Water pressure issues

[Nig]

Hi experts!

My cousin is living in High Barnet,North London, an area apparently known for less than normal water pressure due to the area elevation.

When she first moved in, the water flow and pressure was quite good throughout the house,hot and cold.

She then had a new Vaillant EcoTec Plus 824 installed in the kitchen right next to a mains supply and stop-cock,and just above the kitchen sink.
The water pressure from the cold kitchen tap is very good, the hot tap is slightly reduced but could easily sustain a good shower.

However, upstairs is an issue. The bath takes 10/12 minutes to fill with hot only, and if you turn on the cold simultaniously,everything dries up to dribbles.

There is a ball-valved tank in the attic which,apparently, only supplies the cold bathroom basin,a remnant from the old system.

Some new pipework was installed when the combi was put in, but no more than deemed necessary at the time.

The CH system is working fine (thru the Vaillant)

She is shortly to be refurbing the bathroom, including a new shower.

My questions are:
Is the Barnet water supply likely to be causing the upstairs problem?
Can the Vaillant be supplied, with a pump inline,from the attic tank,in order to increase the pressure slightly?
Could the Vaillant be supplied from just the attic tank, no pump?
Is the position of the Vaillant an issue? Would it be better situated in the bathroom?

With thanks, Nigel

 

[cider]

She then had a new Vaillant EcoTec Plus 824 installed.

could easily sustain a good shower.

The bath takes 10/12 minutes to fill with hot only,


thats combis for you.

if she wanted good flow and pressure and water pressure is notoriously poor she should have had a system boiler and cylinder to pump to shower.
i personally would not pump into a combi.
check with vaillant if the static headm of tank is suitable to feed boiler and will the pressure be any better then mains? no otherwise the water pressure wouldnt fill the ballvalve of the storage tank.

 

[Nig]

Thanks cider.
I'm starting to understand the limitations of combi's, this house may well
be a prime example of where not to fit one.

Nige

 

[TheBoilerMan]

10/12 minutes to fill a bath

Thats a bluddy good combi m8 most take 20/30 min

 

[Agile]

Your posting is rather non consistant about the flow rate. However that is all un-informed hearsay.

As an engineer, all I deal with is actual measurements!

A basic minimum power boiler is 24 kW. This gives about 8 litres per minute of hot water almost too hot to keep you hand in.

10 minutes of this flow rate gives 80 litres which puts several inches in a bath but NOT a film star bath !

Knowing the reality of these situations the limitation is usually the mains pipe into the property which is probably still the old lead pipe.

Replace the lead and get a 37 kW combi and you can get a film star bath in 10 minutes!

Combis are designed for use with showers! Why is your cousin not joining most Brits now and all the Europeans and having showers instead of old fashioned baths?

Tony

 

[TheBoilerMan]

ooh tony you are a grump!!

Do you ever get recommends on charisma alone?

TEE HEE

just havin a larf!

 

[Nig]

Hi agile tony!
I agree about the numbers. How the hell can I expect any of you to deal with things like 'slightly' or 'good'. I may know what i'm talking about, it's about time you did too.
So, pressure and flow-rate tests will be done.

BTW, she is having a new shower, but i'm repeating myself

It'll be a few days until I get back here on this.

Thanks so far, Nige