Will a pump bring more water into my house?

[CoolHands]

Flat in typical Victorian house conversion - my flat has 15mm water pipe coming in, I can’t change that. I’ve gradually noticed Thames Water s lowering pressure as their money saving solution as they piss our money away (my flat and pipework is perfect, no change, no internal problems)

So is it possible for me to fit a pump on the main 15mm water inlet and would it give me more water? The only thing I need more water (quantity) for is the shower - I have combi boiler and sometimes flow is just too pathetic especially when they seem to turn it down at night etc. fkers

Any idea? My brother used to have one in his old house it was to send water up toe the loft conversion so that’s kind of what I have in my ind but don’t know if it would help me.

[chrisch77]

A pump would only help you if you have an indirect water system, I.e, one with a cold storage tank (usually in the loft). Given your description and the fact it is a flat I guess you have ‘mains pressure’ cold fed directly to the taps and the hot thru the combi boiler. Alternatively your problem could be a furred up boiler if the cold pressure/flow is OK and it is just hot that is slow?

[bunchofkeys]

Would an accumulator help maintain what little water pressure you have, can you add a pump after this too for the shower?

https://pumpexpress.co.uk/explaining-cold-water-ac...

[hidetheelephants]

15mm is a problem, it ought to be coming in at 28 or 22mm; can you trace it from the stop valve outside?

[CoolHands]

Hi yes there is no storage at all, it’s just mains pressure. (I think accumulators are only used for central heating side of things? Correct me if I’m wrong)

22mm pipe in hallway splits into 15mm pipe going to my flat and other pipe goes to upstairs flat. Basement have already grabbed their water before this pipe!

To be honest even if i extended the 22mm into my flat it wouldn’t make any difference as I would still then be reducing it to 15mm, just 4 feet later that it is currently.

Edited by CoolHands on Monday 6th January 23:07

[CoolHands]

chrisch77 said:

A pump would only help you if you have an indirect water system, I.e, one with a cold storage tank (usually in the loft). Given your description and the fact it is a flat I guess you have ‘mains pressure’ cold fed directly to the taps and the hot thru the combi boiler. Alternatively your problem could be a furred up boiler if the cold pressure/flow is OK and it is just hot that is slow?

Thanks it is all exactly as you state. But boiler was decent one, new 2 years ago. So there is definitely no actual problem other than just wanting a bit more water. Sometimes when water pressure is higher in the street ie mid morning or whatever everything is rosy, so I know it’s them.

[hidetheelephants]

CoolHands said:

Hi yes there is no storage at all, it’s just mains pressure. (I think accumulators are only used for central heating side of things? Correct me if I’m wrong)

22mm pipe in hallway splits into 15mm pipe going to my flat and other pipe goes to upstairs flat. Basement have already grabbed their water before this pipe!

To be honest even if i extended the 22mm into my flat it wouldn’t make any difference as I would still then be reducing it to 15mm, just 4 feet later that it is currently.

You'll get a better result with 22mm pipe into your flat then attached to a booster pump, then 15mm to a shower or whatever.

[chrisch77]

CoolHands said:

Thanks it is all exactly as you state. But boiler was decent one, new 2 years ago. So there is definitely no actual problem other than just wanting a bit more water. Sometimes when water pressure is higher in the street ie mid morning or whatever everything is rosy, so I know it’s them.

I was actually wrong in so much as it *may* also be possible/legal to fit a booster pump directly to the incoming feed if your flow rate is less than 12l/min. However I guess this may not make you popular with your neighbouring flats…. Worth reading https://www.salamanderpumps.co.uk/customer-support...

[TimmyMallett]

chrisch77 said:

I was actually wrong in so much as it *may* also be possible/legal to fit a booster pump directly to the incoming feed if your flow rate is less than 12l/min. However I guess this may not make you popular with your neighbouring flats…. Worth reading https://www.salamanderpumps.co.uk/customer-support...

You need either a break tank and pump (a buffer off the mains) or accumulator.

Edited by TimmyMallett on Tuesday 7th January 11:25

[OutInTheShed]

How many litres per minute does the cold tap closest to the stopcock flow?
How mater litres per minute does the shower flow?

When I had a low pressure house, we got around it by choosing the right shower head, big bore hose etc.

Having had a house with a shower pump, I would be keen to avoid it.

I would check the actual pressure if you can.
Current house has a hidden pressure reducing/regulating valve after the stop tap to protect the combi boiler from excess pressure.
If you've got one of those and it's full of chalk or whatever, changing it should help?
Probably normal to have one with a mains pressure cylinder?

[Baldchap]

An accumulator would help as we had one in an old property and three of us could shower at the same time afterwards.

The issue you might have in a flat is that it was bloody massive.