?

[MM]

I've noticed a slight drop-off in pressure lately, ever since the cold weather kicked in. I wonder whether some/all water companies have a policy to reduce water pressure in winter when demand is lower (no sprinklers, less car washing, less swimming pool usage) in order to avoid leaks.

The water supply is still perecftly adequate, but the flow e.g. from the kitchen cold tap, is not as forceful as in the summer. Sometimes I have thought the pressure too HIGH in the summer, as it would practically take your hand off if you held it under the kitchen cold tap.

MM

[Brian Gaff]

I don't think its true. it could be of course that the pressure is lower as there has been a small burst somewhere which has not yet been found or fixed. In summer less likely to freeze after all. Brian

[MM]

I checked my water meter for a few minutes to see whether any leak was comng from my side, but it was absolutely static.

By the way, that blue plastic mains supply pipe that water companies use nowadays on new properties, how long does it last?

MM

[harryagain]

MDPE Medum density polyethylene If kept out of sunlight, forever.

[Fredxxx]

That's not something I had noticed.

For info, viscosity is a strong function of temperature that could explain the reduced flow at lower temperatures.

First google hit:

[Andrew Gabriel]

MDPE

It's also available in black, which will be somewhat better protected from UV, but may heat up more in the sun (and yellow, but only for buried gas mains, not to be confused with the yellow plastic coated steel, which is sometimes used for gas above ground).

I was a little surprised to see miles of the blue stuff laid across the surface of the ground in South African game reserves, to supply water to sparse collections of lodges. I guess there was no chance of freezing, but the sun is very powerful there. If the elephants discover what fun it is to pull it around and break it, they might have to try burying it.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

Water pressure reduction round about here is caused by country dwellers, who have a history of frozen supply pipes, leaving the tap on a dribble all night. Surprising the cumulative effect it has.

[MM]

That's pretty darned impressive, I think. Traditional clay pipes would probably last literally forever IF not subjected to tree roots or frost damage. I expect there's loads of examples going back to Roman times.

MM

[MM]

I suppose it's all down to cost. But short-termism is never a good idea. If they hadn't had the money to pay for the pipe, then they wouldn't have been able to lay any pipe. But to my mind, the question "Can we afford it?" MUST include the costs of doing a proper job.

Or perhaps they're still planning on burying it when they've got some more ready cash.

MM

[MM]

Wanna bet! That just isn't the case at my house. In the summer the cold water ~never~ gets cold, even if I wash the car for half an hour. It's still tepid half an hour later. Also, 30 minutes on the boiler (heating oil) is more than enough time to get a tank full of piping hot water in the summer. But in the winter, like now, I have to leave it on for an hour. And in winter there's no way I could wash the car (with a sponge) for half an hour, or my hands would be dropping off with the cold. In fact, I recently bought a long-handled hose brush just for doing that because the car was getting really dirty due to the numerous tractors in Lincolnshire leaving mud on the lanes at this time of the year (cabbages, sprouts, beets etc).

MM

[MM]

Well I never! That must cost 'em a lot, just wasted. Why not lag the pipes?

MM

[dennis]

digging miles of trenches is disruptive to wild life.

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

No direct water charging, until now. Also, there's an unfortunate tendency for slipshod builders to bury the incoming pipe at insufficient depth, which is something you don't find out about until the ground is had frozen, so many people take view a few litres (several, many) is worthwhile wasting to avoid the sheer hassle of blocked pipes for several days.

[harryagain]

Shoud've been put in with a mole plough. MDPE lends itself to that.