no hot water due to drop in water pressure supply

big-cuddle

any advice would be gratefully received.

Our house has always had a really high water pressure supply, but back in april our water supply was switched off for the day while they added more pipes for new houses across the road.

Since then our water pressure has dropped and now our boiler is not kicking in. I know there is not a problem with the boiler as on two occasions when I have rung the water company the water pressure has increased for an hour or two and the boiler has kicked in straight away.

my question is, if the pressure is within their set amount but lower than it was, is there any way of them changing this, or am I going to have to pay to have parts changed on the boiler?

please help, thanks :T

Mr_Ted

Boiler type would help, I assume a Combi which are prone to low pressure problems?

Could be many causes, water not turned fully back on, pipe blockage due to foreign matter getting into pipework when new additions made?

Boiler filters blocked by foreign matter disturbed by new works?

Of course a lower supply pressure set by the water company also saves water ???

big-cuddle

Yes, its a combi boiler (halstead ace high).

the mains tap outside and the stop !!!! (is that right?) have both been turned off and then switched back on full.

if it was a blockage would the water pressure increase once or twice, so much so that the boiler would kick in?

Once when the water pressure had increased we had the tap running and you could see the water slow just before the boiler locked out as it no longer registered it.

hope that helps some, any more info need just ask, I'll help if I can, I'm desperate, thanks

southcoastrgi

what is the pressure like on your cold taps has this changed ? if your cold taps are the same as they were & it's just the hot then it sounds like a blocked filter on the cold supply in your boiler. contact the water board or the company that did the works they are liable for any debrie flushed into your system from their works.

Halstead oh dear oh dear !!

big-cuddle

the cold water pressure has dropped, from what it was as well (the cold tap is running faster than the hot, don't know if that means anything?)

the problem is I think the pressure is within the water boards allowed amounts- its just less than we normally had. I feel positive that the boiler not working is down to the drop in pressure and I really can't afford to call a plumber especially when I don't think there's a fault with the boiler.

southcoastrgi

on reading the MI for your boiler, it req a min of 1 bar for full heat output but it will work down to 0.3 bar, the flow regulator can be removed to give better flow rate, the water board "according to them" don't have to give you a min pressure & have been reducing the road pressure due to their leaking pipes, i have never seen anyone with a pressure less than 0.3 bar which is what your boiler req, so my point still stands i think the flow reg is blocked, either by some dirt entering your supply during the works or by the water suddenly being turned back on & has dislodged something in your supply pipe, have you contacted the people i said about in my previous message & told them that you now have a prob that wasn't there before the works.

alleycat`

I was always under the impression that the water company had to give a minimum flow rate at the lowest mains tap?

Mr_Ted

big-cuddle wrote: »

the mains tap outside and the stop !!!! (is that right?) have both been turned off and then switched back on full.

I am assuming by mains tap you mean the local water companies supply valve for the area, if so you cannot be sure it was fully opened as you wont have access?

big-cuddle wrote: »

if it was a blockage would the water pressure increase once or twice, so much so that the boiler would kick in?

big-cuddle wrote: »

Once when the water pressure had increased we had the tap running and you could see the water slow just before the boiler locked out as it no longer registered it.

I think this is due to the static pressure that would build up when the water was not being used, this if you were to open a hot tap would slowly reduce as pressure is relieved and therefore the boiler may have started initially but when the pressure reduced it would go off as it reached the boilers set low limit!

I would ask for the water company to come and check the "working" pressure and also to back flush the mains, as it may be a stone or some such debris has enterred your branch of the water main and stuck in the pipe somewhere?

Also have your neighbour had a similar drop in pressure?

There is always a slight pressure difference between cold and hot pressures, particullarly with combi's, this is due to the added restriction to get the water through the additional systems!

big-cuddle

thank you all so much :A

I have rung the water board and they came out to measure the pressure, but the gentleman said he couldn't read it, as the tap just outside our property was an old one, so he arranged for some one to come and change it and now we're waiting for him to come back and take a reading.

by mains tap I meant the tap thats just out on the pavement that switches on/off our supply, sorry if I called it the wrong thing.

With regards to the neighbours I'm quite shy, so I don't really talk to them, so I haven't been able to get the courage up to ask

Is there any point in me waiting for them to come and read the pressure and trying to fight the point it's not as high as it was (which terrifies me) or just bite the bullet and try to scrap the money together for a plumber to check filters etc?

big-cuddle

Sorry forgot to ask as well whats "working" pressure, as the gentleman will be measuring the pressure on the tap outside on the pavement. Do I need to run the taps inside the house, will it make a difference, sorry to be so dull about all this!

Mr_Ted

Working pressure is taken when the taps are running, standing pressure is when nothing is in use!

Standing pressure will probably not show up a fault as a back up of pressure will remain if there is a fault, whereas working pressure will show the actual pressure at the point of use!

It should also be checked from inside your property as if the tap outside is before your consumer control stopcock it will not register if theres a fault between the 2 points!

If the fault is caused by them they are liable for any repairs to clear filters!