Increasing water pressure upstairs for washing machine?

MrsE_2

I moved my washing maching & tumble dryer upstairs to the spare room. The bathroom is beside it, so a water fill pipe & a waste pipe was plumbed through the wall.
I wanted this to create space in the kitchen & I've put 2 couboards where they used to live already.

Anyway, I knew my water pressure upstairs was poor, my electric shower is of the pumped variety, as a non pumped wouldn't work.

My washing machine is a Bosch & when I put a wash on I get an error message F17 - which is an error message for filling. If I press the start button again, it carries on & washes.

But its not washing properly. I would have expected it to fill itself no matter how long it takes, but it seems to be doing a wash with only a small amount of water.

Washing is starting to become smelly:(

Is it likely its doing a washing cycle without a full drum of water? I don't care if it takes longer, I'm not even that bothered about pressing start twice (the second time after the error message), but I can't cope with it not washing.

The water fills from the last bit of copper pipe in the bathroom, which fills the toilet cistern.

What are my options?
Pump?
I texted the plumber who installed upstairs, he thinks either raising the cold water fill in the loft is an option (there is about 4 foot) or increasing the width of the pipes that flow from the cold water tank (this sounds like a huge & messy job).

Any advice?

keystone

It should be on mains supply not tank fed.. You've got mains going into the roof to feed the tank anyway. Tee off from that. Oh and find a new "plumber" who knows what he is doing. The one you have now doesn't.

Cheers

mart.vader

MrsE wrote: »

Anyway, I knew my water pressure upstairs was poor, my electric shower is of the pumped variety, as a non pumped wouldn't work.

The water fills from the last bit of copper pipe in the bathroom, which fills the toilet cistern.

What are my options?
Pump?
I texted the plumber who installed upstairs, he thinks either raising the cold water fill in the loft is an option (there is about 4 foot) or increasing the width of the pipes that flow from the cold water tank (this sounds like a huge & messy job).

Any advice?

If your W/M is cold fill, Can it be supplied direct from the main, not via the tank? The spec for your W/M should say what the minimum pressure and flow it requires. Your plumber can easily measure the pressure and flow in the main.

The water pressure is clearly enough to get the water up to the tank, so if you connect into the main, there will be at least a bit more pressure at your bathroom. Should be a lot cheaper than raising the tank or increasing the pipe size.

Edit; Ah, Keystone's advice is similar.

MrsE_2

The plumber has just texted back & thinks the best thing is to feed from the loft straight down into the machine, as its a spare room it just means some copper piping in the loft & then down a corner of the spare room & I can trunk it after.

I assumed he meant straight from the cold tank, but you are saying it would need to be straight from the mains feed up there?

Sounds simple enought :-)

keystone

MrsE wrote: »

The plumber has just texted back & thinks the best thing is to feed from the loft straight down into the machine, as its a spare room it just means some copper piping in the loft & then down a corner of the spare room & I can trunk it after.

Good yes thats right and straight off the mains riser to the tank.

I assumed he meant straight from the cold tank, but you are saying it would need to be straight from the mains feed up there?

If he means the tank get a new plumber as already advised.

Sounds simple enought :-)

It is so why didn't he do it that way in the first place? Thats two jobs for him then at your expense. :mad:

Cheers

macman

Get your plumber to come and change the feed to the rising main at his expense. He doesn't appear to know what he is doing.
If he won't, get a proper plumber in and commence an action to recover your original costs.

MrsE_2

keystone wrote: »

Good yes thats right and straight off the mains riser to the tank.

If he means the tank get a new plumber as already advised.

It is so why didn't he do it that way in the first place? Thats two jobs for him then at your expense. :mad:

Cheers

macman wrote: »

Get your plumber to come and change the feed to the rising main at his expense. He doesn't appear to know what he is doing.
If he won't, get a proper plumber in and commence an action to recover your original costs.

He only charged £180 to do the pipework from the bathroom to the bedroom - mind you its only about 3 foot. Hes going to chage me another £150 to run from the attic. He said he could run from the cold water tank or mains - I said mains.

keystone

MrsE wrote: »

He only charged £180 to do the pipework from the bathroom to the bedroom - mind you its only about 3 foot. Hes going to chage me another £150 to run from the attic. He said he could run from the cold water tank or mains - I said mains.

Sorry but if you accept that you have more money than sense. You have already paid more than enough for both jobs. He should not be charging you a single penny over and above that which you have paid because a) you have paid more than enough already and b) he didn't do it properly in the first place.

Once again if he's even forming the idea of feeding the WM from the tank let alone articulating it you seriously need to get rid.

Cheers

MrsE_2

keystone wrote: »

Sorry but if you accept that you have more money than sense. You have already paid more than enough for both jobs. He should not be charging you a single penny over and above that which you have paid because a) you have paid more than enough already and b) he didn't do it properly in the first place.

Once again if he's even forming the idea of feeding the WM from the tank let alone articulating it you seriously need to get rid.

Cheers

I don't I assure you. But he also works for the same employer.........
"articulating it"?
I will insist he feeds it from the mains - thank you:beer:

keystone

MrsE wrote: »

But he also works for the same employer.........

So that gives him the right to take you to the cleaners? I don't think so. Who are you going to offend? If I was the employer I'd be hopping mad with the individual who tried to turn over another of my staff not with you for standing up for yourself.

"articulating it"?

Having formed the erroneous thought in his tiny brain he then makes the further mistake of speaking it aloud.

I will insist he feeds it from the mains - thank you:beer:

Good. Best of luck.

Cheers

MrsE_2

keystone wrote: »

Having formed the erroneous thought in his tiny brain he then makes the further mistake of speaking it aloud.

LOL I thought that was also a plumbing term :rotfl:
& I wondered what it meant.