Should I bite the bullet and replumb?

[steshaw74]

Hello everybody,

I have recently bought a Victorian 3 bed (+ loft conv) house and have just started investigations in to the plumbing.

Here is the set up:

- Lead pipe supply from mains.
- The main supply T's off: 1 branch heads straight up to the loft conv to a small plastic tank (looks more like a plastic container you buy from tesco for storing junk!) and immersion.
- That immersion then feeds hot to the loft en suite and hot to the 1st floor bathroom directly below the loft en suite.
- Another branch from the main supply heads straight to an outside loo that is no longer in use.
- The 3rd branch then heads to the kitchen to feed the sink. This T's off and heads to the (crap Ideal) combi (located in dining room next to kitchen) which then comes back out to feed the hot in the kitchen only.

My dilemma(s):
1. The loft conversion (done is 1995) is a mess and a miracle that it passed regs. Therefore I would like to remove the immersion and plastic tank in preparation to redesign the loft in 12 months time (I will not be using the room or en suite up there for 12 months). Remember, this immersion feeds the hot in the main bathroom. (plan in 12 months is to have a megaflow work alongside the combi).

2. The mains pressure is dreadful. Next door seem happy with their pressure but I haven't been round to compare.

3. The Lead (which I'm not too precious about to be honest).

If I had a replumb, I could:
1. disconnect the branch that supplies the outside loo.
2. run a new branch to feed the combi directly (rather than the existing one which runs to the kitchen sink first then back to the combi)
3. use the hot supply coming out of the combi to feed the first floor bathroom (rather than the immersion in the loft).
4. Could replumbing potentially improve the pressure???

Access is good as the house is being partially gutted and there is a 3 or 4 foot void under the floor downstairs. The 3 rooms (kitchen, bathroom and ensuite) that need plumbing are all directly above each other too.

I hope that hasn't sent you to sleep??

I'm in SE London, if that makes any difference to your advice.
Thanks in advance
Steve

 

[picasso]

it needs to be replumbed by the sounds of it, so now is a good time to do it, before you start putting down floors ect, its also a good idea to get rid of the lead,bite the bullet and have the lot redone,(new mains from the street as well)

 

[dextrous]

I may be corrected here, but a megaflow requires a system boiler and not a combi. Your installer of this will advise.

 

[kevplumb]

consider yourself corrected hell dex its only a s plan

 

[bengasman]

Lead is crap, always a big plus to get rid of it.
It doesn't matter what the route of the mains is, as long as it is big enough.
Replumbing will do nothing to improve your pressure.
It will improve your flow, which is probably what causes the problem. Lack of it, that is.
If you can half afford it, get rid of the ideal, the immersion unit and the tank in the loft, and run it all off a proper size and quality combi.

 

[dextrous]

consider yourself corrected hell dex its only a s plan

Grrrrr, my ignorance makes me so mad

 

[steshaw74]

Thanks for the advice so far.

*If* the rest of the street has good water pressure, what are the obvious things I should look for that could be currently restricting flow?

Obviously ensuring the stop tap is fully open.
Is it possible that Thames Water haven't opened the valve attached to the water meter completely?

One other question, and I'm guessing this is a grey area......
The supply pipe from the street appears to be lead. I can only see about 3m worth of it from the cupboard under the stairs as it runs under the floor void.
Is it down to me to change or can I get Thames Water to sort it?
Can of worms??

Thank you

 

[bengasman]

No need to rely on what the neighbours have, just stick a pressure tester on your own pipe.
No grey area, other than the surface of the lead. Anything from the streetvalve is your problem.
The restriction could be anywhere. The size of the pipe in itself, the stopcock, pipe buckled or damaged somewhere, a poor quality repair somewhere upstream, dodgy streetvalve.

 

[Nige F]

No grey area, other than the surface of the lead. .