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Low pressure after replacing bath tap

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  • 22-09-2021 11:30pm
    #1
    Wizard!
    Registered Users Posts: 565 ✭✭✭


    Our bath tap, of unknown details, started leaking a lot. Since we didn't like the design, we decided to replace it with this one.

    Yesterday, a plumber came in and did the job. However, since then the pressure is very low. Not just from the shower head, but from the bottom of the tap too. Even the valve doesn't stay up if we have the lever left, or right. Only around the center it has enough pressure to keep the valve up, but still not enough to make a decent shower.

    We do have a pump in the house, but is connected only to one of the bathrooms.

    When we were looking to replace our kitchen sink tap, there were models of low and high pressure, but this one doesn't provide any info.

    Apart from changing the pump connection to the rest of the house, which is not a priority now, is there anything we can do?

    We saw some fittings that "convert" high pressure to low. Are these reliable? Will they do any good?

    Will a better shower head help?

    Any other suggestions?

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    #2
    cnocbui
    Registered Users Posts: 20,053 ✭✭✭✭cnocbui


    Unless it's got some stupid greenie inspired flow restrictor that's removable I doubt there is anything you can do other than re plumb the pump to provide pressure to the whole house, which is how I installed mine. The 'technical' pdf on the product page is beyond useless; doesnt specify minnimum pressure requirements or flow rates. The diverter valve would suggest to me that the tap is intended for much higher pressure than the useless 0.5 bar you get with gravity feed from an attic tank, so if that's how it's being fed, you need to get the pump involved or a different tap suitable for a low pressure system.



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    #3
    Wizard!
    Registered Users Posts: 565 ✭✭✭Wizard!


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117927072#Comment_117927072

    Yes, that is what I suspected too... But since I order it from Ireland, I was expecting to let me know if it was high or low pressure...

    So my only option here it so re-plumb the pump...? (or replace the tap with another, which is not an option)



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    #4
    Wearb
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,275 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117928159#Comment_117928159

    From the link you provided:


    "This faucet collection, which stands out for its elegance and versatility, includes flow limiters to 5 litres per minute as well as the Cold Start technology that guarantee greater water and energy savings. Also, with the aim of providing more comfort, the shower mixer can be equipped with a clip-on shelf, allowing you to have your showering essentials close to hand."

    Please follow site and charter rules. "Resistance is futile"



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    #5
    Wizard!
    Registered Users Posts: 565 ✭✭✭Wizard!


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117928274#Comment_117928274

    What are the "flow limiter" ? Is it something I can remove?



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    #6
    Wearb
    Moderators, Home & Garden Moderators Posts: 6,275 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wearb


    Perhaps, but I don't know. You should try to make contact with maker/distributor. Too expensive to leave to one side.

    Please follow site and charter rules. "Resistance is futile"



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    #7
    Wizard!
    Registered Users Posts: 565 ✭✭✭Wizard!


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117928647#Comment_117928647

    I already tried, but not sure if they will get the message. Their contact form, returns to an empty form once you submit it, so I don't know if the message was sent or not...

    However, I am not sure if this will do, cause the pressure is so low that even the valve (that selects output) is not working right... If I slightly lower the flow, it falls down, so it is very marginal.



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    #8
    ednwireland
    Registered Users Posts: 14,382 ✭✭✭✭ednwireland


    on our washbasin tap we removed the aerator which was a "stupid greenie inspired flow restrictor" it just unscrewed from the tap

    My weather

    https://www.ecowitt.net/home/share?authorize=96CT1F



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    #9
    Idioteque
    Registered Users Posts: 627 ✭✭✭Idioteque


    Maybe have a chat with the plumber who installed it? Surely they would have tested it and should have brought up the poor pressure and mixer valve not staying up?

    It's a pretty pricey tap so if you struggle to get a refund (given it's now installed) I wonder if the plumber could check the flexi's it came with and maybe swap them out for full bore flexi's if the one that came with it are narrow bore? Also, did the plumber do anything else when the installing like add some isolation valve's if they were not there before?



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    #10
    Outkast_IRE
    Registered Users Posts: 7,516 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117929135#Comment_117929135

    Whilst the plumber should of mentioned it , if he didnt supply the tap , its not his issue.

    Bath taps are rarely if ever installed with flexis , usually its 3/4 inch pipe straight to the bath tap. I would be very unimpressed with someone using flexis for a bath unless it was a very unusual install.



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    #11
    frisket
    Registered Users Posts: 142 ✭✭frisket


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117928159#Comment_117928159

    In my case there is no pump, so "re-plumb" has no meaning. It's a 60s house with normal gravity-fed water from hot and cold tanks (except the kitchen cold, which by law comes straight off the main). So replacing taps with modern restricted-flow hose connections is pointless because they won't work. Where can I get taps with normal ½″ copper connectors underneath?



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    #12
    John.G
    Registered Users Posts: 3,496 ✭✭✭John.G


    Its installed for over 1.5 years now?.

    Can you do a few simple flow tests, From the tap itself, measure the flowrate with cold water only, then with hot water only, then the mixed flowrate that gives you the required temperature.

    Remove the shower hose where its connected to the tap, measure the flow rates as above.

    Just get a 1 litre container, a milk carton will do fine and take the times to fill it.



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    #13
    Wizard!
    Registered Users Posts: 565 ✭✭✭Wizard!


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120691148#Comment_120691148

    Hi John.

    Yes, it was installed about 2y now. I have a tie-wrap around the valve cause the pressure on hot/cold is not enough to keep it up and use the shower.

    Time for 1 litre with shower:

    Cold / Hot: 18sec

    Middle: 15.30sec


    Time for 1 litre without shower:

    Cold / Hot: 15sec

    Middle: 13sec



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    #14
    John.G
    Registered Users Posts: 3,496 ✭✭✭John.G


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120695612#Comment_120695612

    You have two problems there, a single lever tap and a ceramic disc type, however you are still getting ~ 3.4/4.0LPM mixed, you would certainly get maybe ~ 6LPM with a conventionel LOW PRESSURE designed two knob type with "normal" type compression taps.

    I have a 50 year old bathroom with two old type 3/4 ins (bath) taps that will flow ~ 12LPM without any attachment(s), I have a emergency hose/shower head that I can shove on to the shower, however because this 1.5M, 6mm ID hose is very restrictive the mixed flowrate falls to ~ 3/3.5LPM.

    A twin lever tap(s) with 3/4 ins ceramic disc type would probably increase your flowrate but I wouldn't guarantee it.

    Post edited by John.G on


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    #15
    John.G
    Registered Users Posts: 3,496 ✭✭✭John.G


    Just for interest, here is a photo of a 1/2" ceramic cartridge, you can see how tiny the ports are, I have a two lever basin bathroom tap set with these and each one flows ~ 2.6LPM.


    Ceramic Cartridge Disc Opened.jpg
    Ceramic Cartridge Disc Closed.jpg




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