Mains water pressure issues.

[Peter]

Hi Everybody,

Quick plumbing Q. Most of cold water plumbing in my house operates at mains water pressure. There is a cold tank, but as far as I've been able to work out, the only things supplied from it ar e the hot water cylinder and the bidet (?!). This is as a result of several mods and extension by the previous owner. There was also a water softener which is now bypassed.

It all works fine and I've no intension of changing anything unless I have to. However, since i'm refitting the laundry room (where the mains water access point is), is there anything I need to check to satisfy modern practice?

Peter.

[Christian McArdle]

No. Just keep the bidet on the tank. It is there for a reason.

Christian.

[Fishter]

I can just imagine the mains pressure..... Oo! That's gotta smart!

[Christian McArdle]

Actually, I would regard that as a reason to attach them to the mains. ;-)

Christian.

[Peter]

Ah yes - not so strange after all. Never use the weird foreign contraption myself but others do.

Thanks to all who replied.

Peter.

[David]

The reason you're referring to is presumably to prevent contamination of the mains supply by back syphoning of yucky water from the bidet?

If so, then it depends on the bidet... ours is only fillable from a conventional tap arrangement and doesn't have the botty-fountain bit (therefore it is functionally no different to a bath or basin). I've never thought about it before - not being a bidet fan personally! - but presumably the reason this would have been installed in our house is because we have only mains water (ie no cold tank at all).

David

[Christian McArdle]

I never understood this idea that you could plumb a bidet without the fountain bit. It somewhat defeats the point. It would be like saying you were allowed shower cubicles as long as you only have low down taps and no shower head. Talk about chocolate teapots.

Christian.

[IMM]

A bidet is very different to a shower cubicle. A bidet with a fountain can be fitted with a dedicated pipe to the cold water tank in the loft. In short it will not contaminate anything in the pipework.

[David]

Like I said, I'm not a bidet fan at all and prefer a shower to deal with the hygiene of my nether regions. Nevertheless, I disagree with your "shower with no showerhead / chocolate teapot" analogy... when did anyone ever say that bidets have to have fountains? It's not like ours doesn't have the fountain plumbed in, simply that the bidet doesn't have one built in. Some do some don't. Ours is designed either to be filled with warm water, then you sit astride it and dangle your bits in the water, like a wash basin; or you can sit facing the directable mixer tap and aim the water jet where you want it. Doesn't point directly at your orifices like a fountain would of course, but then neither does a normal fixed shower head in a shower, and that works OK for most folk!

David