Water Pressure!?

Sam Quentin

This is getting very worrying... It is now hit and miss with water pressure in my area(Dundalk).. What is going on with Irish Water, it is playing absolute havoc with Electric Showers....

Atlantic Dawn

Most electric showers take their water from the tank in the attic so once there's water in the tank it won't be a pressure issue, you sure the shower is not on the way out?

Are Am Eye

Allinall

Sam Quentin wrote: »

This is getting very worrying... It is now hit and miss with water pressure in my area(Dundalk).. What is going on with Irish Water, it is playing absolute havoc with Electric Showers....

Electric showers should never be connected to the mains, for that very reason.

philstar

well if you're not willing to pay for the service, this is what happens.....the goverment should've stuck to their guns and faced down those sinn fein'ers/anarchists

RobertKK

The protesters wanted an inferior water supply, I think this is a victory for the water protesters.

_Kaiser_

philstar wrote: »

well if you're not willing to pay for the service, this is what happens.....the goverment should've stuck to their guns and faced down those sinn fein'ers/anarchists

And the tens of thousands of ordinary people who got out and protested, or the hundreds of thousands who just refused to engage at all.

Yet we don't see SF/Anarchists topping the polls strangely enough.

Water has always been paid for out of taxation. Stop pretending the problems are because people decided they didn't want to pay twice.

Barry Badrinath

Eeewwww Dundalk!

McMurphy

philstar wrote: »

well if you're not willing to pay for the service, this is what happens.....the goverment should've stuck to their guns and faced down those sinn fein'ers/anarchists

Something something magic money trees.

Take it away simon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3TyfERp-Iw

Are Am Eye

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

And the tens of thousands of ordinary people who got out and protested, or the hundreds of thousands who just refused to engage at all.

Yet we don't see SF/Anarchists topping the polls strangely enough.

Water has always been paid for out of taxation. Stop pretending the problems are because people decided they didn't want to pay twice.

Pay twice? We never even paid once. Which is why the water supply system and sewerage system are decrepit, obsolete and at or beyond the point of failure. Money has never been invested in this expensive infrastructure. We better start playing catch up fast.

Sam Quentin

Allinall wrote: »

Electric showers should never be connected to the mains, for that very reason.

I think you will find that most electric showers are mains fed.. A pump needs to be added if the shower is tank fed, or some more expensive showers are ready for tank feed with proper built in pump!? This is what I've learned through trial and error and speaking to people about this issue.

_Kaiser_

Are Am Eye wrote: »

Pay twice? We never even paid once. Which is why the water supply system and sewerage system are decrepit, obsolete and at or beyond the point of failure. Money has never been invested in this expensive infrastructure. We better start playing catch up fast.

I think perhaps that (as with so many things in this country), it's how the money is spent rather than how much of it is available.

Huge wage bills, inefficiencies and waste in tendering, poor work practises (the stereotypical example of a bunch of lads standing around a hole propping up shovels).

Throwing more money at it (2 billion so far with IW) won't fix anything unless these other issues are addressed.

Sam Quentin

Sam Quentin wrote: »

I think you will find that most electric showers are mains fed.. A pump needs to be added if the shower is tank fed, or some more expensive showers are ready for tank feed with proper built in pump!? This is what I've learned through trial and error and speaking to people about this issue.

With Triton showers, the T90 is tank fed. T80 is mains fed. I see a lot of T90s installed these days.

Water John

All the OP asked about was, water pressure. You're entitled to 1.5bar or 21psi.

jgorres

Water John wrote: »

All the OP asked about was, water pressure. You're entitled to 1.5bar or 21psi.

I won't call 1.5 bar "pressure".

Sleeper12

We would only ever install a mains fed electric shower if the home has its own pump.

Our pressure is bad at the best of times in most of Ireland. The problem is that we can test the water pressure at the time of installation and it's fine but at peak times the pressure drops. If seen some flats where they can only shower between 11pm and 7am. The biggest problem we are seeing now is that the flow rate is being reduced throughout Dublin. You might have enough pressure but the flow rate needs to be over 8 litres per minute, some showers are even higher. I've seen the flow rate reduced to 4 litres per minute recently in some areas. Low flow rate will make the temperature uncontrollable. Low pressure & you won't get a hot water.
Contact Irish water

Sam Quentin

Ok seems I'll just have to invest in a pump or proper tank fed shower, I only renewed the shower recently, I thought the last 2 showers where burnt out or 'something' and only by INVESTIGATING did I find out about all these temp and water controls built into showers for safety reasons of course..

