Title: Water pressure Post by: sonicyouth on Monday, August 9, 2010, 20:32:09 We frequently have none. My girlfriend has just tried to dye her hair and we now have a tiny trickle of ice cold water and nothing else - this happens a few times a week. It usually lasts for hours at a time, so I don't think it's related to our neighbours using any large amounts of water.
The stop cock doesn't work properly, it just turns endlessly in each direction. The boiler works fine when the water pressure is sufficient enough for it to fire. Is it worthwhile calling out an emergency plumber? There's no fucking point calling the estate agent as they're useless. I'm/we are at our wits' fucking end. Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: 4D on Monday, August 9, 2010, 20:33:20 Do you have a landlord?
Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: sonicyouth on Monday, August 9, 2010, 20:34:10 We don't have their contact details, no. Everything is done via the agents at snail's pace, if at all.
Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: 4D on Monday, August 9, 2010, 20:37:21 I haven't rented before, but is that normal? i.e. All contact between tenant and landlord is through a 3rd party
Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: sonicyouth on Monday, August 9, 2010, 20:39:19 Not sure. The landlord doesn't give a fuck about the state of this property though, that's for sure - everything has either gone wrong or broken within the two months we've been here
Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: 4D on Monday, August 9, 2010, 20:40:43 Is it a combi boiler or do you have a hot water tank?
Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: sonicyouth on Monday, August 9, 2010, 20:44:27 it's a Baxi Combi 80e but the water is always hot when the water pressure is there, so I was thinking it might not be related to the boiler?
I don't have a fucking clue to be honest. Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: 4D on Monday, August 9, 2010, 20:49:51 I've got a combi boiler, and was advised to keep/set the pressure to 1.5 bar......what does yours read?
Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: Div on Monday, August 9, 2010, 20:52:59 Look for a switch/button on the top of the boiler, press it/hold it in for a few seconds. Might reset it all. If not, google and find the Manual and see if that says anything.
Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: sonicyouth on Monday, August 9, 2010, 20:58:23 The pressure is at 1, it says that normal operating pressure is between 1 and 2.5.
I've tried resetting it to no avail. Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: Batch on Monday, August 9, 2010, 21:01:26 So is it just the hot water that is affected, or does the cold water go to a trickle too?
What I am getting at is, is the mains into the house OK, or is that what is dropping? Surely the boiler pressure is the sealed circuit for heating only, and that if it is a combi the mains pressure feeds the boiler. Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: sonicyouth on Monday, August 9, 2010, 21:03:49 It's both the hot and cold water that slows to a trickle.
After an umpteenth reset, it works again now. No idea if it's a fluke or not but the pressure has gone up and is showing as 1.5 on the boiler now, perhaps it needs servicing? I seriously doubt it was done before we moved in, they didn't clean the property at all. I'm going to rush and do the washing up while I can, hooray! Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: leefer on Monday, August 9, 2010, 21:05:54 TELL the agents you are getting a plumber and you will be giving the agents the bill.....they will soon get one out.
Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: Div on Monday, August 9, 2010, 21:08:50 The pressure is at 1, it says that normal operating pressure is between 1 and 2.5. I've tried resetting it to no avail. You used the top switch, it could be hidden? I thought pressing the 'reset' button on one i had last year was the reset button...it wasn't, instead it was a small black thing i didn't even know existed till the plumber came out; he enjoyed the £10 a minute the landlords gave him. Or, just wack the thing with a heavy hammer, break a window (from the outside), and say you were burgled. Then just delete all cookies and history regarding this site until it's all sorted. Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: sonicyouth on Monday, August 9, 2010, 21:12:22 Batch - that was my thinking as well, that it's a problem with the supply into the property.
We live above a newsagent which is rented by the same landlord as who owns our flat. We've had problems where we've had no water but our neighbours have, only ourselves and the newsagents have been effected - this is why I think it's a problem with the water supply into the flat and not the boiler that's failing as when the water pressure is okay, the boiler never fails to ignite. The water pressure is either perfectly fine (very good in fact) or non-existent/trickling. The estate agents are slowly sorting out some problems. When our kitchen flooded they got a plumber out sharpish but the extractor fan in the bathroom doesn't work thus creating a problem with damp and they're still dragging their heels. I'm going to go in tomorrow and kick up a bit of a stink or I'm just going to bite the bullet and pay for it out of my own pocket then try and force the estate agents to cough up. Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: Batch on Monday, August 9, 2010, 21:15:37 Hmmm tricky one then. You could get the water board to try and monitor the water into the property. If it was permanently down you'd think "leak", but intermittent is a bit puzzling. Unless the newsagents is a secret marijuana factory and that's when the sprinklers come on.
