What mains pressure do water companies have to supply?

pinkteapot

I've heard that water companies have to supply a minimum pressure of 1bar. Is this a legal requirement and, more importantly, does the pressure have to be at least this much 24/7?

We've got a problem with low pressure stopping our mains-fed electric showers working. I got a pressure gauge and our water pressure is 1.5bar most of the day, but dropping significantly at peak time in the morning (7-7:30am). This morning it was 0.25 bar. :eek: Our showers need 1bar to function.

Anglian Water are coming out tomorrow to work out whether it's a leak in the mains system, a leak on our property, or whether that's just the pressure we're getting.

If it's the latter, can we argue with them? The person I spoke to on the phone seemed to think that pressure of less than 1bar at peak times wasn't uncommon.

This problem has been going on for about six months (we originally thought it was faulty showers), coincidentally since a huge new housing development was completed opposite us, and about 1,000 new homes filled up with people.

I'm actually hoping it's a leak in the supply pipe on our property because at least then it's something within our control that we can fix.

HappyMJ

pinkteapot wrote: »

I've heard that water companies have to supply a minimum pressure of 1bar. Is this a legal requirement and, more importantly, does the pressure have to be at least this much 24/7?

We've got a problem with low pressure stopping our mains-fed electric showers working. I got a pressure gauge and our water pressure is 1.5bar most of the day, but dropping significantly at peak time in the morning (7-7:30am). This morning it was 0.25 bar. :eek: Our showers need 1bar to function.

Anglian Water are coming out tomorrow to work out whether it's a leak in the mains system, a leak on our property, or whether that's just the pressure we're getting.

If it's the latter, can we argue with them? The person I spoke to on the phone seemed to think that pressure of less than 1bar at peak times wasn't uncommon.

This problem has been going on for about six months (we originally thought it was faulty showers), coincidentally since a huge new housing development was completed opposite us, and about 1,000 new homes filled up with people.

I'm actually hoping it's a leak in the supply pipe on our property because at least then it's something within our control that we can fix.

7 metres of static head in the communications pipe. Basically at ground level.

http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/consumerissues/rightsresponsibilities/standards/gud_pro_gss08.pdf

pinkteapot

Thanks. The document says this is 0.7bar. So, assuming we don't have a leak, 0.25bar is lower than it's meant to be!

mart.vader

pinkteapot wrote: »

Thanks. The document says this is 0.7bar. So, assuming we don't have a leak, 0.25bar is lower than it's meant to be!

Do you live in a house or a flat ? Does it have its own independent supply pipe or is it shared between several properties ? This makes a difference (Not in terms of minimum supply pressure, but in terms of apparent pressure) i.e. if you live on the top floor of a house with six flats, all using their showers at the same time.

pinkteapot

Detached house, with our own supply pipe.

I've been measuring the pressure at our outside tap, which is cold mains fed. Nothing else has been running when I've taken readings.

pinkteapot

Just checked our neighbour's house and their pressure measured exactly the same as ours, at the same time. Detached houses with separate meter covers in the pavement outside our houses, so assuming it's not a shared supply. Also assuming this means our supply pipe isn't leaking....

mart.vader

OK, pinkteapot,

Yes, Detached houses with separate meter covers in the pavement means separate supplies.

If your meter is moving while you aren't using any water, then, yes, you have a leak.

If it doesn't move when you aren't using any water (i.e. no washing machine, no Dishwasher running) then you don't have a leak.

As to pressure, I'm wondering how your neighbours manage with the same low pressure as you ?

pinkteapot

Chatted to the neighbour and they don't have an electric shower (mixer shower running off hot and cold tanks).

When the pressure is low, the kitchen tap still works and it's probably sufficient for a washing machine or dishwasher to work. It's just electric showers that need a minimum of 1bar to run, so I think it's only people with those that would really notice anything.

I'm not sure how to get the meter cover up, so we'll ask the guy from Anglian Water when he comes today so that we can do it in future. Then we can check and make sure we don't have a leak in our supply pipe, but as neighbour had the same pressure as us I'm hopeful that we don't.

As I said, we've had issues with the electric shower not working at peak times for about six months now, which is since a massive housing development was finished nearby so there's a lot more people in the area.

My brother is a plumber in a town with a different water supplier, and he said mains pressure for people there is normally 3-4bar, so ours does seem low, but if it's over the legal minimum and Anglian Water won't do anything then our only options will be to shower at off peak times, or completely redo our two bathrooms (we only have a cold mains pipework feed, so changing to mixer showers would mean new pipework behind the walls).

mart.vader

This may be of interest to you.

http://www.home-boost.co.uk/

PS. you can lever your meter cover up with a large screwdriver.

pinkteapot

Thanks! Found this local company that offer some mains pressure boosting things:
http://www.anglianpumping.com/services/mains-pressure-boosting

Most of what I've read before says it's not possible to add a pump to a mains-fed electric shower, but maybe there will be something we can do, if need be. Certainly worth exploring before we resort to ripping our three year old bathrooms out!

southcoastrgi

pinkteapot wrote: »

Detached house, with our own supply pipe.

I've been measuring the pressure at our outside tap, which is cold mains fed. Nothing else has been running when I've taken readings.

you are measuring it wrong, it doesn't matter what pressure you have without anything running, you need to connect the gauge to your outside tap & run the cold on your kitchen tap (providing that's connected to the mains) then see what pressure you have, that's the pressure you go by