Water pressure problem - HELP!

[Howdoi?]

Hi all,

My question is about low water pressure; in particular its cause and potential solutions.

I have a terraced house that has reasonably poor water pressure and an old boiler. We have been putting up with the temperamental boiler and weak water. We are going to convert the loft and put a bedroom and a small bathroom up there and, given the extra work that the system will need to do to pump water up there; this seems like the right time to address both.

The most likely cause of the poor pressure is (I’m told) the fact that we (probably!) have old lead pipes with a small diameter. I have put in an application to Thames Water to come and replace their supply pipes (for a few grand!). However, in addition to the cash, this seems like a large undertaking (digging up the road etc).

My questions are:

1. Are there any alternative solutions? A friend mentioned some sort of pressurised component that draws water from the mains and then compressed it to increase the pressure in the system. I believe that’s what they use for blocks of flats, but is that suitable for a terraced house? Could we put pumps in, or will that have no impact if the source of the water is the problem? I just read a different post entitled “Mains water pressure boast” that suggested a boaster pump might work – but then surely if we were running both showers we’d still have problems?!
2. Should a plumber be able to tell me whether the problem is the old pipes? I appreciate that there may be other causes but is it genuinely simply a case of “dig this up and replace it, and then we’ll see”? I don’t want to dig up the road and drop a few grand and find that nothing improves. Perhaps that is the only way to do it though.

Any help and advice would be very gratefully received!

Thanks,
Dave

 

[Rckape]

Hi Dave, you appear to have done a fair amount of research.

The device you mentioned in your first question is an accumulator. I've never seen one fitted in a house though - they can be pretty bulky.

A mains booster pump - with or without a break tank could be a solution.

And yes, a plumber should be able to give you an indication as to whether your main is suitable. Can you post a picture of your stop tap?


Obviously they would not be able to give complete assurance without digging up the entire length.

Have you had a price from Thames water? They could possibly replace up to 12m for free under the lead replacement scheme. (Don't quote me on that though, I'm not from The Thames water area - they might have different rules or policies)

 

[gasmanrob]

Depending on many variants there are a few solutions to your problem. Depending on the number of outlets present and the maximum number of Potential outlets running simultaneously then a grundfos home boost may suit your needs that are about the size of a large washing machine but slightly taller, although you would still need to come straight from the supply to your culinary point.

Have you spoken to your neighbours to see if they have similar issues? As it could potentially be an issue just with your property and not necessarily your supply.

Do you find upon opening the tap you get a sudden blast of water that then fades to a trickle?

Perhaps you could post your location in the I'm looking for a plumber section of the forum and someone nearby may be able to come out and quote you for the most suitable solution

 

[sheff paul]

Hi all,

My question is about low water pressure; in particular its cause and potential solutions.

I have a terraced house that has reasonably poor water pressure and an old boiler. We have been putting up with the temperamental boiler and weak water. We are going to convert the loft and put a bedroom and a small bathroom up there and, given the extra work that the system will need to do to pump water up there; this seems like the right time to address both.

The most likely cause of the poor pressure is (I’m told) the fact that we (probably!) have old lead pipes with a small diameter. I have put in an application to Thames Water to come and replace their supply pipes (for a few grand!). However, in addition to the cash, this seems like a large undertaking (digging up the road etc).

My questions are:

1. Are there any alternative solutions? A friend mentioned some sort of pressurised component that draws water from the mains and then compressed it to increase the pressure in the system. I believe that’s what they use for blocks of flats, but is that suitable for a terraced house? Could we put pumps in, or will that have no impact if the source of the water is the problem? I just read a different post entitled “Mains water pressure boast” that suggested a boaster pump might work – but then surely if we were running both showers we’d still have problems?!
2. Should a plumber be able to tell me whether the problem is the old pipes? I appreciate that there may be other causes but is it genuinely simply a case of “dig this up and replace it, and then we’ll see”? I don’t want to dig up the road and drop a few grand and find that nothing improves. Perhaps that is the only way to do it though.

Any help and advice would be very gratefully received!

Thanks,
Dave

Bite the bullet mate,if its lead its gonna leak may be tomorrow,may be in 3 years,get it dug up and replaced,if you move tell the new buyers,its could add a grand on the price

 

[Unregistered]

Thanks all!

Rckape -
Yes, I did think the accumulator sounded a little over engineered for a house! I can't post a picture of the stopclock right now, but will do so later.

How does a mains booster pump help of the capacity of the pipes from the mains are the choke point? Apologies if this is a novice quesiton, its just that, well, I'm a novice!

Good point on the lead replacement scheme. I have submitted both an application for Thames Water to provide a quote to replace the pipes and (in parallel) for them to come over a test the water to see if I qualify for that scheme. I'm not hopeful that the levels of lead will be outside their tolerances, but I thought it was worth seeing.

 

[snowhead]

If it's a Terrace then there's a good chance you are all on a common supply, done when they were built by the same builder.

Your own dedicated larger supply may cure all your problems, it will certainly improve the pressure when your neighbours are using water.

 

[Unregistered]

Gasmanrob -

Thanks!

In terms of outlets, there currently is just one first floor bathroom and a ground floor WC, in addition to other draws on the water like the washing machine, dishwasher, kitchen sink, outside tap (is this what you meant by outlets!?). We are putting in another bathroom on the top floor though.

Having looked at the Grundfos Home Boost with my expert eye (there is a massive portion of sarcasm there) am I right in thinking it is just for systems with a water tank? We don't have one; it is an unvented system (If I've got that the right way round!). Will that work?

Good point, I'll chat to my neighbours. Either way though, if it is a problem with my property couldn't it just be my pipes? Or are you saying the mains themselves could be poor pressure?

When I open the tap it is constant, it doesn't start strong then fade. I'll measure the rate that they fill a bucket tonight and see if the taps are a consistent pressure around the house.

I’ll post my location - that is a good idea. I'll have a look for that place on the forum - I'm not that familiar with this site!

 

[Unregistered]

Sheff paul,

Thanks - yes, happy to bite the bullet if it is the right solution, I just want to make sure (as far as is possible) that it actually does solve the problem and that I'd thought about any other possible approaches.

 

[Unregistered]

Snowhead - thanks! The house is a c.1910 east London terrace. It is sounding like that is the answer.

It is not so much the money as the time it takes Thames Water to come and do it!

 

[WaterTight]

screw this onto your outside tap and then open the tap.

Monument Tools Mains Water Pressure Test Gauge | Specialist Plumbing | NoLinkingToThis

This will tell you what your static pressure is. If it's good a new main could be the answer (barring a stopcock half stuck shut.) If it's poor then the other options mentioned can be looked at.

 

[Howdoi?]

I got a gauge today and measured it on the outside tap at the back of the house. It was 1.2 bar. That's not much is it?

 

[JCSPLUMBING]

That's ok if you have other outlets running in the background such as a washing machine. Get two readings. One with everything off and one with another outlet open. That's called static and working pressure tests. Also measure your flow rate with a weir cup and report back. You say you have an invented cylinder? If so you need at least 1.5 bar working pressure and 20L/pm flow rate.