Is the tap water from upstairs drinkable?

[brimfull]

we have always assumed it is not,something about it sitting in the tank for ages and bugs floating in it etc.

So is that crap,and why is the water downstairs any different?

My mum thinks I am mad.

I think it depends if you have a tank or not (we don't). I think (but may be wrong) years ago most people had tanks and the upstairs water (hot and cold) came from the tank, but downstairs water was from the mains.

It is perhaps not relevant if you have more modern plumbing?

The way to test is to see whether you can stop the flow of water by potting your thumb to the tap. If you can it comes from the tank and shouldn't be drunk. If you can't it comes from the mains and is fine (the same as downstairs).

Or even putting your thumb

We do have a tank in the loft,but I'll try the thumb test as well.
thanks

If it comes from the mains it is drinkable, if not, then I wouldn't. Turn the mains off and see if the flow stops upstairs. Putting your thumb over the tap is a quick way to get water everywhere, and surely it depends how big your thumb is?

I wouldn't have the faintest idea on how to turn the mains off! The stop tap is somewhere up the street I think.

Our downstairs comes fresh from the mains but upstairs comes from the tank , so has "stood" for a while. Realised when we had problems with mains pressure a week or two ago.

You will have an internal stoptap somewhere, normally under your sink. Its important you know where/how to use this incase you get a leak.

If you have a combi boiler, your upstairs water will almost certainly be mains, since there is no need for a header tank. But with stored water, you often need a header tank and the upstairs water usually comes from that.

jesus wilfsell,haven't a clue if I have combi boiler or nor tbh,how do I know.Really should as it was replaced a few yrs ago but can't remember.

do you have a hot water cylinder ggirl?
If not it's a combi and you have mains water upstairs

You really do need to find the stopcock - it's usually in the kitchen, near the sink. Also you need to check you can actually turn it off. If you had a leak, what would you do?

If you have an airing cupboard with a hot tank in it, no.

Stopcock not always inside.

Ours is in the front garden.

pigeon water

Have an airing cupboard with a tank in it.So I haven't got a combi?

I know where the stop cock is,it's in the garage.

There will be one inside - you will have an outside one (in garden or footpath) and an inside one. I would be very suprised if you didn't as in 10 years of working for a water board I don't think I've come across a house that didn't - plus I'm sure its against building regs for the house not to have one.

Some people have a combi and also a hot water tank/immersion heater but this is unusual.

I'm thinking if you had your boiler replaced but deliberately kept the hot water cylinder with the option of heating it via electricity if the boiler was playing up for example.

Do you have a boiler that gives you "instant" hot water plus central heating - that is a combi.

ggirl have you got the manual/instructions for your boiler - it will say clearly on the front what type it is. Or paperwork from when you have it serviced? Might say something like "annual service of combi boiler"

stripey,the garage is an internal one.

if you have a cold water tank in the loft you can't drink the water upstairs....only from the kitchen tap

No cold water tank means its some form of mains system and is Ok (and can be any number of systems- Combi, pressurised etc)

my boilerI am none the wiser lol

In that case I would play safe and drink downstairs water only. Wait til you get boiler serviced again and ask very casually "is it a combi?"

That is what I would do. Or if a more knowledgable friend visits in the meantime ask them what they think.

Stripey, come and look in my house then. There is no internal stopcock, honestly.

Ggirl, looking at the spec it looks like it isn't a combi... Drink from downstairs only!