PIGLETJOHN - are you able to advise please? Or has anyone experienced this?

[18yearsoftrying]

Got back from a weeks holiday at Easter.

Immediately noticed hot water pressure in kitchen tap had dropped significantly so tried other taps & it turned out all hot water taps are affected.

Since then it's got worse. For a 6pm bath we have to start running it at 5pm and we've noticed that if the dishwasher, washing machine etc are running (even just one of these items at a time) the water practically stops - it literally does turn into a trickle.

The showers are not worth turning on now (let alone try & use)

If all hot water taps are running at the same time (which we did as an experiment) no water comes out of the showers at all.

We didn't think the issue could get worse but we have an 8 month old DD and a dog & it's now getting on our nerves.

The water board don't want to know. The plumber we have managed to get out shrugged his shoulder & said he'd be back.....but never was

The water bar pressure has dropped on the boiler a little.

Any ideas?

If you have a pressurised system ( a big tank and a small one ( usually red ) with a pressure dial on the pipe work between them then you might have a valve to turn on to get the pressure back up - it takes about 30 sec so don't turn it and leave it ., that's he system we have and I turn the pressure back up about four times a year if it's needed .

What is the flow like from the cold taps?

how old is the house?

Have you got a tank in the loft? What size?

Have you got a hot water cylinder? What colour?

We have a pressurised system but DH is saying the valve is open.

House is 15 years old, no tank in loft.

Flow from cold has also reduced but not so noticeably as the hot.

The hot water cylinder is a white Vaillant one.

Thankyou for your help so far, both of you.

Reading between the lines you have an unvented hot water cylinder. If so these need a min flow rate of 20lpm at the mains cold water tap in order to work.

Test your flow rate from your mains cold tap if it's below the 20lpm get back in touch with your water supplier as you say it's dropped since Easter.

If you have got the right flow rate get a heating engineer with a G3 or Unvented cylinder ticket to take a look at it.

You say the valve is open. If you mean the filling loop to the boiler, it should not be. Leaving it open (unless there is a leak) would cause water to be released from the pressure release valve, usually in the wall behind the boiler.

You say flow from the cold taps has reduced. Unless the main stopcock has been partially closed, the incoming pipe might have been squashed (yours might be plastic) or there may be a leak.

You need a plumber to find the cause of the poor flow.

You may need a heating engineer who has is qualified to work on unvented cylinders (not all are) though I think the problem is more likely in your supply pipe.

Do you have a water meter? Look at it with a torch and see if the bubble ever stops turning.

3 plumbers have been out & they've all said they'll return but haven't

Water meter is not accessible. The water board always come to read it due to its location underground & in a drain. Will send DH with a torch today

Heating engineer may be able to get to us at the end of Aug.

Thankyou for your help so far.

Looking at your photo, the pipework is very untidy and looks like the work of a careless amateur (sorry) which does not inspire confidence.

Bother!

It was a new build 15 years ago. We've owned it for 10 years. We' e had nothing but problems with it so have had a new boiler & all sorts.

Maybe that explains why no plumber or engineer sticks to their word about returning.

Thankyou for confirming - no hard feelings! I'm very much of the ilk that it's best to be honest from the outset!