Fr_Dougal

Glad you INVESTIGATED op.

Wish YOU the best of LUCK with it.

Sleeper12

philstar wrote:

well if you're not willing to pay for the service, this is what happens.....the goverment should've stuck to their guns and faced down those sinn fein'ers/anarchists

Not so much sticking to their guns. Handling the issue correctly would have done nicely.
Threatening people of cutting off their water, piching Gardai against the taxpayer, dawn raids when they could have been arrested by appointment, bringing people to court when they hadn't a hope of conviction.
I'm in favour of paying for metered water but it has to be the balls up at trying to bring in a new charge in the history of the state. They even paid people who refused to pay for water 100!
It's not sticking to their guns it's just doing things right imo

Sam Quentin wrote:

I think you will find that most electric showers are mains fed.. A pump needs to be added if the shower is tank fed, or some more expensive showers are ready for tank feed with proper built in pump!? This is what I've learned through trial and error and speaking to people about this issue.

Believe it or not 95% of electric showers in Ireland are tank fed or mains fed showers connected to a pump inside the home.

Water John wrote:

All the OP asked about was, water pressure. You're entitled to 1.5bar or 21psi.

You can have 5 bar of pressure but if the flow rate is 4 litres per minute the shower still won't work properly.

Guy:Incognito

Allinall wrote: »

Electric showers should never be connected to the mains, for that very reason.

Some showers (ie. triton t80) are only to be connected to mains.

suicide_circus

What do you expect? It's free

Barry Badrinath

If you are getting a new tank, get a T55.

Sam Quentin

Sleeper12 wrote: »

Believe it or not 95% of electric showers in Ireland are tank fed or mains fed showers connected to a pump inside the home.
.

A pump fitted to a mains fed shower??
Now your confusing me... Am gonna get a proper tank fed shower with inbuilt pump<<< is that not right!? I have a new lovely plastic tank in the attic, we only replaced the old galvanised/steel one 2 years ago....

Sam Quentin

Senor Fancy Pants wrote: »

If you are getting a new tank, get a T55.

Is T55 the shower or tank? We have new plastic tank in attic..

murpho999

Sam Quentin wrote: »

I think you will find that most electric showers are mains fed.. A pump needs to be added if the shower is tank fed, or some more expensive showers are ready for tank feed with proper built in pump!? This is what I've learned through trial and error and speaking to people about this issue.

Electric showers are banned in many countries, I don't get why they're still allowed here.

RobertKK

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

And the tens of thousands of ordinary people who got out and protested, or the hundreds of thousands who just refused to engage at all.

Yet we don't see SF/Anarchists topping the polls strangely enough.

Water has always been paid for out of taxation. Stop pretending the problems are because people decided they didn't want to pay twice.

But I pay taxes and don't get my water supply free, I have to pay.

It has only been paid out of taxation for some in the country, others always had to pay directly.

I believe people who get their water privately and pay for it directly have a better water supply than the old run down public water supply.

Sleeper12

Sam Quentin wrote:

A pump fitted to a mains fed shower?? Now your confusing me... Am gonna get a proper tank fed shower with inbuilt pump<<< is that not right!? I have a new lovely plastic tank in the attic, we only replaced the old galvanised/steel one 2 years ago....

Lots of houses and apartments have their own pump. That's the only time we would install a mains fed shower. By hooking the mains fed shower to a pump you garentee that you have the correct flow rate and the correct pressure.

The problem with fitting a mains fed shower to the mains in Ireland is I don't know how the pressure or flow rate is going to be in a week, month or year. The war doesn't cover pressure and flow rate so I would get blamed for a showerparts not heating after let's say a month.
Obviously it's not my fault but some people will blame me & possibly bad mouth me or my Business. There's a lot of people use social media in a nasty way. George Hook can testify to that.

As a rule we won't install a mains fed shower to the mains. I'll replace an existing one as I can't be blamed on the original installation but for a new installation I only install tank fed showers or mains fed showers connected to a pump.

Irish water isn't properly funded so they reduce the pressure & flow rate. This means less water will leak through leaks that they can't afford to repair.

Sleeper12

murpho999 wrote:

Electric showers are banned in many countries, I don't get why they're still allowed here.

I don't know of any country that has banned electric showers. Why would they do this? They are A energy rated and are far cheaper for a 10 minute shower than an electric immersion or gas & oil. Solar is about the only thing more efficient than an electric shower.

