Your mentioning of the important terms (flow rate and static pressure) as well as their description is VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. You are the first plumber who shows a sound understanding of his trade (profession really) I have ever come across.
Hi Roger love your plumbing videos I ran a heating contractors for 30 years in south London and always dealing with flow and pressure problems particularly in Balham and Brixton notorious for low pressures sometimes only 1 bar These accumulators solved many problems for me. One add on tip for you, where even one of these devices would improve but not completely, solve a problem, is to fit balancing valves on the supplies to the individual outlets (just a gate valve with the handle removed) Then similarly to balancing radiators, you can restrict restrict the greedy to favour the needy I used to find it was always the showers, usually at the higher parts of the house, that would suffer to some extent sometimes even after a booster. The combination of booster and balancing was needed on some of the toughest nuts I had to crack with very demanding clients in these expensive areas…..
Brilliant! Thank you for sharing this video! Simple, Clear & Practical with a lot of well defined valuable experience! You sound like my late father who was a carpenter by trade with plumbing experience! I lost him a few years ago at the age of 94 years! Thank you again and greetings from Madang, Papua New Guinea!
Your mentioning of the important terms (flow rate and static pressure) as well as their description is VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. You are the first plumber who shows a sound understanding of his trade (profession really) I have ever come across.
High end new builds with multiple bath facilities will of course come with all this factored in and kitted out, but of course existing older housing stock can experience issues over time as they put in attic extensions, en suites, and additional wet rooms, so this information is great for people to know.
Hi Roger Thanks for explaining how these boosters work and the pump. The way you explained in every detail in depth and not only that and you went further to explain how to install it. This is the best of the best videos I have seen then other people's videos.
Hi Roger, accumulators have been in use for many years in commercial buildings - hotels, pubs, schools and so on. They are very effective. Love all your videos, and opinions!
Hi just a quick comment, being a building service engineer, I noticed you incoming mains at the start of the video,that your strainer should be positioned on the horizontal, with the filter facing downwards, or on the vertical with the flow going downwards, but never facing upwards as its installed - Im sure manufacturer installation guidance will verify this -see Hattersley valves as a guide. Apart from that, excellent videos and tips. You certainly have trade experience and it shows in your excellent videos and trademanship.
It’s usually good practice to take a flow rate from a non restricted tap such as an outside tap ….most kitchen taps / basin taps tend to have reduced flow rates these days! Good video roger
Very informative. My old Central heating system needs a refresh and the flow is lowish. Great to know about these and I will get the flow and pressure tested to help decide on the best solution for this house. Remove the tanks and Combi seems like a good option now. Cheers Roger
I had the same issue - a 15mm main but just over 3 bar pressure. Swapped the cold tank in the loft for 2 x 250L Stuart Turner horizontal vessels. It made a huge difference. Two points to note though: 1. you need to check the pressure at the tank and adjust the air pressure in the bladder accordingly (from memory i think it was about one bar lower than the water pressure. 2. The stored water warms up over time so drinking water isn't as cold. I would recommend fitting a supply to a tap with a non return valve before the accumulators if possible, assuming you've got the pressure and reasonable flow for it.
Hi. Thanks for your comment. You only need to adjust the pressure on unpumped models, but the amount you need to set it by varies depending on the manufacturer so always check the literature. Thanks
Great information - Thankyou! Also reminds me of my disappointment when replacing our bathroom. Knowing we had crap water pressure, I very carefully replaced the hot piping to the bath in 22mm all the way - even using formed bends to reduce resistance - then unpacked the new tap to find the risers had pathetic 8mm bores!!
Hi Roger. Thanks for your comment. The AccuBoost 450L will weigh 281kg when filled. Depending where the unit is stored, some reinforcement work may need to be done.