Stopcock sounds dodgy but presumably that only affects your property, so wouldn't explain the newsagents having the same problem? Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: sonicyouth on Monday, August 9, 2010, 21:18:57 My parents have a similar problem at their house but that's down to the fact the farm nearby is on the same water mains and uses a lot of water at certain periods of the day, the landlord resolved it by installing a proper tank in the attic.
I originally thought it might be because of the businesses nearby here, next door is a hairdressers so presumably they use a lot of water but when we had a problem before, they were totally uneffected by it; as were our neighbours on the other side. It seems as though it's just this property which is a worry as I doubt it'll be sorted anytime soon, i.e. before my girlfriend graduates Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: herthab on Monday, August 9, 2010, 21:59:01 Fill some buckets and stop being such a fucking lightweight!
Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: joteddyred on Monday, August 9, 2010, 22:50:55 Why don't you hold back the next month's rent until the landlord sorts out all these issues that you've had to put up with? I expect they'll soon spring into action then?!
Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: oxford_fan on Monday, August 9, 2010, 23:50:25 re: the boiler, aren't there some pretty hefty requirements on rental properties for annual boiler servicing these days?
i'd ask the agent for a copy of the certificate immediately, and if its out of date book a service there and then because it could solve this problem and potentially lots of (more serious) others. when i worked for a property firm they were shit hot on getting me to keep the gas certificates up to date, out of fear of legal repercussions. if it is as i think it is, it should work in your favour. Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: oxford_fan on Monday, August 9, 2010, 23:54:40 CP12, that's the one. from british gas' website:
Let us help take care of all your Gas Safety checks (CP12) "As you're aware, you're legally required to have all gas appliances in the properties you let checked every 12 months and to hold a Gas Safety Record." ask to see the current CP12. if they haven't got it, rape them. hmmm... granting a CP12 only seems to require an inspection of the boiler, and not necessarily a service. if there is a difference. basically i know fuckall. Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: pumbaa on Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 06:54:50 Whilst OF is absolutely right, it doesn't sound like a boiler problem, very much one of water supply through the mains. Although if you haven't got one, certainly ask the Estate Agent for the CP12, it is a legal requirement for any rental property to have the boiler checked annually.
Quite what you do about the lack of water pressure is unclear as I guess this is the responsibility of the water supply company (Severn Trent in your case?). Might be worth a call, but I've no idea if they charge for this sort of thing, and I doubt they'll be more helpful than your Estate Agent. One thing I will advise though is keep a written log of all these problems you are having, present them to the General Manager of the Agency and withhold payment of a month's rent until they are resolved to your satisfaction. That should get their attention. Oh, and seek advice through Consumer Direct if needs be. Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: trogladite on Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 14:59:09 Is there one feed to the property or do yourselves and the shop downstairs have your own seperate systems?
It certainly sounds like one feed to the property and if they're running a hosepipe, dishwasher and flushing the toilet? Then you, being upstairs and at the end of the line aren't going to get a lot in the way of pressure. Why not test this yourself. Turn on a tap. Go downstairs, ask the shop to turn on all their water outlets, toilet flush taps washing machine and pop back to your flat and see if the pressure is still the same. Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: Gelbfüßler on Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 16:36:07 Are you South Staffs or Severn Trent? Definitely phone your supplier and explain the situation. If it's diagnosed as a problem within the building, it's the landlord's responsibility to sort it out.
http://www.south-staffs-water.co.uk/your_home/water_pressure.asp http://www.stwater.co.uk/server.php?show=nav.6294#SlowUpstairs ^^ some useful links. Sounds like a common feed for both floors and the plumbing wasn't designed for what it's taking. Smaller bore pipes = larger friction losses. Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: sonicyouth on Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 23:25:56 Cheers all. Am away for a week from tomorrow so will look at it again when I come back.
p.s. the pressure is usually bad in the evenings when the shop downstairs is closed, so we're the only ones using that supply Title: Re: Water pressure Post by: Gelbfüßler on Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 08:44:30 Could well be the water company doing repairs/maintenance etc on the mains on the network then. Being highest up, you will be affected more by pressure fluctuations. 1 bar is only 10m head.
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