Thread: Q: for plumbers

Would it be safe to say that your tap for the hose on the side or your house is generally mains pressure, and not reduced as could be the cause with internal plumbing?

Outside tap will typically be the same pressure as the rest of the cold water system. This unless you have a low pressure HWC and the outside tap is connected to that feed line for some strange reason.

So outside at mains pressure as per the CW system, or is the internal CW reduced?

Trying to chase down low pressure, on the whole in and out system, but starting to wonder now if the mains is just shite

Originally Posted by Spanners

So outside at mains pressure as per the CW system, or is the internal CW reduced?

Trying to chase down low pressure, on the whole in and out system, but starting to wonder now if the mains is just shite

On a hot day like today every man and his dog will be watering the garden dragging the whole main down.
Oh hang on you're in Wellington

Some newer installs require a pressure regulator on the house incoming supply. I had to put on on the last place I was in when I installed all new tap ware with ceramic seats. Mains supply can really spike up at times.

We've had 2 days rain in 3 months here!
We're on top of the hill and the tank isn't much higher in elevation.
Must watch neighbours hose next time they are using it and see if theirs is shit too.
Fit a booster pump?

How old is the house? If it is a typical old Wellingtonian dwelling probably has a galv supply and is rusted up. Your not on a shared supply?
My bet supply

Built in 1970
There is a ring main in the street it appears from council drawings and each house comes off that.
Thinking the lack of head pressure from the tank is main reason?

Originally Posted by Spanners

Built in 1970
There is a ring main in the street it appears from council drawings and each house comes off that.
Thinking the lack of head pressure from the tank is main reason

Won't be galv, probably head as you suggest

As the others have said, it could easily be the lack of mains pressure because the lack of drop from the local reservoir tank or small pipe diameter connecting to the mains, leak in the pipe in the garden somewhere (although that would show up pretty clearly at the mo).
If the pressure varies during the day then basically its the mains pressure that's the prob.
When the house i'm in was built a 25mm connection was standard for it. If you built it today it needs a 32mm connection because the pressure has dropped (council turned the pressure down as it was easier than finding all the leaks in the public system.

Councils have been known to drop the pressure. Wankers at Twizel did that, used to be about the best there was. Then they needed to pull it in with all the subdivisions they approved, now it's a low ok.

Want a pump Spanner? That will fix your low pressure, of course you'll need a swimming pool to pump from

Checked the pressure through the arvo and tonight - no change
Checked the toby was fully open - it was, noticed there was a new one fitted (been 2 yrs since we lived here - so done in that time - cant remember what it was like - maybe we have been spolit since?)
POSSIBILITY the council has put a restrictor in there when they fitted the new one, but I'd have thought it would reduce volume/flow, and with everything shut the pressure will equalise across and thus be there when first cracking the tap
I need to make up a fitting when I go back to work and test the deadhead pressure.
Talked to someone tonight - we worked out there 'should' be 3 bar-ish based on 100ft head pressure from the reservoir.
Need to check the actual difference in altitude.

We're currently on gas hw, and will be pulling it and putting an infinity in, all walls will be out so if anything needs to be done,trying to plan ahead now

Want decent pressure

Originally Posted by Spanners

We're currently on gas hw, and will be pulling it and putting an infinity in, all walls will be out so if anything needs to be done,trying to plan ahead now

Want decent pressure

Same here at work. Cant even wash your car with the hose. Got room for a 2000 or even 1000 litre tank to put someplace where it wont be an eyesore ?
Put mains in the top on a ballcock. Fit a powerfull water pump on the botton side (so flooded suction) small air pressure tank and electronic controller
then replace your tap washers and stand back !! Sometimes its the only fix and costs a little but once done its done. Unless on a slope no power may
mean no water so doesnt hurt to have a garden tap before the pump so you can get some simply by gravity. Then in the big quake you ll also have a three or four day water supply
dependant on tank size ??
Smallest tank you can get to turn the water over quickly without letting the pump run dry although the good un Chink pumps have run dry protection.
Tank in the shade to keep temp down a bit.
hey even 500 litres may do it dependant on water usage per day. Watch your neighbours faces when you hose them down from your front lawn ... 25 or 32mm from pump to house seeing you re pulling it too bits..

Thats one solution. Sure there may be others ...