@@jgregory935 The vessel size refers to the total volume e.g. 450L, but this is split almost 50:50 air to water. The air is needed to hold the water under pressure. Thanks
Great video, been considering an accumulator after changing pumps on a tank system (original pump 20 years ago is spec'd less than current pump and the new one can't keep up with 90% of the house now and water blaster sure when under pressure) Technology gets better but not always production.
No issues with water flow and static pressure here, static pressure is between 8,5 and 9,5 bar which is quite high. A pressure regulator is needed to bring it down to 4 bar in the house. For the garden I do have a 22mm pipe run of before the pressure regulator, the tap on that pipe fills a bucket in 10 seconds, so about 50l / min. But there is another advantage to the accumulator, that's if the water main supply fails. There is enough water in the accumulator to get taps and toilets going for quite a time.
Thanks for the great info. I think I may have a solution to our problem with our water flow. Personally, I think these should be installed in all homes during the build process. Thanks, Guv'
Really informative for me thanks! I moved into a house and have what I think is a similar unpumped device in my loft. It only supplies 2 showers and the hot water.
Here’s a useful tip: Rotate the stopcock on and off twice a year to keep it free. So many are boxed in and totally inaccessible which is why they seize up.
Just had a new main moled in for £1100, 3 small holes dug wouldnt even know it's been done. "pressure" issues sorted (well, no change in pressure but flow rate vastly improved). Permanent no maintenance solution worth looking in to.
Maybe you have an answer to the problem in my house in Thailand. 1. It takes almost a week to fill my 50m3 swimming pool. 2. I live on an estate with an undersized main and most houses have a pump and tank, so at peak times we have almost no water. Certainly the shower won't work and we only have a bungalow. 3. We don't have these products here and I found a Mitsubishi WP105 that may solve my problem. 4. If I use a tank that won't solve the filling my pool problem as when the tank is empty I am back to mains flow. 5. Due to the weather, the pool needs filling every four-six months so a week to do it is a pain. Any pointers would be helpful as no one in Thailand can.
The issue (as stated) is that the water main connection was not replaced properly. We upgraded from 1/2” lead to 25mm MDPE and went from about 15l/m to over 50 L/m on our 3.5bar supply (identical pressure before and after as expected). I could run a shower at 15, a garden hose at over 20 with the kitchen tap also running more than a 20l weir cup could handle). Something is definitely wrong that they need additional kit in this house.
I would also love to know what the flow rate is straight out of their MDPE main before the restrictive stop cock, NRV, filter and PRV. I’d be willing to bet it was a lot higher than after.
I've had decreasing water flow for years. I fixed it by turning my stopcock off and fully back on. Dirty water then came out of my kitchen tap and the flow rate was as it should be. I had to use a stopcock key with socket and socket wrench to move my seized stopcock key.
@@SkillBuilder Yes it was in the back of my mind whilst doing it. I just applied pressure until it just gave way. All fixed now and looking forward to my shower later.
Fitted a few of these and they are a good idea. Biggest issue with this install is that he has fitted after the pressure reducer, if fitted before then you put more water in the vessel under a higher pressure making it last longer. Also with a accumulator when it is depleted you go back to mains, with a break tank you loose water untill refilled These use to be TWS before Stuart turner bought them out.
Hi Jamie, Thanks for your comment. The AccuBoost accumulator needs to be installed after the PRV to protect the vessel from fluctuations in mains pressure which could damage the bladder. Only unpumped accumulators would revert to the mains once depleted. When a pumped unit is depleted, the pump will continue to run to deliver a minimum of 12L/min.
@@SalamanderPumps good clarification. My fitter got hung up on achieving 3 bar on the prv until I pointed out it was there to protect the pump and vessel and we want it relatively low.
A side problem you can create with a pumped unit is drawing down “mains” causing other users of “main” to completey lose pressure. Check with water system operator befor installing.
