What mains pressure do water companies have to supply?

ValHaller

mart.vader wrote: »

It's not just my line, it's the whole point of the thread.

As we all know, southcoast says in his sig "if I think you are wrong I WILL tell you"

Yes, but my question is, if southcoast is wrong, will he admit it ? Or rely on you and diywhynot to change the subject ?

Sorry. What would you like me to delete? Would you like me not to post on the water forum again?

mart.vader

Oh Val, please don't take it like that, please. Of course you can post, wherever you like !

There's only one way to settle this. No, Val, NOT a dance-off ! Definitely not.

Next time you go to a low pressure call, take the pressure on an outside tap, while the kitchen tap is running, then ring the Water co and tell them they aren't meeting their minimum guaranteed pressure. Then casually mention that you took the pressure with a tap open.

Let's see what they say !

diywhynot

ValHaller wrote: »

They are spot on the same compared to running water into a bucket.

Is this in your property? Very poor performance from the combi. :eek:Out of interest what are we comparing here i.e make and model of both electric shower and combi?

diywhynot

mart.vader wrote: »

What ! ? ! Look, Val, you're ever so slightly missing the point.

They may be "well aware", and they may "address this issue at some time in the future" but what does that have to do with the method used by the water industry to determine whether they are, or are not, meeting their minimum pressure requirements ?

I sense from your comments on this thread that you have had your own battles with a water company. Is this correct?

mart.vader

diywhynot wrote: »

I sense from your comments on this thread that you have had your own battles with a water company. Is this correct?

Yes, I know you would like to change the subject, but none of my previous posts about Water Cos. related, in any way, to the method of measuring minimum pressure. (As far as I can recall)

You, Val, southcoast, and any other plumbers and RGI's can continue to take the pressure in quarts and gallons, if you want, but it doesn't matter a jot, because the Water Cos are taking it in bars and metres static head.

pinkteapot

Came back to update and there's an argument going on that I haven't quite followed.

Two lots of £20 compensation later, after AW messed up two appointments... They came out and there's definitely no leak on our property. They installed a thingy which would measure the flow for a few days. They called yesterday and it's shown that the pressure is "higher than our minimum but not as high as we'd expect". They're leaving the monitor on for a few more days.

They have said that the main pipe to the whole area is being upgraded to a larger diameter before Christmas which should improve things. They're going to call again on Monday to let us know if they're going to do anything else.

They also said they'd consider refunding us for the new electric shower we bought, which replaced our old one which actually had nothing wrong with it! Amazed by that - surely it's our own stupid fault? Ah well, can't complain.

So, still not able to shower before work, but progress being made.

mart.vader

Well done, you, for getting a reasonably constructive response from the Water Co.

As to the 'argument'; its actually a mature discussion vis-a-vis the accepted and practised standard for the measurement of water pressures by water cos !

pinkteapot

Another update from AW....

Pressure definitely considerably lower than it should be. Shock horror - they've decided that it's due to all the new houses in the area.

Upgrade to the supply pipe will happen "by the end of this year, or at worst by the end of the financial year". Hmmm...!

Until that happens, we can't shower from around 7-8am. Ah well, at least we know what's wrong now.

Worst part is the housing development is only half complete!

They are still considering some compensation for the pointless new shower we installed, which would be great.

Moral of the story - don't have an electric shower as your only shower!

Pincher

http://www.plumbnation.co.uk/site/grundfos-upa-15-90-home-booster-pump-59539509/

It has a flow sensor, so you just have to turn on the tap, and it kicks in. You turn the tap off, it stops pumping. It's very quiet, nothing like the 3 bar shower pumps.

You are not supposed to pump the mains supply directly.
I have a loft tank, so I can use a 3 bar shower pump if I wanted to, but it's too loud. The Grundfos makes a 1st floor shower usable.