ThermFlow Thermal Store-water pressure drop

[Kevin86]

Hi all,

Hoping someone can help. I have a McDonald Engineers Thermflow Thermal Store in my house.
My water pressure has dropped, most noticeably in the showers. Now if I run another tap whilst having a shower the water coming out drops quite a lot and if the bath is to be run, literally no water will come out any of the showers. My house has 3 showers.

I recently had a new kitchen installed and had the incoming mains water supply moved. An island was installed so the mains supply was moved from the outside wall to centre of the kitchen.

The boiler was also replaced at the same time though this should have no effect on the mains pressure as it is only heating the water in the store. The only other thing that was changed again around the same time was the mixer valve for the thermal store as the old mixer had started leaking.

I'm looking for some advice on what could have caused the drop in pressure? I had the plumber back out from the company that installed the kitchen. They are saying that the repositioned incoming mains hasn't altered the water pressure. I'm not so sure on this as it was after the kitchen installation that I noticed the drop.

So any pointers on what to check would be appreciated.

The below shows the thermal store in the airing cupboard:



Cheers

Kevin

 

[REEMS]

It sounds like they have reduced the size of the incoming water mains somewhere or from the incoming mains to the island, if the pressure was ok before they moved the mains it has to be something to do with it.

 

[Roger928]

There is a Y inline strainer into your store. Check that for crud and debris.
Which your installers may have allowed into the system.

 

[Kevin86]

Cheers for the reply guys. I'm not sure if any of supply pipe work has been reduced. I've attached a couple pictures of the incoming supply, as you can see it's a concrete floor. This was excavated out to re-route the incoming supply to the island location. If anyone could tell me if it all looks ok here?

I will check the inline strainer for debris. The water does also drop off if just the cold water is being used though it's not just quite as much

 

[Roger928]

If the pipework was 22mm before and they've reduced to 15mm that will have an affect also.
Loads of fittings and valves = pressure drop.

 

[PullerGas]

If the main stopcock is ON fully, then it's likely to be 1)shyte in a filter or 2)the pressure reducing valve on the blink, best replaced.
Where in Scotland are you?

 

[Kevin86]

The visible pipe work at the incoming mains is 22mm.

The two fittings at the thermal store below the expansion chamber were actually added at the same time as the mixer valve was replaced. There was leaks at the solder points on the pipe here for the incoming cold water supply to the store. It was attempted to solder the leaks but it failed so these sections were cut and the fittings installed. So these fittings could reduce the pressure?

The main stopcock is fully open, I checked that this morning.

I'm in Kilmarnock.

Cheers for the replies.

 

[REEMS]

could you take the pipe work off after the stop cock and put a pressure gauge on so you have a starting point and make sure the pressure is ok, then you could put the pressure gauge on the pipe work after the stopcock and see the difference, it gives you something to work from.

 

[dilalio]

My guess would be that debris got into the pipework during excavations and reintroducing the supply has pushed this downstream to a bottleneck!

As stated above, check at various points where access and decoupling is feasible and flush out where you can.

 

[PullerGas]

View attachment 114356 View attachment 114355 Cheers for the reply guys. I'm not sure if any of supply pipe work has been reduced. I've attached a couple pictures of the incoming supply, as you can see it's a concrete floor. This was excavated out to re-route the incoming supply to the island location. If anyone could tell me if it all looks ok here?

I will check the inline strainer for debris. The water does also drop off if just the cold water is being used though it's not just quite as much

Killy, yeah figures. I love how the floor tiles are cut around the 'prop' for the pipe!!.......
Amazing how they relocated the stopcock to a more inaccessible location. Looking at these photos mate, you've had a right bunch of chancers in.

 

[Kevin86]

Ok cheers for the suggestions, gives me a few things to look into.

PullerGas I don't really see an issue with the tiles as its tiling under a centre island that isn't visible?

The centre island was the closest location to where the stopcock used to be as there is now nothing on the wall where the stopcock was before. The only other option was to have it come up into the cupboard at the island.
As for the pipe work I can't really comment on that as I'm not sure how it should be.

 

[PullerGas]

Ok cheers for the suggestions, gives me a few things to look into.

PullerGas I don't really see an issue with the tiles as its tiling under a centre island that isn't visible?

The centre island was the closest location to where the stopcock used to be as there is now nothing on the wall where the stopcock was before. The only other option was to have it come up into the cupboard at the island.
As for the pipe work I can't really comment on that as I'm not sure how it should be.

Certainly taking it into the cupboard would've been 100 times better!!!! For re-washering the stopcock & easy access incase of an emergency. I'm sure it'll contravene the Water Bylaws in that location, but hey you've checked the Plumber's qualification before he started.

You've ended up with 3 valves you're unable to maintain in an inaccessible location.

 

[Kevin86]

Ok just had a look and its 3 large drawers above the stopcock location so coming into a cupboard at that location wouldn't have been possible. Agree at the back of a cupboard would have probably been a bit easier in case of an emergency but it's not too bad either to pop the kick board off to get access.

The plumber was supplied by the kitchen company.

Agree it's prob not the most accessible of locations, though it could be worse.

 

[ianmcd]

you keep talking about Pressure when you mean flow rate, they are not the same thing

 

[REEMS]

I was talking about the incoming water pressure as it does have a pressure reducing valve on the incoming pipework.