water pressure - get a new tap or install a valve?

[andyduffy]

Hello,

The water from the mixer tap on my kitchen sink comes out at a ridiculously high pressure. This isn't the case for any of the other taps in the house.

The main water intake to the house can be controlled by a tap which is under the sink. I'm not there, so I can't check, but I suspect that the main intake pipe feeds straight into the cold pipe for the mixer tap rather than going up to the water tank and back down to the kitchen sink.
If this is the case, could that be the reason for the high pressure?
Also, if this is the case, why does the hot water also come out at such a high pressure?

Would installing a pressure reducing valve solve the problem?
Or could it be something simpler, like a fault with the mixer tap....?

 

[Paul Barker]

You should have two service valves on the mixer tap, turn those down. If there aren't any, get some.

 

[Bas]

Kitchen sinks are often fed by the water main. You can't reduce the pressure by closing a tap or isolating valve - its like saying reducing voltage by putting smaller cable in. you can only reduce the flow this way.

Sounds like you have a mains pressure unvented water system which should be regulated already to a reasonable presure. This could explain the high hot pressure too.

do you have a hot water tank?

Can you say more about the water installation?

 

[andyduffy]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I don't have a water tank - just a combination boiler.

When I get back to the house (I'm away at the moment), I'll check if there are valves for the hot & cold water supply to the tap, though I understand Baz's comment that tweaking these might not do anything to help.

Would installing pressure reducing (not flow reducing) valves to the supply to the tap help?

Water flowing from every other tap in the house, hot and cold, comes out at a comfortable rate & pressure.

Could it simply be that a washer has gone in the tap? Does this question betray my ignorance?

 

[chrishutt]

Does this question betray my ignorance?

Yes, by implication all questions betray ignorance. So do many of the replies, so don't worry about it.

I've just been replying to a similar thread on this forum, where I recommended isolating valves with built in flow restrictors. These are made by Cottam & Preedy. Not sure about availability though.

 

[Paul Barker]

Bas the questioner talked about pressure but it is more likely flow that is the problem.