Water regulations state that only 12ltrs per min can be drawn out of the mains, and this is what the manufacturers work with. The get around is that if you “Store” the water with a accumulator, break tanks, cold water storage tank. You can boost it to what ever you want
I think this is great, especially if rural. However maybe add some videos with innovation re gray water recovery, rain water capture, and anything that gives a shower user how much water they have used.
Bought this house a decade ago. Plumbed by a plumber with no common sense. Good street mains pressure on a 3/4 inch supply. Most houses here reduce the 3/4 to a 1/2 for interior supply by putting in a 3/4 x 1/2 x1/2 tee at the entrance, to feed an outside hose bib at what is also a convenient location. That allows garden watering without reducing inside pressure, because the 3/4 carries about twice volume as a 1/2. This guy reduced to 1/2 at entrance, then ran about 20 ft of 1/2 to a 1/2 tee to feed an outside bib in a very inconvenient location. Also reduces inside flow when watering! Used much more pipe than needed just to make things worse. 50 year old job, so the plumber is too old to ask "what were you thinking?"
Don't know why these aren't more popular. Have just converted my system to unvented. Pressure is ....better but not great if two showers on at the same time. So will be installing one of these in the garage, along with some other pipework changes here and there... much easier than laying a new mains pipe!
I have sufficient flow and pressure in the house, but since refitting the kitchen and installing a SureStop to make turning the mains off (we had a burst and my wife couldn't turn the stop tap off) the drop in flow is noticeable when 2 or more taps are turned on. This doesn't cause a problem even with the showers so it's not worth changing anything at the moment. What is interesting is that despite the SureStop being 22mm fitting the bore inside is the same as the 15mm version. Would you consider making a video on the pros and cons of these devices? There is no doubt they are useful in an emergency and where the stop tap is difficult to reach (aren't they all) but given that any restriction on the size of the bore will affect flow rate I think SureStop need to change their product.
Replace the word Surestop with Nightmare! Get rid of it ASAP. I remove them every day of the week. Not only can they reduce your pressure, they are a major source of leaks themselves as they are water pressure operated as you know. As well as that , it will probably not work at all after a few years so don't rely on it. Tip, you may need to turn 2 taps on to get it to kick in. Sorry for the bad news but make sure you have an alternative way to turn water off . 👍
@@kevinmullin4504 Thanks Kevin. I am just a home owner and so obviously only see one rather than many. I have only had it for just over a year and I do test it every now and then. I did fit a new stop cock with the SureStop to make sure that I had a more permanent way of isolating the water supply because I read that they should not be relied upon for extended periods. Interestingly I have spoken to a couple of plumbers (mainly on the heating side) who they they have never been asked to fit one
😂😂… this is why plumbers charge an arm and a leg when you call them…. Ask them to increase water pressure and they build you a new extension to your house
When did I say I was a plasterer? I have been plumbing for 40 years but in that time I have done a great many other things and take a few sabaticals because plumbing would drive me nuts. If I gave the impression that I have plumbed 5 days a week for 40 years I am sorry. If the sun is shining and I am in the mood I will even do a bit of exterior painting. I have also done a good many loft conversions with my pals.
I tried to fix this problem a while back. Had the utilities company round several times, replaced the small bore pipework from the street stop cock to my house etc. The guy from the utilities (after I said I was going to have to fit a pump) said "shouldn't have to fit a pump, it's regulated up the street as the flow and pressure are too high" the never adjusted it for me but its just annoying that the are throttling in for a reason I haven't figured out yet. I still havent installed a pump and just struggled on...
Hi Nathan, the utility provider are required to provide you with around 9l/min to the boundary, however depending on the length of pipe run and the size of the property a pump could be the solution to poor flow you are experiencing. To find out which pump would best suit your system, please take a look at our product selector. www.salamanderpumps.co.uk/product-selector
Interesting concept & a good idea, but after having a burst pipe last year, large Water tanks & flexible pipes would make me anxious every time I went out.
