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Original poster

Pathetic water pressure

13 replies

themoon66 · 15/12/2006 12:51

Does anyone have a clue how I can turn up the pressure of the water in my brand new house? It take an hour to fill the bath FFS. It's getting weaker and weaker as the months go by. If someone turns the kitchen tap on, the water upstairs stops completely.

Anyone any idea? Anyone out there works as a plumber? or a DH as a plumber they can ask?

OP posts:
2boysmacca · 15/12/2006 13:33

Not a plumber but we had a similar problem. Presumably you have a combi boiler as it's a new house? If so, you could well have a problem with your boiler, this could affect the pressure.

IWhoooooshYouamerryXmas · 15/12/2006 13:35

We had a similar problem and ended up putting a pump underneath the sink just to get decent pressure in the kitchen.
Bath is still a complete nightmare.
Where is hot water tank?

Original poster
themoon66 · 15/12/2006 13:38

The hot water tank and the boiler and all the technical looking stuff is the corner of the garage. There are two expansion tanks... one I understand is something to do with the pressure of the water in the radiators and I've sorted that out. The white one attached to the hot water tank has no dial clock on it and no valves visible, so I don't really know what to do.

There are loads of pipes in a row, all with switch type taps on them and they all appear to be fully open.

Since posting I've rung the plumber who fitted it all when the house was built. He is coming out in the new year he says. But, he also says it's a problem he has never encountered before

OP posts:
corrina28 · 15/12/2006 13:38

dh said check your stopcocks, it may be that they are not open enough

corrina28 · 15/12/2006 13:41

have just tried to call my dad who is/used to be a plumber before he retired, but there is no answer, will keep trying tho.

Original poster
themoon66 · 15/12/2006 14:08

Not sure what he means by 'stopcocks'. If that's the little taps with red covers high up on the pipes, then they are all fully open. The pressure was fine when we moved in in July... its just dropping off as the months go by. We are down to a dribble upstairs

OP posts:
noddyholder · 15/12/2006 14:15

If the tank is below th e level of the bath taps then the only way to increase the pressure is with a pump or move the tank to above teh bath.If the garage is downstairs and the bathroom up the water is effectively travelling uphill

MistletoeGolightly · 15/12/2006 14:18

The stopcock is normally a big brass tap or red lever on the pipe that supplies ALL the water to the property, ie it is before any of the heating etc. It is usually in a cupboard in the hall or somewhere on the perimeter of the property. It's a good idea to know where it is anyway, then if you ever have a burst pipe you can easily turn the water off and stop the leak. Otherwise you might find your floors collapse before the emergency plumber gets there!

Assuming the stopcock is fully open, is it the hot or the cold that's poor pressure or both?

If it's just the hot it might be to do with the valves on your boiler - ask your plumber to check the diverter valves.

If it's the hot AND the cold, is it crap throughout the house or just as you go upstairs? If it's bad throughout it sounds like it might be to do with the pipe that connects your house to the mains. It may be too small, too old or broken. My inlaws had this problem in their Victorian house - the pipe had basically silted up. They got it replaced and bingo - brilliant pressure. Bad news is it was rather pricey...

MistletoeGolightly · 15/12/2006 14:19

Oh, and do you have a header tank in the attic (old style central heating) or a combi boiler with no header tank?

scotlou · 15/12/2006 14:27

When I lived in an old flat with lead pipes (from the street right into the property) pressuer was improved immensly by replacing the pipes. (We got a grant as theyw ere lead)
However, if yours is a new property it is unlikely to be that.
In our current house, the pressure in the shower decreased dramatically over a few months - it turned out the pipe had become compressed by building material under the floor.
I wonder also - we now use an electric pump to pump all teh water in our house. Could you have one that has stopped working? Ours is close to our boiler.

Original poster
themoon66 · 16/12/2006 21:12

scotlo... that sounds likely. It's a brand new house... we moved in in July. The pressure was ok to start with, but since October it has got worse and worse.

The heating system and combi-boiler are in the corner of the garage, but look so science-fiction like, I get scared to touch anything!

Good news though... I've managed to get hold of the plumber who installed it all and he will come out in the new year and have a look... free of charge because I've said they are all part of the 'snagging' list that still hasn't been sorted.

Will be 'interesting' over christmas when I have both grannies staying... 3 bathrooms, but we will still have take turns turning the taps/showers on!

OP posts:
rhubarbcat · 17/12/2006 12:10

Ring your local water board - they are obliged to come and test your water pressure free of charge. It could well be a problem with their water pressure in the main, or you may have a slight leak in the service pipe from the main to your house. If you're not happy with what they say/do you can always contact OFWAT.

Original poster
themoon66 · 18/12/2006 12:28

Thanks rhubarbcat - will ring the waterboard this afternoon. Wonder if they will need to get into the house though, or whether they can do it from outside. I dare not take a day off work at the moment.

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