Supply+install Water Pump to increase bathroom Water Pressure

ThisIsWeird

Also bear in mind that a combi boiler of, say, 28kW or less will only provide what usually looks like a pitiful flow from a bath tap. 

plumb1_2

Dandytf said:

I'm due deposit partial refund as No Fault Found.

Well clearly there is a fault, these home emergency lads are very busy multiple jobs per day. And the sooner they are out the better for them and will do minimal checks. They will recomend alsorts knowing they won’t be back.
Again what’s the flow like in the other taps.

Dandytf

ThisIsWeird said:

Dandy, are you saying it's a 'combi' boiler, one that fires up every time you turn on a hot tap, and supplies instantly-heated water? IE you do not have a 'hot cylinder' anywhere?

If so, then yes, in theory, all you need is a mains booster pump fitted to the water mains pipe after it comes into your flat. A common model is by Salamander and costs around £300. It should provide 12lpm water flow, which is the most you are allowed to draw from the mains.

But... if you have a single shared mains pipe coming into and up through the block, with 'tees' coming off for each flat, I can foresee problems where you could very possibly deprive other flats of flow. There's even a potential risk of drawing in air from an opened tap in a lower floor. So, a plumber would have to check the mains supply layout first to check this solution is suitable.

Stop press: I notice you suggest that it's only the hot bath tap that's at fault? And that it used to be ok a few years back? Ok, a few checks, please:

1) IS it a combi boiler?
2) what is the cold mains flow rate from your cold kitchen tap? (Pan under tap, turn on full for 10 seconds, measure no of litres, and 'times' it by 6 to get 'litres per minute'.
3) repeat this test for the HOT kitchen tap.
4) repeat again for the hot basin tap.
5) once more for the hot bath tap.

Please report back.

1 Boiler is old school solid boiler -hot water is heated from Eco7 (SP call tariff White Meter)
Water heats overnight 7 days per week. during eco 7 times.
As posted via mse 2022- Excellent joiners removed and replaced Kitchen worktop+sink/taps.
I personally find hot/cold running fine-this flat has never had best running rate.
Hot basin taps in bathroom taps replaced past few weeks which instantly improved Running rate both hot/cold.

Please refer to -

Cold Kitchen

350 ml

Hot Kitchen

225 Ml

Cold Basin bathroom 

350ml

Hot Basin bathroom 

160ml

Cold Bath 

1/2 ltr

Hot Bath

1. 110ml 

2. 150ml

Excellent test thanks

Dandytf

this sounds relevant....
 if you have a single shared mains pipe coming into and up through the block, with 'tees' coming off for each flat, I can foresee problems where you could very possibly deprive other flats of flow. There's even a potential risk of drawing in air from an opened tap in a lower floor.
So, a plumber would have to check the mains supply layout first to check this solution is suitable

Let me ask if I can request Factors Plumber ,often declined being a meagre mortgaged property.

thanks

ThisIsWeird

Dandytf said:

ThisIsWeird said:

Dandy, are you saying it's a 'combi' boiler, one that fires up every time you turn on a hot tap, and supplies instantly-heated water? IE you do not have a 'hot cylinder' anywhere?

If so, then yes, in theory, all you need is a mains booster pump fitted to the water mains pipe after it comes into your flat. A common model is by Salamander and costs around £300. It should provide 12lpm water flow, which is the most you are allowed to draw from the mains.

But... if you have a single shared mains pipe coming into and up through the block, with 'tees' coming off for each flat, I can foresee problems where you could very possibly deprive other flats of flow. There's even a potential risk of drawing in air from an opened tap in a lower floor. So, a plumber would have to check the mains supply layout first to check this solution is suitable.

Stop press: I notice you suggest that it's only the hot bath tap that's at fault? And that it used to be ok a few years back? Ok, a few checks, please:

1) IS it a combi boiler?
2) what is the cold mains flow rate from your cold kitchen tap? (Pan under tap, turn on full for 10 seconds, measure no of litres, and 'times' it by 6 to get 'litres per minute'.
3) repeat this test for the HOT kitchen tap.
4) repeat again for the hot basin tap.
5) once more for the hot bath tap.

Please report back.

1 Boiler is old school solid boiler -hot water is heated from Eco7 (SP call tariff White Meter)
Water heats overnight 7 days per week. during eco 7 times.
As posted via mse 2022- Excellent joiners removed and replaced Kitchen worktop+sink/taps.
I personally find hot/cold running fine-this flat has never had best running rate.
Hot basin taps in bathroom taps replaced past few weeks which instantly improved Running rate both hot/cold.

