Can I ‘Throttle’ my stop cock?

[leakingroof]

Hello all,

We recently had a bathroom redesigned and during the process the stop clock was turned off and on several times. The flow rate on the taps now has increase massively (the whole house not just the bathroom)

I believe the stop cock was only partially open before we started closing it for the work.

Is it safe/the done thing to only partially open it to control the flow rate out of the taps to a manageable level?

I wouldn’t normally mind but the kids in the house open the taps fully and makes a mess every time

thanks is advance

 

[JohnD]

If you look at the spouts of your taps I think you will see a screw-in (usually plastic) aerator insert.

You can take these out and screw in water-saving ones that reduce the flow. Your water co may send you some free. Or they are on Ebay, Amazon, Green/ecological sites. If the taps are fairly new the tap manufacturer may sell them. Do it before they get jammed in with limescale.

To fill up a bath in reasonable time you need good flow.

Have you got a hot-water cylinder? What colour?

 

[leakingroof]

No hot water cylinder . We have a combi boiler that’s it.

That’s another thing, the hot tap on the bath run colds when we put the tap fully open. It can handle around 12 litres and minute but any more then it goes cold. Is this normal for a 30kw combi? Thanks

 

[leakingroof]

If you look at the spouts of your taps I think you will see a screw-in (usually plastic) aerator insert.

You can take these out and screw in water-saving ones that reduce the flow. Your water co may send you some free. Or they are on Ebay, Amazon, Green/ecological sites. If the taps are fairly new the tap manufacturer may sell them. Do it before they get jammed in with limescale.

To fill up a bath in reasonable time you need good flow.

Have you got a hot-water cylinder? What colour?

No hot water cylinder . We have a combi boiler that’s it.

That’s another thing, the hot tap on the bath run colds when we put the tap fully open. It can handle around 12 litres and minute but any more then it goes cold. Is this normal for a 30kw combi? Thanks

 

[JohnD]

Combi boilers can heat x amount of water by y degrees where x multiplied by y is constant.

Increase x and y goes down.

 

[leakingroof]

Combi boilers can heat x amount of water by y degrees where x multiplied by y is constant.

Increase x and y goes down.

understood, so what should my x amount of litres per minute be on a 30kw combi? Should I be expecting more than 12 litres a minute?

 

[JohnD]

12 litres is about right.

In winter, the incoming supply is colder, so "y" means the water from the tap will also be colder.

 

[leakingroof]

12 litres is about right.

In winter, the incoming supply is colder, so "y" means the water from the tap will also be colder.

thanks again.

So, looking back to the stop cock issue, would it be safe/possible to throttle this to better control the flow throughout the whole house rather than fitting individual restrictors to taps? Thanks

 

[JohnD]

You can if you want, though I think it's the "wrong" thing to do.

I think that when extra water is drawn, e.g. flushing a WC, washing machine, hosepipe, the pressure will drop and your shower flow and temperature fluctuate. People spend a lot of time and money trying to get good flow.

If you are in an area with unusually high water pressure you can get a pressure-reducing valve.

 

[JohnD]

May be free

https://www.savewatersavemoney.co.uk/unitedutilities/free-water-saving-products


https://www.unitedutilities.com/help-and-support/save-water/water-saving-devices/



https://www.savemoneycutcarbon.com/category/tap-aerators-and-flow-restrictors/#:~:text=Tap Aerators and Flow Restrictors are a brilliant way to,pay for themselves very quickly.


https://www.google.com/search?q=tap...droid-samsung&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8

 

[leakingroof]

You can if you want, though I think it's the "wrong" thing to do.

I think that when extra water is drawn, e.g. flushing a WC, washing machine, hosepipe, the pressure will drop and your shower flow and temperature fluctuate. People spend a lot of time and money trying to get good flow.

If you are in an area with unusually high water pressure you can get a pressure-reducing valve.

I may be saying something silly now but....

Surely anyone with a 30kw boiler that has a flow rate of over 12 litres a minute on the hot tap will experience the hot water going cold.

There must be an awful lot of people out there with high flow rates which their boilers can’t keep up with?

 

[JohnD]

Some people like combi boilers.

I'm one who doesn't.

Plenty of people disagree with me.

 

[JohnD]

BTW if you send off for those free tap inserts, you may fix the prob in a trice.

 

[leakingroof]

Will never get one on this bath tap though!

 

[ianmcd]

I may be saying something silly now but....

Surely anyone with a 30kw boiler that has a flow rate of over 12 litres a minute on the hot tap will experience the hot water going cold.

There must be an awful lot of people out there with high flow rates which their boilers can’t keep up with?

Most combi boilers have a flow restrictor internally, some you reduce the flow rate manually when installing and set at the correct flow rate