Main cold water supply ???

[Rich]

Hi all, hope all is well in 2005, I live in a first floor flat and on the ground floor there are two flats so total is 3 flats in the building, these are all fed from the road which is about 20 meters from the road stop c*ck to where it comes in to the ground floor flat, this pipe seems to be black and only about 3/4" in dia on the outside. Sometimes we don't get any water out of our taps at all and at the best the pressure is stoppable with a thumb over the tap end.. If I approach the water company and have a new supply put in will it have to go on a water meter or would the water co do this new supply for free ?? I presume the

3/4" pipe is not big enough for the 3 flats given the distance to flats etc:

Rich

-- To reply remove " spam "

[Old Bill]

In London, in a similar setup, I enquired about a separate supply for one flat they said they would treat it same as a new build. The cost quoted was exhorbitant. I think their stance is the developer who made these houses into flats should have sorted out the supplies and the it was adequate for the original house. Having a meter wasn't compulsory

[Christian McArdle]

That's up to them. However, you would be strongly advised to request one. You are very likely to pay less on a meter in a gardenless flat, even with long daily showers or baths.

Sorry to disappoint. They use new water connections to buy the chairmen their yachts.

distance to flats etc:

Unfortanately, the replacement will not increase the static pressure when others in the building are not using water. It will improve it when they are, though. It should greatly increase the flow rate, though.

However, the low pressure could work to your advantage. The water company must provide at least 9lpm and 1 bar pressure. It sounds like they are failing to do this and might have to upgrade you for free. This could actually involve upgrading street mains, if the pressure is that low.

Christian.

[Rich]

Can someone tell me what this works out to in pressure so I can work out if I am ok or not,

Quoted from Portsmouth Water.. "We will maintain a minimum pressure of water in a communication pipe serving premises supplied with water, of 7 metres static head."

Is the 9 litres a min at 1 bar the national limit or does it differ? see above for the Quote. I surpose that they would have to fit a larger pipe to supply our 3 flats with the desired flow and pressure !!!! For free if its below the limits..

Rich

[Christian McArdle]

That is about 0.7 bar.

Clearly it differs!

The replacement pipe will not affect the genuinely static pressure. However, with such a low pressure from the street, you need a particularly large supply pipe to get a good flow rate. Think 32mm MDPE.

Christian.

[Rich]

Thanks for the posts Rich