Unvented plumbing system query

bro'

Hi
I plan on installing a pressurised plumbing system and will be meeting my plumber in the next week ...

Can anyone familiar with or who have the system in advise on recommendations for the unvented setup i.e for example I know pressurised systems mean no requirement for an attic tank however should I put in a gravity fed attic tank to supply the toilets only- so that the pump etc does not need to kick in every time the toilets are flushed? I am looking for information/recommendations like this so i can discuss them with my plumber.

Thanks

flocker

Building regs require:
The cold water storage cistern should have an actual capacity of not less than 212 Litres in the case of a dwelling containing up to 3 bedrooms ..................etc

towbar

If you are using an electric shower it also needs a direct feed from a tank as do toilets.

Alun

Having lived most of my adult life on "the continent" in various countries, and managing to live without the benefit of a cold water tank (or a hot one for that matter) could anyone explain what the point of a cold water tank is, apart from acting as a breeding ground for bacteria?

bro'

Cheers for the comments ..

No electic showers are planned so will be going with 3 mixer showers.

Any other nuggets of info to consider with a pressurised system?

towbar

I presume a reserve is needed for toilets in the event of supply failure.

Alun

towbar wrote:

I presume a reserve is needed for toilets in the event of supply failure.

Maybe, but how often does that actually happen in practice? I mean, it's not as if the whole of continental Europe is regularly hit with plagues of dysentry caused by unflushed toilets, is it?

flocker

Alun,

it is a pain, but it's in the building reg's. It has something to do with mains pressure. In some areas it is none existent, so having a mains fed system would be impossible.
Don't ask when you can get 7bar working pressure in France, the older supply pipes here probably can't take the pressure..

Wobs

Hi,

I also want to put in a pressurised system , but am not sure what I need. I have a well supply not mains, and told the guy putting in the pump and pressure vessel for the well that I was going with a pressurised system and he gave me suitable pump and vessel and the hot water tank is also suitable, but what actually pressurises the system. I was in a Chadwicks Plunmbing Centre and asked about it, all the guy behind the counter told me was I needed a suitalbe tank (which I knew) but didn't know what actually pressurised the system.

towbar

Wobs,

We are also using a well and were told to use a pressurised system we need a local store underground or in garage and a pressure pump feeding off this. That means well pump will pump to local store, attic tank and kitchen drinking water feed. Then pressure pump will take the feed from local store and feed all other cold and hot water points in house. The fact that the pump is in the garage will mean no noise.

My thoughts on this are that there seems alot of redundancy however havent had any other suggestions on it yet. I would have thought well pump could be used to pressurise system but apparently not.

On the building regs and attic tank ideally I guess it should be personal choice but I'd prefer to have a tank especially when using a well.

flocker

Towbar,

I would have thought well pump could be used to pressurise system

If you use a large volume pressure vessel there should be no reason why you couldn't use your well pump. The systems installed all used submersible pumps. Sometimes you get flutuations in pressure but nothing drastic.

yoman

This should help you http://www.coppercraft.ie/phoenix_range/default.html

Wobs

Ok, i take it my local store is my pressure vessel, which is a large volume one and also a submersible pump in the well. So I will ring the well company to see what they say. I don't have an attic tank because I thought I didn't need one with a pressurised system and I have no way of getting one up there now, is this going to be a major problem?