Water Pressure

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#750424 24-Jan-2013 21:35

Have you called metrowater (or whatever they are called under the supercity) and asked them to check? They took a look at mine, replaced the meter (with a 25mm one) and improved things initially - cost me nothing.

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quandum

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#750437 24-Jan-2013 21:51

networkn: Can you use a water pressure pump if you have an infinity gas water heater thing?

Seems like the most definiate way of fixing the problems.

I don't want to reduce the flow to increase pressure. We have tried a couple of heads, didn't seem to help, but when they renovated our ensuite, and removed the water to that area, the water pressure in the other bathroom was better if that helps?

Have you seen these?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/home-living/bathroom/other/auction-555334213.htm

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#750447 24-Jan-2013 22:00

quandum:
networkn: Can you use a water pressure pump if you have an infinity gas water heater thing?

Seems like the most definiate way of fixing the problems.

I don't want to reduce the flow to increase pressure. We have tried a couple of heads, didn't seem to help, but when they renovated our ensuite, and removed the water to that area, the water pressure in the other bathroom was better if that helps?

Have you seen these?

http://www.trademe.co.nz/home-living/bathroom/other/auction-555334213.htm

Looks like it requires a cylinder which we don't have.

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#754086 31-Jan-2013 20:50

Well I called Metrowater and they sent someone out. They measured water at the street at 450, at the entry to the house at 400 and said that it was above what they considered acceptable (350) and left. They said the loss of 50 pressure was due to the long driveway, but we had 20mm pipes which were good.

Not sure what to do now.

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#754090 31-Jan-2013 21:00

I guess you'll need to install a pump to increase the pressure. I guess it sucks the water in from the mains faster and pushes it out the taps faster too. I think you can do one tap or all of them. Best ask a plumber.

kiwirock

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#754125 31-Jan-2013 22:24

Sounds like a pump might be the way to go.

A plumber would know to look at any meter, regulator and/or check valves, and would consider the age of the house vs the pipe up the driveway. Older homes have old cast iron pipes (edit: to the house, even when copper etc... is used inside) that after decades of rusting on the inside really restrict flow from the toby, but it sounds like yours is relatively new.

Was the pressure reading 400KPA? If so 58 PSI is not that bad.

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#754394 1-Feb-2013 13:30

kiwirock: Sounds like a pump might be the way to go.

A plumber would know to look at any meter, regulator and/or check valves, and would consider the age of the house vs the pipe up the driveway. Older homes have old cast iron pipes (edit: to the house, even when copper etc... is used inside) that after decades of rusting on the inside really restrict flow from the toby, but it sounds like yours is relatively new.

Was the pressure reading 400KPA? If so 58 PSI is not that bad.

Not sure what the pressure measurements were in. I think he was saying between the 450 (Street) and 400 (House) we were losing 50 whatevers, because of the long drive, but that doesn't really make sense to me, as once the pipe is full, pressure should be driven by the source.

He said the taps outside will be supplied by the inside water supply which also sounded weird. Where would I install the pump? At the entry to the house, or just in the shower? We have a continuous gas heating system, will that interfere or cause issues?

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timmmay

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#754397 1-Feb-2013 13:36

With respect, ask a professional who can look at your situation.

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#754398 1-Feb-2013 13:38

timmmay: With respect, ask a professional who can look at your situation.

Ok thanks.

kiwirock

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#754486 1-Feb-2013 16:57

Not sure what the pressure measurements were in. I think he was saying between the 450 (Street) and 400 (House) we were losing 50 whatevers, because of the long drive, but that doesn't really make sense to me, as once the pipe is full, pressure should be driven by the source.

True, but if the pipe goes up an incline on the way to the house, pressure will reduce at the top regardless if it's full or not (gravity).

He said the taps outside will be supplied by the inside water supply which also sounded weird. Where would I install the pump? At the entry to the house, or just in the shower? We have a continuous gas heating system, will that interfere or cause issues?

To hazard a guess, in the USA taps outside are feed from whatever pressure is coming from the street to the house. Then the inside system is fed from a pressure reducing valve further downstream. This gives you full pressure outside for washing driveways or running a water blaster better etc... but kinder pressure on the inside plumbing.. If there is a pressure reducing valve, the reading may have been taken after it rather than before it - if the outside tap is run from the inside system.

I live in Invercargill, we're too hillbilly to come across whole house regulators in the average home yet, little own meters.

