moving the cold water tank to increase preasure

[MrHelpfull]

I have recently extended and built a second bathroom.

In the new bathroom the 'one who must be obeyed' has chosen some fancy expensive mixer taps.

The result is that with the extra distance travelled there is very little hot water pressure. I don't think it is a flow problem as the taps further along but downstairs are fine.

Will lifting the cold water tank in the loft help this or should I just install a pump?

 

[masona]

Could be that your new taps faulty or have restrictors flow to stop fast filling or did you use 15mm instead of 22mm? If you can remove the tap and put a temporary single tap and see what flow rate you get.

 

[MrHelpfull]

have tried removing the tap and just running it, and flow seems fine. The taps do have a temperature and flow restrictor, but I have set these to max and still it is more dribble than gush. With the tap removed the flow seems fine but still the presure is very low, I guess at the moment there is only a head of about 1.2m and by the time it has pushed through the cylinder there is bugger all left. Do you think lifting the tank about another 1m will help much?

 

[masona]

I have recently extended and built a second bathroom.

Does the cold water to the bath taps come from the cold water storage tank,if so what the pressure like or is it from the mains?

When you extended the pipework did you use 22mm?

 

[MrHelpfull]

the cold water is fed from the mains, and only hot from the header tank. The new pipework on the hot is 22mm and I dont think there is a blokage as this same pipe continues downstairs in 15mm tube to the new utility room below, and the presure is fine here, this obviously has the benefit of a greater drop.I could balance the pressure by installing a pump but these are still not cheap.

 

[masona]

What height is your water cylinder,cold water storage tank and what level is the new bathroom is on?

 

[MrHelpfull]

the new bathroom is on the first floor, the hot water cylinder is also in the first floor at the same as bathroom. This is fed from the header tank in the loft about 500mm above the first floor cieling.

 

[masona]

Lifting the cold water storage tank will help,but not sure if this will solve your problem yet,is it possible to try the new tap on the 1st bathroom to see if the tap is okay first ? Another thing it could be an airlock depending how it plumb in but would rule that out as your hand basin hot tap would have the same problem.

 

[ChrisR]

Could be a case of RTFI (Read The Instructions), perhaps. Posh taps do have these. Europeans are used to mains pressure everything. If it says minimum pressure 1.5 bar or something similar, well,... , 1.5 bar is about 15 metres.

Bath shower mixer or what?

Mains water and tank hot - never works in any thermostatic mixer to my knowledge. Adding a pump to one side will help but not be perfect - it depends on the mains.

Supplies at 15mm and the head you have do give a reasonable flow so it ain't that. DId the taps have flexy connectors? was the hole in the end about 4mm dia - if so drill it out to what you think is safe before hitting the braid...

There may be check valves in the connectors to the tap. These further knobble the flow - you don't need one on the hot side. I don't think another 1m will help your problem appreciably.

Check the Grundfoss site and DIG. They do a pump which is called a comfort domestic pump or somesuch. Gives a few meters head without drama.