Attic Water Tank

NickNickleby

Hi plumbing fraternity!

Once again (because I always get sensible suggestions) I have a question for you:

3-bed semi, COMPLETE refit of heating and water supply.

Proposed solution is gas central heating sealed system using combi boiler.

All hot water needs to be met by combi, which will be somehow pumped to maintain pressure throughout the house - 2 washbasins, 1 power shower (plus mains fed electric shower) hot tap in kitchen.

All cold water fed from mains - 2 toilet cisterns, 2 showers, 2 washbasins.

No local water storage ie no attic tank, no hot water cylinder.

As a non plumber, I think this solution is madness - no temporary supply during mains outage (washbasins, toilets and showers being my main concern, anything else can use bottled water).
Also, wouldn't a leak at mains pressure be more catastrophic (granted its the difference between a flood and a deluge).
Finally, I thought there was a legal requirement to have water storage facilities in houses in Dublin City area.

Comments welcome, whether they'll be considered by the ,ahem, end user, is another thing:D

Thanks!

Sleeper12

I'm not a fan of everything off the mains but the set up you mentioned is the most common for a combi boiler. Personally I prefer having a cold water tank in the attic. If I had a combi boiler I'd take the feed from the water tank in the attic and put a pump on it.

I came across a few homes with absolutely no water for a day or so just after the cold snap and not enough water pressure to shower in upstairs at night for over a week due to Irish water reducing the pressure. Realistically though that wouldn't happen every year

mickdw

Building regulation say that 212L for up to 3 bed and 340L cold water storage for larger houses should be provided.

K.Flyer

As Sleeper said, the more dependable method would be an attic tank, to a pump, which in turn delivers cold water to services and hot water via the combi.
If the opportunity allowed, I would plumb all w.c. cisterns independently directly from the tank so that toilet flushes don't activate the pump and fit a reasonable size vessel to allow for short tap usage without the pump being activated every time.
Under bye-laws the only two draw off points allowed on a mains water supply entering a home are the cold water storage tank and the kitchen tap.

dathi

taken from the building regs TGDs

1.3 The cold water supply to the kitchen sink should
be taken directly from the service pipe supplying
water to the dwelling; the cold water supply to the
bath or shower and the washbasin and to other
appliances in the dwelling should be from a cold
water storage cistern. The bath, shower, washbasin,
and sink should also have a piped supply of hot
water, which may be from a central source or from a
unit water heater.
it a building regs requirement for every house not a bye law

NickNickleby

Thanks everyone for your input.

This is for someone who is getting quotes in, and the one I referred to in my OP is the one they're pretty much set on. I'm trying to convince them of the merits of water storage, but when the plumber on site tells them that he's offering the optimum solution, I'm up against it for obvious reasons. I just have a bad feeling about this one, that either he's proposing a solution that is easy for him, or the addition of storage would add lots of effort but little in the way of financial reward, if you get my drift.

Anyway, I'll suggest that one simple post in 'boards' got me a consensus that water storage is the way to go, and that building regulations stipulate it. Perhaps this guy will say "oh, that's not compulsory, just highly recommended". Whatever. I've done what I can.
Its not my money, but I hate to see someone throwing their very hard earned
savings money at a poor solution, when a little more money would get them the Gold Plated version.

Joys of parenthood, maybe its time to 'let go!' :D:D

THanks again everyone.