Bath hot water flow rate

[diy_dude]

Hi,
As part of our bathroom refurb, I replaced the bath last weekend. Since then I have been unsure if I have have restricted the flow rate of hot water into the bath.

The hot tap is plumbed in 22mm from the tank to the bathroom, then a flexible tap tail to the tap.

According to my trusty measuring jug, I am getting a flow rate of about 7 litres per minute, the same as my kitchen sink!!

Is this a reasonable rate? Unfortunatly my old bath is in the garden so I am unable to see if that filled any quicker...

If this seems slow for hot water, what can I do to speed it up?

PS My hot water header tank is in the airing cupboard, not the loft. I am aware that moving it to the loft will speed things up due to effects of gravity. However, I would rather not do this unless necessary...

 

[grrinc]

A lot of new taps are foreign made and not suitable for our low pressure. They have smaller internal borings that are only suitable for high pressure systems. Also, taps flexis are often very restrictive. Both these factors will bottleneck your flow.
My suppliers keep a selection of taps that are available for low pressure systems and always ask customers first. I know most suppliers dont even bother asking and flog any old tap.

 

[ChrisR]

Haven't used one of those metre long flexies they sell in the diy shops have you? They would be awful on gravity.
If the flexy you used is the normal short on with a bore about 13mm it's unlikely to be the sole culprit (though some are 19mm bore) its much more likely to be the tap. You could disconnect the hose from the tap and fill your jug to test.

 

[diy_dude]

Thanks for the replies.

The flexible tap hose is about 30cm long and probable 13mm bore.

From what you are saying you seem to agree that my flow rate is low. What should I be aiming for?

Thanks

 

[Agile]

Even with a tap designed for LP supplies with a bathroom mounted cistern I find the flow is often not much more than 10 li/min.

You could fit a shower pump but a quiet solution would be a cistern in the loft.

Many people put up with a low flow rate. A proper system with a loft tank and good taps will give about 20 li/min and will fill a bath in 3-5 minutes.

Tony