Upstairs Mains Water Flow / EPS MultiBoost Conflict

rhennessy

Hi,

I have an issue with poor mains water flow in a kitchen tap.

All hot and cold taps in the house are supplied by an EPS multi-boost pressurised system with the exception of my kitchen, where the cold tap has mains water. The kitchen is upstairs.

The incoming mains supplies the kitchen tap with 1/2" pipe and the EPS multiboost with a 1/2" pipe.

When I run the kitchen tap when the Multiboost is not filling, the kitchen tap flow is fine. When the multiboost is filling, then my mains water kitchen tap upstairs slows to a trickle. As soon as the multiboost stops filling, normal flow resumes to the kitchen tap. It seems the kitchen is loosing out because it is upstairs.

Does anyone know of a solution to 'prioritise' the mains kitchen tap so that when it is drawing water, the EPS multiboost doesn't get any water? Then as soon as the kitchen tap is turned off, the EPS multiboost resumes filling.

I don't want to permanently restrict flow to the EPS multiboost because if 2 showers are running at the same time, I want to be able replenish the water as quick as possible to make sure it doesn't run dry.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks in advance

RandRuns

rhennessy wrote: »

Hi,

I have an issue with poor mains water flow in a kitchen tap.

All hot and cold taps in the house are supplied by an EPS multi-boost pressurised system with the exception of my kitchen, where the cold tap has mains water. The kitchen is upstairs.

The incoming mains supplies the kitchen tap with 1/2" pipe and the EPS multiboost with a 1/2" pipe.

When I run the kitchen tap when the Multiboost is not filling, the kitchen tap flow is fine. When the multiboost is filling, then my mains water kitchen tap upstairs slows to a trickle. As soon as the multiboost stops filling, normal flow resumes to the kitchen tap. It seems the kitchen is loosing out because it is upstairs.

Does anyone know of a solution to 'prioritise' the mains kitchen tap so that when it is drawing water, the EPS multiboost doesn't get any water? Then as soon as the kitchen tap is turned off, the EPS multiboost resumes filling.

I don't want to permanently restrict flow to the EPS multiboost because if 2 showers are running at the same time, I want to be able replenish the water as quick as possible to make sure it doesn't run dry.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Thanks in advance

Water will take the path of least resistance - if the multiboost is on a lower level and comes before the kitchen tap (which is what I understand from your post) then it will get the most flow. The only way to prioritise the kitchen tap, other than restricting the flow to the multiboost, is to pipe it so that the multiboost is downstream from the tap (which, in my opinion, is how it should have been plumbed first day anyway). This can be done now by adding in a length of pipework to make the run to the multiboost longer, so it comes after the tap (if that makes sense!).

rhennessy

RandRuns wrote: »

Water will take the path of least resistance - if the multiboost is on a lower level and comes before the kitchen tap (which is what I understand from your post) then it will get the most flow. The only way to prioritise the kitchen tap, other than restricting the flow to the multiboost, is to pipe it so that the multiboost is downstream from the tap (which, in my opinion, is how it should have been plumbed first day anyway). This can be done now by adding in a length of pipework to make the run to the multiboost longer, so it comes after the tap (if that makes sense!).

Thanks...you make perfect sense. Unfortunately, nothing I can do about the setup now. The mains tees off after it gets into garage and one goes to the multiboost in the garage (~2 meters) and the other heads upstairs to the kitchen multiboost (~11m). Would fitting a pressure reducing valve to the EPS supply (and reducing it right down) help in anyway or maybe not because the issue is flow related? Thanks

RandRuns

rhennessy wrote: »

Thanks...you make perfect sense. Unfortunately, nothing I can do about the setup now. The mains tees off after it gets into garage and one goes to the multiboost in the garage (~2 meters) and the other heads upstairs to the kitchen multiboost (~11m). Would fitting a pressure reducing valve to the EPS supply (and reducing it right down) help in anyway or maybe not because the issue is flow related? Thanks

It might, but, given the extra info you've provided, I think you'd have to turn it down to a point where it would seriously impede it filling in order to make a difference. It's not much use to you now, but it should not have been plumbed the way it is, the kitchen tap should have been first.
I presume there's no way to run a pipe from the garage to the kitchen in order to rejig it?
The only other thing I can think of is to fit a larger tank to the garage multiboost, and then restrict the flow a good bit. The extra capacity should ensure it is ok for showers.

rhennessy

RandRuns wrote: »

It might, but, given the extra info you've provided, I think you'd have to turn it down to a point where it would seriously impede it filling in order to make a difference. It's not much use to you now, but it should not have been plumbed the way it is, the kitchen tap should have been first.
I presume there's no way to run a pipe from the garage to the kitchen in order to rejig it?
The only other thing I can think of is to fit a larger tank to the garage multiboost, and then restrict the flow a good bit. The extra capacity should ensure it is ok for showers.

Thanks. No rejig possible...the boss would not be happy! :-) My mains supply is 1/2" but before I did tarmac I also bought in a 3/4" supply after the meter from the road for an outside tap which gives me a superior flow. I'll try and feed my kitchen directly from that which will hopefully minimise the issue caused by the multiboost.

RandRuns

rhennessy wrote: »

Thanks. No rejig possible...the boss would not be happy! :-) My mains supply is 1/2" but before I did tarmac I also bought in a 3/4" supply after the meter from the road for an outside tap which gives me a superior flow. I'll try and feed my kitchen directly from that which will hopefully minimise the issue caused by the multiboost.

That might work!