How to improve pressure in kitchen hot tap...?

Dinarius

A few years ago, we built a kitchen extension with an counter island in it.

The hot water pressure in the sink on the island has always been very poor - hopeless is a word some might use.

The water is coming from the upstairs tank.

But, it arrives to the island under the kitchen floor, and then has to rise over a meter to the top of the tap head (one of those 'swan head' type taps)

Can anything be done to improve it?

Thanks.

D.

Sleeper12

The pressure is from the head height of the attic tank. You should have about a half a bar of pressure in the hot tap. The cold feed for the same tap is mains pressure so this could be 1 to 3 bar of pressure. This makes the half bar of hot water look weak.
There are taps designed for high pressure and taps designed for low pressure. Someone may have installed the wrong type of tap.

drunkmonkey

Pressurise the water system. This will give you good pressure from every tap. It'll mean a pump will kick in when you turn on the tap and force high pressure water. You could also then put in a power shower instead of electric.

wilser

Chances are that the kitchen tap is a high pressure one. If it is this type the first ribby to check is that the aerator that is screwed onto the end of the outlet of the tap isn't clogged up with grit.
If that is clean then the way to improve the flow rate thru the tap is to either change the tap to a low pressure type or fit a pump on the hot or else raise the tank in the attic.

Dinarius

Phew! Thanks for the quick replies. Much appreciated......

I have no idea (needless to say!) whether the tap is a high or low pressure one. Guess I'll have to get someone to look at it.

We have a water pressure pump in the hotpress upstairs which powers the shower and the bathroom taps. (It also kicks in when we flush the loo.)

I guess the first thing is to establish if the existing tap can be improved either through servicing or replacement.

If neither works, could it be added to the upstairs pump? (Though, to be honest, we're not fans of the noise it makes.)

Thanks again.

D.

drunkmonkey

Dinarius wrote: »

We have a water pressure pump in the hotpress upstairs which powers the shower and the bathroom taps. (It also kicks in when we flush the loo.)


D.

Does it only kick in when you flush the taps and shower upstairs?

Does the noise get to you at night is the problem, you can put the pump on a timer and say only work between 7am and 11pm so if someone flushes the loo or uses a tap the pump won't run when everyone is asleep, it'll mean less pressure in the taps and toilet after 11pm but they'll still work.

Get a plumber in, should be easy enough fix your problem.

Dinarius

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Does it only kick in when you flush the taps and shower upstairs?

Does the noise get to you at night is the problem, you can put the pump on a timer and say only work between 7am and 11pm so if someone flushes the loo or uses a tap the pump won't run when everyone is asleep, it'll mean less pressure in the taps and toilet after 11pm but they'll still work.

Get a plumber in, should be easy enough fix your problem.

Yes, only when upstairs taps/shower/bath/loo are used.

I'm told you can get some sort of noise damping cushion/mat to sit them on?

Any web link to one?

I presume it's just a case of lifting the pressure pump and inserting the mat underneath?

We do have it wrapped in a sound proofing blanket(?), but I think that much of the sound is emitted through contact with the wooden floor of the hotpress.

Thanks again - much obliged.

D.

drunkmonkey

Could you move the pump downstairs where it's on concrete, you need to pressurise the whole system, same pump might do the whole thing.

Dinarius

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Could you move the pump downstairs where it's on concrete, you need to pressurise the whole system, same pump might do the whole thing.

That's a thought.

Could it still power the upstairs shower even from downstairs?

Right now is 30cms from the shower - i.e. the other side of the bathroom wall.

Thanks.

D.