Please refer to -

Cold Kitchen

350 ml

Hot Kitchen

225 Ml

Cold Basin bathroom 

350ml

Hot Basin bathroom 

160ml

Cold Bath 

1/2 ltr

Hot Bath

1. 110ml 

2. 150ml

Excellent test thanks

I'm confused by some of this. You do have a hot cylinder, but this is NOT heated by the boiler? Could you provide a picture of this hot cylinder, please?

Also, I would expect your water quantity readings to be in the order of 'litres', the number being delivered each minute. The kitchen cold would usually be between 10 and 20 LPM, tho' often vary beyond this, either way.

When you say '350 ml' for the cold kitchen tap, how exactly did you obtain that figure? Is that what came out in 10 seconds of running? If so, wow - that's low. This is not much more than a trickle? But you've suggested it's only the bath hot that's an issue? I don't understand 

Why are there two figures for the hot bath?

Dandytf

Maybe not as precise as required, I haven't done the 6 times multiplier and I only repeated 10 secs for hot bath, forgot hot basin repeat.
My  milliletres were taken from measuring jug placed under each tap 10 secs each.
e.g. 350mlx6=2100 ml or 2.1Liters.
Ignore cylinder ref I was trying to describe old school electric boiler -which heats hot water piped from hall cupboard are through to bathroom Without anything to Boost Pressure.  maybe it's Steel or Cast Iron Boiler.

ThisIsWeird

These flow rates are simply shocking, then. 2.1lpm from the kitchen cold is as bad as I've ever seen. 

We still need to understand what sort of hot water system you have, tho', whether it is 'powered' by the cold mains, or has a cold water storage tank either in your flat or on the roof.

Are you able to take photos of the boiler and cylinder?

Or, do you know where your main incoming water stopcock is? If so, what happens if you shut it off - which taps stop working?

Dandytf

ThisIsWeird said:

These flow rates are simply shocking, then. 2.1lpm from the kitchen cold is as bad as I've ever seen. 

We still need to understand what sort of hot water system you have, tho', whether it is 'powered' by the cold mains, or has a cold water storage tank either in your flat or on the roof.

Are you able to take photos of the boiler and cylinder?

Or, do you know where your main incoming water stopcock is? If so, what happens if you shut it off - which taps stop working?

I personally don't switch off water, though it could be from some Valve Handles in hall cupboard.
I can take photo though have 3 storage boxes to remove.

ThisIsWeird

Dandytf said:

ThisIsWeird said:

These flow rates are simply shocking, then. 2.1lpm from the kitchen cold is as bad as I've ever seen. 

We still need to understand what sort of hot water system you have, tho', whether it is 'powered' by the cold mains, or has a cold water storage tank either in your flat or on the roof.

Are you able to take photos of the boiler and cylinder?

Or, do you know where your main incoming water stopcock is? If so, what happens if you shut it off - which taps stop working?

I personally don't switch off water, though it could be from some Valve Handles in hall cupboard.
I can take photo though have 3 storage boxes to remove.

Without knowing what sort of system you have, we are nobbled when trying to give answers :-)

As for the 'switch off water', if you were to have a pipe burst, or a tap fail, or a washing machine leak, or anything like that within your flat, causing a large puddle to form on your floor, what would you do? Isn't there a 'tap' you can go to and turn off?

Dandytf

ThisIsWeird said:

Dandytf said:

ThisIsWeird said:

These flow rates are simply shocking, then. 2.1lpm from the kitchen cold is as bad as I've ever seen. 

We still need to understand what sort of hot water system you have, tho', whether it is 'powered' by the cold mains, or has a cold water storage tank either in your flat or on the roof.

Are you able to take photos of the boiler and cylinder?

Or, do you know where your main incoming water stopcock is? If so, what happens if you shut it off - which taps stop working?

I personally don't switch off water, though it could be from some Valve Handles in hall cupboard.
I can take photo though have 3 storage boxes to remove.

Without knowing what sort of system you have, we are nobbled when trying to give answers :-)

As for the 'switch off water', if you were to have a pipe burst, or a tap fail, or a washing machine leak, or anything like that within your flat, causing a large puddle to form on your floor, what would you do? Isn't there a 'tap' you can go to and turn off?

No idea I only now of blue/red underneath sink and can guess one or two handles from pipes in cupboard.
Photo is to be taken maybe over weekend