cold water supply to bathroom and toilet

[4me1956]

Hi all,

The water flow to the taps in my bathroom is too low. Water is supplied from the tank in the loft. To improve the flow in the bathroom, I intend to connect the pipe leading to the bathroom directly to the pipe (main) that supply the Tank in the loft, but also keeping the supply from the tank connected so that the bathroom taps will be supplied directly and indirectly too.I am hoping this will improve the flow, and at the same time still supplying water if there is water stoppage from the main. Will I encounter any problem? Thank you for your advice.:book:

 

[Dsp]

As long as the pipes and couplings taps etc are up to the extra pressure you should be ok

 

[Chalked]

You will back feed your tank.
Mains only or tank fed only I'm afraid.

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Do you mean connect the water main to the pipe that feeds the tap from the tank?

1 - How will you stop the water filling the tank?

2 - It contravenes water regs!

 

[wiggers]

Do you have any mixers on your bath or basin, if so your gonna need a couple of check valves
As the mains pressure will force the hot back into your CWSC and will start overflowing.

 

[AWheating]

Sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Get a professional in.

 

[Dsp]

After getting some sleep and re reading your post it's not as easy as you may belive it's 1 or the other and check valves may be required get a professional in

 

[4me1956]

thank you. I intend to put a tap so that there is no back flow.. and only use the tank water if there is ever a water stoppage. However .. I think it would be best to choose the main ... after making sure that the taps can take the pressure. Thank you again for your kind advice..

 

[Stigster]

If you've got decent incoming mains pressure/flow rates then you could consider going unvented and get rid of the cistern in the loft altogether.

 

[Sparkgap]

:speechless: forget putting in a tap or anything else like connecting the mains to the tank downpipe. Major problems just waiting to happen! What's the size of pipe from the tank down to the bath? In a previous house I had a tank in the loft with a 35mm cold feed to the cylinder and another one for the 2 baths. Each bath had 22mm connections and there was a shower over each. Never had any issues with water flow. Okay it's not a power shower but if you want high pressure then you need to go for a booster pump.
I suggest checking the pipe sizes first and upgrading them if necessary (could also check the taps aren't horrible small bore things as well) before thinking about any botch job onto the mains!

 

[plumben]

thank you. I intend to put a tap so that there is no back flow.. and only use the tank water if there is ever a water stoppage. However .. I think it would be best to choose the main ... after making sure that the taps can take the pressure. Thank you again for your kind advice..

If you seal the tank off and keep the water in it unused it will become stagnant...

 

[4me1956]

Thank you. This is what I have decided to do. But what about the supply to the cylinder ( for hot water), would there be any problem connecting that to the main?

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

Yes lots of problems, your best off getting a professional involved! It's not as simple as just doing things.

 

[lucas121]

Oh dear, I hate to be someone who knocks you down and tells you to get a professional in. But you are way out of your depth. Your ideas are going to cause all sorts of problems and break all sorts of regs!

 

[4me1956]

It was not exactly brain surgery.. working fine .. better pressure. Happy with the work. Thanks to those who did NOT advise '' get a professional!!'

 

[Geyser]

Get lots of towels and buckets out your going to need them! If you haven't died of legionella that is.

 

[Ch4 plumbing]

It was not exactly brain surgery.. working fine .. better pressure. Happy with the work. Thanks to those who did NOT advise '' get a professional!!'

Great post really well done, the main problem with both of your suggestions is back feeding the CWSC uncontrollably with the water main and flooding your house but then I guess you already new this because "it's not exactly brain surgery".

Have a great weekend.

 

[Riley]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha where do they keep coming from

 

[Dotty]

All that money we spend on training and registration with the appropriate bodies to show we know what we're talking about.

Only to find out we know nothing about brain or rocket surgery.

Oh well.

 

[Riley]

I think I need to rethink my life if the rocket and brain surgery are so much easier

 

[4me1956]

It is not about you knowing your job as a plumber. I do not doubt this. It is about attitudes and dismissing someone and telling the person '' get a professional' ( a plumber!!) without giving an explanation. People use this forum for clarification and advice - I thought this was the purpose of this forum! Being just patronising is not helpful. People like me did not choose to be a plumber, but I am happy to do a bit of DIY ( in my home), even to 'break' and learn from the experience. That's is my home after all. Thank you

 

[Riley]

That's as maybe but when it comes to contravening water regs and possibly putting people's health at risk then that is why we recommend getting a pro to look at it. Is it really worth a fairly hefty fine or risking your health to save a few quid? You're absolutely right you should come onto forums to get answers. We gave you our answers bearing in mind that we are only guessing what you are actually doing, ie we can't see your water set up. People here aren't trying to be obstructive or dismissive however we come across loads of people who join two pipes together and think they are a plumber but these people never give a thought to things like water regs and trouble that the changes may cause further down the line. You say that it's ok to mess things up in your own home which is true enough but if you compromise the mains water and impact your neighbours then this suddenly becomes a much bigger issue

I don't believe that you have done all you said you would as you would have issues now I guarantee so I hope for your sake that you have not left a tank of stagnating water in your loft and that you haven't attached mains water to your standard cylinder.

 

[oz-plumber]

I truly hope for all the things you hoped against Riley.

 

[chris watkins]

Another one who has already made there mind up what they are going to do before they come onto the forum, then they get all upset when we don't agree & we have the cheek to point out the error of there ways.

It is so sad the lack of understanding and respect that Plumbing has amongst the general public.

Thats because anyone can do it without fear of prosecution for breaking the Laws that are there to protect us & them, even if it is within their own homes!!

30+ years of hard learning & still don't know it all.

If only I had chosen rocketry or cranial work!

 

[Riley]

It's sad though Chris. I wish it was policed

 

[Dotty]

It is not about you knowing your job as a plumber. I do not doubt this. It is about attitudes and dismissing someone and telling the person '' get a professional' ( a plumber!!) without giving an explanation. People use this forum for clarification and advice - I thought this was the purpose of this forum! Being just patronising is not helpful. People like me did not choose to be a plumber, but I am happy to do a bit of DIY ( in my home), even to 'break' and learn from the experience. That's is my home after all. Thank you

The purpose of this forum is to give you the best advice possible given the information you have given us.

Sometimes, whether you like it or not, that advice will be to get someone in who knows what they're doing. And that is the best advice you'll get in your situation.

We have each invested far too much time and money to get to where we are in the industry to give everything we know away to keyboard warriors who think our job is a doddle but still have the temerity to ask us how to do it.

Closing this thread now.

Oh, and pm me if you like. You won't get an answer. Just definitive action.