Home DIY

Ok, if thats the case. Do the tests @rive_gauche suggests, and aee if thats solves anything. Then ask your neighbours either side of you if they have the same issues.

If can be your pipes in your house has a restriction so lead pipes over time will have deposits causing f&p reductions.

If no answers there ill get your water company to come out asap and say you have low pressure(s). They usually attend same day and will do a flow and pressure test on your side. If that returns low that could suggest an issue in the network. If you get to that stage then let me know. They will maybe do a service pipe relay. I dont think your in london so my local knowledge is limited otherwise i could dig a lil deeper for you

Will do some tests tonight! Cheers all. Going to quite enjoy some methodical testing. And I am in London @musa ! E3... if that is of any help?

I guess if it increases the flow rate it lowers the water temp but you mix less cold into it. I can understand it working with a mega flow storage tank because the water is stored heated under pressure.

Just had a shower. I will spare you all the full details but...
Turned the boiler down a bit, temp was lower in from the hot so I needed to add less cold- overall slightly less powerful shower.
Hot and cold running together, good and powerful but ice cold.
How on its own. Way too hot, and not very powerful (have had worse, but still...).
Should I be looking at an electric shower or a new boiler?

Sounds like the boiler could be at fault, reduced flow rate. You need to test the flow rate a little more scientifically. From your description you have no problem with cold pressure which is what feeds the boiler so asking the boiler to heat the water less should increase the flow rate. Possibly furring in the boiler matrix. Boiler internals can be serviced but you should find out the spec for the optimum flow rate and compare it with reality.

so to recap:

kitchen hot tap - low flow / low pressure?
bath hot tap - low flow?
shower hot 'side' - low flow?

can you feel the pipe where it comes into the bath and shower taps - is the pipe hot?

what is the age of the boiler?

Ok ill have a try to look this week to see if there any issues in the network. I will need your road name so pop that in a pm when you get the chance

For me I sometimes get fluctuations with my shower which immediately points it to the boiler/heat exchange.

Cheers all! Really appreciate the assistance...

@rive_gauche
kitchen hot tap - low flow / low pressure? Yep
bath hot tap - low flow? Yep
shower hot 'side' - low flow? Yep - maybe not as low as bath tap though (both from same mixer)

can you feel the pipe where it comes into the bath and shower taps - is the pipe hot? Nope (hidden pipes)

what is the age of the boiler? (Apprx 8 years?)

@musa it's always been bad, no change over time, Grove road though...

Ok. The last thing I'd ask is: are your neighbours experiencing the same problems?

I'll send out an email and ask the whole block! Cheers buddy.

Have you tried flushing the system? Run for 3-5 mins and check taste afterwards

Ahh your in a block? How many storeys and what floor you on?

disconnect the plumbing for the two appliances, run the kitchen tap to flush through, any better?

if yes, then it may be one of the appliances has a faulty non-return valve and you're getting cleaning agent backflow

if no, disassemble pipework and look for plumbing residues - was it soldered or compression/push fit?

a vital nugget of information!

Ahhh sorry, should have mentioned that ey? My flat is part of a converted children home, so a big old victorian building, 5 floors including basement, I'm on the 1st, ground below and basement below that. The flat used to have a hot water tank (pipes and cupboard remain) but now runs off a small combo in the kitchen. Hot is about 2/3 the flow of Cold. Maybe less.

U WOT M8?!
The flow ratios are the other way round in the kitchen?!?

penny to a pound of shit that the incoming water supply to the building is not adequately sized for the various user loads

however, your cold flow is strong and doesn't drop off after the tap has been open for 15 seconds or so?

@rive_gauche cheers however i stop at plumbing.

@chrisbmx116 its useful for me to know how your building is set up. So now its a block of converted flats, its to determine whether you have a shared supply with the other residents or you have separate supplies? Possibly the easier way to know is you have x number of flats, OSV outside i.e atplas boxes

When you have the tank your pressure was gravity fed. How long ago was it removed?

U WOT M8?!

re-write this:

the kitchen hot tap is .... litres/seconds, drops off / does not drop off over time

the kitchen cold tap is .... litres/seconds, drops off / does not drop off over time

Basically get a bottle and see how long it takes to fill up roughly. So crack the top open half a turn or something to keep it level playing

Last 5 floor block I worked on had 3 massive cold water tanks in the loft. I think the flat had 2 feeds, one mains pressure, one from the tank which was no longer used. Client wanted to move the unused pipe which fed another flat/flats, caused a bit of extra sweat.

Its a mixer so only one tap but, takes 5.12 seconds for 1/2 Litre when turned all the way to hot, 7.20 when all the way to cold...
Bathroom mixer, hot 4.75 cold 2.82
Shower, 5.13 Hot 3.91 Cold - mixer again but with seperate handles/taps. Combined is 3.63

No drop off over time.

Possibly kitchen tap pressure is being regulated by a stop cock or ball valve, that's fairly common.

Damn ball valves...

Aye, would have a poke about but too many things under sink... not bothered about kitchen taps, it's just the shower I want MOAR power...