But as for a pump, best option is to talk to a pro, then they can calculate what size needed for how many taps and/or how much improvement could be made to the pressure with a pump in the first place. As mentioned by someone else earlier, gas instant hot water is mains pressure so that doesn't really matter. It's pump size vs how many outlets you want boosted and how long the pump is rated for continuous use for etc... & of course the $$$.

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#754496 1-Feb-2013 17:31

networkn:

He said the taps outside will be supplied by the inside water supply which also sounded weird.

i expect that means that the outside taps are split off *after* any pressure reducing valve that has been installed. I split my water feed to the outside taps via a second pressure valve - not via the one that feeds the inside taps. Turning on an outside tap doesnt impact the inside water pressure at all. All the pipes to my outside taps use 25mm blueline pipe all the way to the fitting also (but the fittings are not 25mm throat so that limit their throughput)

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#754512 1-Feb-2013 18:02

Regs:
networkn:

He said the taps outside will be supplied by the inside water supply which also sounded weird.

i expect that means that the outside taps are split off *after* any pressure reducing valve that has been installed. I split my water feed to the outside taps via a second pressure valve - not via the one that feeds the inside taps. Turning on an outside tap doesnt impact the inside water pressure at all. All the pipes to my outside taps use 25mm blueline pipe all the way to the fitting also (but the fittings are not 25mm throat so that limit their throughput)

I presume you did that during the build or during a renovation? I think to do that now would be a major undertaking at our place.

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#754515 1-Feb-2013 18:07

networkn:
Not sure what the pressure measurements were in. I think he was saying between the 450 (Street) and 400 (House) we were losing 50 whatevers, because of the long drive, but that doesn't really make sense to me, as once the pipe is full, pressure should be driven by the source.

He said the taps outside will be supplied by the inside water supply which also sounded weird. Where would I install the pump? At the entry to the house, or just in the shower? We have a continuous gas heating system, will that interfere or cause issues?

Water is very much like electricity, there's always resistance to flow within (along) the conductor (read water pipe for water flow). The longer the pipe the more resistance and also the smaller the pipe the greater the resistance. With no flow along the pipe the pressure will be the same anywhere along the pipe. Once you start to flow water through the pipe you are going to see a pressure reduction as you move further away from the pressure source, this is cause by friction within the pipe. So yes it does make sense that there is a drop between the street and the house especially if you have a long driveway.

Were the figures Watercare measured water pressure or water flow?

As for a pump, unless your neighbours need pumps I consider it very unlikely you'd need one either. In fact I'd be surprised if anyone being supplied by an outfit like Watercare would need a pump.

If Watercare consider the figure at your house adequate, assuming the Watercare person knew what they were doing, then I think you have a restriction somewhere in your plumbing. Is there an isolating tap (toby) in or near the house that might be partially off? Perhaps a pipe that is kinked of damaged?

I seem to recall you have mains pressure gas hot water. Has this always been the case or has the gas system been retrofitted at some stage? Is it possible that there was a previous system that required a pressure reducing valve and this valve is still in the system? Does both the hot and cold water have poor flow? If it's just the hot water then the gas system might be a possible cause other wise if both hot and cold are affected then I would think the gas hot water isn't your problem.

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kiwirock

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#754518 1-Feb-2013 18:35

Technofreak:

With no flow along the pipe the pressure will be the same anywhere along the pipe.

That maybe true for electricity, but with no flow, the higher a pipe travels the less pressure it has in it at the higher end. If it had a 5m elevated driveway to the house, you'll get you're 7PSI thereabouts pressure drop also.

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#754527 1-Feb-2013 19:29

kiwirock:
Technofreak:

With no flow along the pipe the pressure will be the same anywhere along the pipe.

That maybe true for electricity, but with no flow, the higher a pipe travels the less pressure it has in it at the higher end. If it had a 5m elevated driveway to the house, you'll get you're 7PSI thereabouts pressure drop also.

You are correct. Part of the reason I asked whether the reading was pressure or flow was to determine what might be going on.

Other than as you mentioned with no flow there should be no pressure drop. To me the most sensible comparison in this case would be flow. I say this because if you measure pressure the reading doesn't mean much until there is flow. Then depending on how much flow there is and how close the pressure reading is taken to the flow outlet will depend on what pressure is measured, really then the pressure reading becomes a bit meaningless anyway.

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