Sam Quentin

I'm pretty handy.. Could I fit a tank fed electric shower.. I also have a great plumbing supplier nearby.

Fr_Dougal

Sam Quentin wrote: »

I'm pretty handy.. Could I fit a tank fed electric shower.. I also have a great plumbing supplier nearby.

Yes. Make sure you get an 11kva pump. Wear rubber gloves when you're fitting the electric shower, no need to turn off at the mains; that's an old wives tale.

Sam Quentin

Fr_Dougal wrote: »

Yes. Make sure you get an 11kva pump. Wear rubber gloves when you're fitting the electric shower, no need to turn off at the mains; that's an old wives tale.

Ok so I reckoned in my head that I would just let the tank empty(hang float/ball cock to top of tank).. Also I'm planning on getting a proper tank fed shower, so why do I need an external pump, ohhh and obviously I'll be turning electricity off at mains not water lol. And I'd like to fit a stop valve/tap just as it leaves the tank yes??

Sam Quentin

philstar wrote: »

well if you're not willing to pay for the service, this is what happens.....the goverment should've stuck to their guns and faced down those sinn fein'ers/anarchists

On this point>> I did pay first charges, and I do agree water needs to be paid for. I don't think there was need for meters but I see now maybe they can be used for narrowing down leaks. Also I believe a €100 charge per year would not be unreasonable, yes people would complain and give out at the beginning but I do believe most would pay.

McMurphy

RobertKK wrote: »

But I pay taxes and don't get my water supply free, I have to pay.

It has only been paid out of taxation for some in the country, others always had to pay directly.

I believe people who get their water privately and pay for it directly have a better water supply than the old run down public water supply.

You get an annual subsistence payment from the govt though.

Sleeper12

RobertKK wrote:

But I pay taxes and don't get my water supply free, I have to pay.

Someone owning a 3 bed mid terraced council house in Dublin pays more property tax than someone living in a 6 bed detached house on a half acre of land in Cavan

I do feel for you but Ireland is full of these contradictions

_Kaiser_

RobertKK wrote: »

But I pay taxes and don't get my water supply free, I have to pay.

It has only been paid out of taxation for some in the country, others always had to pay directly.

Not this argument again...

If you choose to live in the middle of nowhere/off the mains supply, you don't get to complain about having to pay (more) for services - If anything, your urban neighbours are subsidising your services

Against that though you'll pay lower property tax, get more house/land for your money, less traffic, quieter environment in general so it more than balances out.

murpho999

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I don't know of any country that has banned electric showers. Why would they do this? They are A energy rated and are far cheaper for a 10 minute shower than an electric immersion or gas & oil. Solar is about the only thing more efficient than an electric shower.

I have been told by Dutch people that they are banned in the Netherlands and I have never seen one anywhere in continental Europe.

Sleeper12

murpho999 wrote:

I have been told by Dutch people that they are banned in the Netherlands and I have never seen one anywhere in continental Europe.

I can't speak for the Netherlands but I sell parts to triton showers to most of Europe.
There are some homes in Ireland not suitable for electric shower. The size of the cable coming into the house isn't big enough. This must be a big issue in the Netherlands immediately guessing.

osarusan

We have an electric shower upstairs that runs off the mains, and since some nearby roadworks about 2 years ago, the pressure hasn't even been strong enough to run the electric shower (there's another that runs off the gas-heated tank, which still works fine).

We did have somebody from the council or Irish Water call out to measure the pressure, which they did in the downstairs kitchen, where it met minimum standards, and that was that as far as they were concerned, even if the upstairs shower doesn't work.

Don't Chute!

Isn't there a massive upgrade of the water treatment plants in Drogheda/Dundalk starting in the next few weeks/months?

Water John

osar, I suspect the pipe to the house was kinked somewhere, or have a leak.

LirW

murpho999 wrote: »

I have been told by Dutch people that they are banned in the Netherlands and I have never seen one anywhere in continental Europe.

Indeed, I've never seen one until I've been to Ireland.
Also the system of Immersion doesn't exist the way it does here, especially if you live in an apartment.
The common thing would be either a central heating cylinder that gets heated at night from for example 2 - 4am. You have warm water for the whole day in the house.
The other big thing are flow heaters, which is used especially in kitchens under the sink.
It works out pretty cheap like that, I always lived in apartments powered like that and I never had high electricity bills.

When you have the water heated already once a day there's no point really in heating the water separately for a shower.

Every plumber that I talked to here (we get our place replumbed) said to get rid of the current electric shower, get a well isolated cylinder and a pump shower.