Poor garden tap pressure

[spooky_b329]

I fitted a garden tap last month as I got fed up of the adaptor slipping on the kitchen tap and spraying water over the room. (and I fitted a new kitchen and the new tap won't take a hose)

We have a downstairs bathroom with good water pressure from loft tank, I used push fit fittings to tee off the bathroom cold water pipe under the sink, used a stop valve and approx 400mm of poly pipe to take the pipe behind the bath and then a 90 degree connector to fit onto the rear of the copper pipe that feeds directly through the wall and into the wall plate to the tap.

Volume wise the flow is fine, but as soon as you attach a hose, even a short length, the lack of pressure is obvious. Point the hose at the sky and instead of getting my neighbours washing wet it struggles to rise a foot. If I turn the bathroom shower head upside down (fed directly off the taps) the spray will hit the ceiling.

I'm hoping someone is going to tell me there is something wrong rather than I should've taken the feed from the rising main!

 

[noseall]

I should've taken the feed from the rising main!

is there any other way?

 

[spooky_b329]

is there any other way?

How should I take that comment?! Do you mean its obvious I should take the feed off the rising main? In most cases I'd assume that's the only option, but as my bathroom is downstairs it was a more obvious solution to use pipework fed from the loft.

 

[spooky_b329]

just thought I'd give this topic a prod as I still have the same issue. Tried washing the car recently and a squirty bottle would have been more useful than the hose

 

[Bahco]

Er, take the feed off the (cold mains) pipe supplying your kitchen.

 

[powell30]

Spooky, what feeds your cold bath tap? Does it come from a tank in the loft or from the cold main? If it is from your cold main you should have mains pressure.....cold tank in loft.......what ever pressure that is ie 2m will give you .2 bar........if you have cut into this you will have to tap into the cold main i'm afraid. One final point....just check your iso valve is in the open postion ie all the way open and not partially closed

 

[spooky_b329]

Its tank fed, 5 metre drop from the tank. Looks like trying to get a feed from the rising main is the only option...just want to confirm that I haven't got a dodgy tap.

Seems strange that the shower head (fed off the cold water tank via the bathroom taps) is nice and strong but the garden tap isn't...if I put the hose back in the window it would make a very wimpy shower.

Is it the design of the tap? When I dismantled it, it had a small pinhole for the water to pass, unlike the bathroom tap that has a gaping hole the washer seals.

 

[powell30]

Garden taps usually come with a check valve to prevent back siphonage (water regs). .5 bar should give you a reasonable flow......just dismantle tap head and switch on. Maybe the check valve is slowing flow.....if not check pipe work for blockages......then back to mains feed i'm afraid......

 

[Bahco]

Bet you have used a clamp type borer to feed your tap instead of a tee too!

 

[spooky_b329]

Bet you have used a clamp type borer to feed your tap instead of a tee too!

Noooo! Thats what put me off the kits. Used a pushfit T.

I've had the tap apart once and couldn't see anything wrong, I think B&Q do them without packaging so might go and grab one to compare with the Screwfix jobby then return it if its no better

 

[rssteve]

would it be easier to pump it? obviously not a cheap option tho.

 

[spooky_b329]

Bought the B&Q one...it was in a blister pack but I went for it anyway. Works much better...has a traditional washer inside rather than the weird screwfix tap.

Only problem is it doesn't have a check valve so I'll have to add one on the internal pipework. Though as its fed from the tank rather than the mains, does it still need one? I'm not gong to start drinking from the bath taps so does it matter if it were to ever somehow siphon some water back in from the hosepipe?

 

[Bahco]

its fed from the tank rather than the mains,

Why is it tank fed

 

[lagunaglen]

would it be easier to pump it? obviously not a cheap option tho.

It would be cheaper to get in a plumber,they are pretty clued up you know.

 

[Bahco]

Why is it tank fed