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Low water pressure |
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| message from Simon on 11 May 2004 |
I have recently had a megaflow system fitted but because of very low
mains water pressure the output from taps and showers is very poor. Is
there a solution to this problem?
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| Christian McArdle replied to Simon on 11 May 2004 |
Check that all stopcocks are working and fully open. Then compare with next
door to see if there is a supply problem in your neighbourhood.
If it is good, consider replacing your old incoming water main with 25mm
MDPE.
If it is bad, you may need to install a large roof tank and a single
impellor pump to pressurise it.
Quite frankly, your plumber should have checked pressure and flow of your
supply before recommending a mains pressure solution.
Christian.
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| Grunff replied to Christian McArdle on 11 May 2004 |
Must be pretty low pressure. Our 'mains' pressure is about 1.3 bar, and
I've put in a flowmax thermal store. The water delivery from that is so
good that we've done away with the shower pump. Maybe the OP has a poor
flow rate caused by a constriction?
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| IMM replied to Grunff on 11 May 2004 |
You can't use a pump from the mains.
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| Grunff replied to IMM on 11 May 2004 |
A. We don't need to, because the flow rate is quite adequate.
B. If I want to, I could use a pump on it. Our 'mains' is a reservoir,
not a water company main (hence 'mains', not mains). So I can do
whatever the hell I want with it. I even have a garden hose without a
non-return valve on it! Ha!
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| IMM replied to Grunff on 11 May 2004 |
Is it your own reservoir?
Is that how you get your jollies?
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| Grunff replied to IMM on 11 May 2004 |
Yup. Supplied from our own well, in the middle of our own field.
One of the many ways.
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| Owain replied to Grunff on 12 May 2004 |
| > Is it your own reservoir?
| Yup. Supplied from our own well, in the middle of our own field.
"There may be cows widdling in the water supply, but it's my water and
they're my cows."
Owain
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| Grunff replied to Owain on 12 May 2004 |
Eew! No cows.
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| Nick Brooks replied to Grunff on 12 May 2004 |
What about badgers, foxes, rabbits, deer, frogs, etc?
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| Grunff replied to Nick Brooks on 12 May 2004 |
Yes, loads of them.
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| Nick Brooks replied to Grunff on 12 May 2004 |
All "widdling in the water supply" ?
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| Grunff replied to Nick Brooks on 12 May 2004 |
Yup. Just not cows.
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| Owain replied to Grunff on 12 May 2004 |
| > All "widdling in the water supply" ?
| Yup. Just not cows.
"There may be badgers, foxes, rabbits, deer, and frogs widdling in the water
supply, but it's my water and they're my badgers, foxes, rabbits, deer, and
frogs. And what are you complaining about. At least there're no cows."
Owain
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| Grunff replied to Owain on 12 May 2004 |
Perfect. Thanks.
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| Nick Brooks replied to Grunff on 12 May 2004 |
My granparents' house in scotland got it's water supply from a stream
that ran through the garden. It collected in a small pool and then ran
down a pipe to a tank in their loft.
As children we walked upstream to "see where it came from". Finding a
dead sheep in the stream after a few miles put us off drinking water for
a while.
Nick
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| Grunff replied to Nick Brooks on 12 May 2004 |
What was that figure about the number of times London tap water is
likely to have passed through someone before it reaches you?
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| troubleinstore replied to Grunff on 12 May 2004 |
Eight times and it isn't just London
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| Craig Graham replied to troubleinstore on 12 May 2004 |
How's that worked out? Doesn't seem very much if you consider the whole
water cycle and all the people who have ever lived.
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| Ian Stirling replied to Craig Graham on 12 May 2004 |
Ballpark time.
Say there have been 15 billion people alive.
Urine/sweat/... output maybe 8l/day.
Say 3000l/year of water.
3*10^3l/year/person * 100 years * 15*10^9 people = 4.5*10^15l, or
4.5*10^12 tons, or 4500 cubic kilometers.
The ocean has 1.3 billion cubic kilometers, so well under a hundred
thousandth of the ocean could have passed through a human. (not
one particular human)
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| Nick Brooks replied to Nick Brooks on 12 May 2004 |
And before you ask - no it wasn't their sheep
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| Ian Stirling replied to Grunff on 12 May 2004 |
But what about swans.
Then they're the queens swans widdling in your water supply.
Are you going to stand there and take it?
(technically, swans don't seperate 1 and 2.)
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| Grunff replied to Ian Stirling on 13 May 2004 |
Hmmm, can't say I've seen any around here. I'll cross that one when I
come to it I think.
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| Owain replied to Ian Stirling on 13 May 2004 |
| > Owain wrote:
| >> "There may be badgers, foxes, rabbits, deer, and frogs widdling in
| >> the water supply, but it's my water and they're my badgers, foxes,
| >> rabbits, deer, and frogs. And what are you complaining about. At
| >> least there're no cows."
| > Perfect. Thanks.
| But what about swans.
| Then they're the queens swans widdling in your water supply.
Should add £20,000 on the value of the house if selling to an ardent
monarchist.
Owain
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| IMM replied to Owain on 13 May 2004 |
Good! Rip the ****s off.
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| IMM replied to Grunff on 12 May 2004 |
My oh my.....
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| Set Square replied to Simon on 11 May 2004 |
There are two factors.
Firstly static pressure, when no water is flowing. If this is low, there
isn't a lot you can do about it - but unless it's *very* low, it probably
isn't the problem.
Secondly - and potentially more importantly - flow rate. This could be being
restricted because of inadequate pipework in your house - or by the pipe
from the common mains to your property being too small.
Have you measured the flow rate at the point where the water supply enters
your property? With a bucket and stopwatch, turn the kitchen tap (or the tap
nearest to the point of entry) full on and time how long it takes to fill
the bucket. Weigh the water (1 litre = 1 Kg) and work out the flow rate in
litres per minute - and post it here.
Those with more detailed knowledge than me will then tell you what it
*needs* to be to make your megaflow system work half decently.
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| Hamie replied to Set Square on 17 May 2004 |
20l/min is quoted by the manufacturer (I looked on the side of mine).
Realistically I think you could get by on 12-15l/min.
H
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| Christian McArdle replied to Hamie on 18 May 2004 |
But then, what's the point of having a megaflo? You might as well just save
your cash and get a combi, which is half the price (or less) than a system
boiler/megaflo combination. If your total supply is much less than 30lpm,
you might find it is a waste of money.
Christian.
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| Ian Stirling replied to Simon on 11 May 2004 |
Is the pump (I'm assuming that's what the 'system' is) properly situated?
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| Ian Stirling replied to Ian Stirling on 11 May 2004 |
Ignore me.
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