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Water pressure increases at taps when heated

  • 09-03-2018 10:15PM
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 3,456 ✭✭✭


    Hi readers,

    Last year I had some plumbing upgrades done. I got the plumber to turn my plumbing system into a closed pressurised system.
    • There's a pump that runs when the taps are turned on. The pump is out in garage with its own expansion tank.
    • There's a new hot water tank with its own smaller expansion tank.
    • There's a pressure valve that can be adjusted. I keep it low at around 1 bar. This gives a reasonable flow rate at the taps.
    • I also got the oil heating zoned into two zones (rads and hot water tank).
    However I notice when I heat the water tank (emersion or oil), As soon as I turn on a tap, there's a blast of very high pressure water from it for about 7-10 seconds, then it runs normally.

    Is this increase in pressure ok? I worry that its causing a breathing effect on the entire plumbing system and may cause a failure. Maybe its perfectly normal, I'd just like to know.

    Many thanks for reading


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,076 ✭✭✭whizbang


    Whats the pressure regulator controlling? ie. Is it fitted to the hot / cold, is the pump a single or dual ..?

    lots of questions. but maybe the pump keeps pressure in its own expansion tank. is it fitted after the pump?

    Worth a try is to open up the pressure valve and clean it out. A little bit of grit can keep it open enough to cause this.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 3,456 ✭✭✭dnme


    whizbang wrote: »
    Whats the pressure regulator controlling? ie. Is it fitted to the hot / cold, is the pump a single or dual ..?

    lots of questions. but maybe the pump keeps pressure in its own expansion tank. is it fitted after the pump?

    Worth a try is to open up the pressure valve and clean it out. A little bit of grit can keep it open enough to cause this.

    Thanks for the reply. Im not able to answer your questions as Im not that knowledgeable on plumbing.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 948 ✭✭✭autumnalcore


    If there is insufficient air pressure in your expansion tank you could get those symptoms.

    Turn of the water, open the tap to relieve the pressure in the system and then check the air pressure in your expansion vessel with a tyre pressure gauge.

    Expansion vessel may just be undersized for the volume of the system too.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 948 ✭✭✭autumnalcore




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