Roger, I can tell by your fridge there that you have your grandkids round a lot ! Or your wife uses those magnetic letters to leave you little love poems. Most probably "Take the bins out", "Shopping at 5pm", "Hang the washing out". Or is that a reflection on why my wife has magnetic letters on our fridge 🤔😆🤗
Hi Lee Yes it is the grandchildren, my wife has given up leaving me messages especially of love and she takes the bins out and mows the lawn. Also for me the secret of a happy marriage is to never go shopping.
@@SkillBuilder 😂Brilliant ! I am not kidding, the number of times other women say to my wife while we are shopping "Why don't you make him stay at home?". I'm always bloody moaning 😩
@@billpalmer2381 Hi Bill, Sorry to hear you feel that way. Our Customer Experience Manager would like to understand why you feel that way, could you send us a DM on one of our social media channels with the pump serial number and a contact number? Thanks.
The first thing people should do is contact their regional water company , here in the north west United utilities will always prove to the property’s boundary if the issue is on public they will renew Pipework or connection for free
That is standard across the country and the minimum pressure is 0.7 bar at the stopcock and you should be able to fill a 2 litre bottle in less than 13 seconds. which equates to around 9 litres per minute. That is not a lot for a shower.
Thank you for your video. Please tell me how much it cost me to fixed it. Recently plumber charged me £80 just to change two washer. Did i paid him too much? Fixing water pressure how much do i have to pay an arms and the legs?
Robin left to start his own channel, based on him, which we helped him set up. He is doing O.K so there is no compelling reason for him to dilute that by doing stuff with us.
See for me you call in someone to fit a new bathroom and then the pressure goes down and suddenly that person is nowhere to be seen. Then you call in someone else that tells you the entire thing has to come out because they used the wrong size everything and you decide to just live with it for 18 years lol.
If the cylinder is not changing its water very much doesn't that constitute a dead leg? A potential legionella breeding ground if the temperature is nkt kept below 20`C.
The mains and the stopcock are under my kitchen sink. Could I run the mains pipe up into my attic (from ground floor, 1st floor to loft) and still benefit from the bladder version or even the pumped ? I will check out their site. What a great solution. I love the bladder cylinder, GENIUS !
Yes it doesn't matter where you put it on the system but you lose a little head pressure if it is high up. You can put them in a shed outside if you have room.
Hi Lee, pumped models should ideally be connected directly after the stop cock. Unpumped models can be located anywhere in the property however if in a shed make sure its protected from frost etc.
Where in the UK do you see 4 bar in the street?! Thames Water guarantee only 1 bar and can legally drop it to 0.85 without notice. It's so bad that they even dropped the requirement for a break tank....yes you can directly pump a TWA main!
I have a new problem after fitting a new kitchen sink mixer tap. The hot flow is extremely slow. I followed the fitting instructions to the T & the exchange was successful with the addition of a couple of stop taps & filters positioned correctly but as for the hot flow, well its just shocking. In fact when both hot & cold are on together its probably worse. Like Roger said in the video, is it just how new mixer taps are?
.A new faucet (a dual spray switch tap that allows to switch between a strong shower setting, and normal stream setting) is installed downstairs. Whenever the downstair neighbor switches to strong flow setting I hear a high pitched water stream noise in my kitchen. The below neighbor uses the high flow setting quite often in the day, and it affects my ears as I have an ear condition called tinnitus. But it's loud enough that even someone without tinnitus would find it annoying (the nails against chalkboard type of sound)..why the noise is coming, Really appreciate any help, thank you!
Thank you for you video's' my question is, can I have a unvented cylinder connected directly to my combi boiler to give me constant hot water just by opening the taps, without using a switch to wait for the cylinder to heat the water. If yes does it use a lot of electricity to work. Thank you
My problem: in the upper floor of house, water comes well of the shower but barely a drop comes out of sink next to it in the same bathroom. Same for a second restroom in the same floor (Flow to toilet siphon is good but barely a drop coming off at the sink to wash hand!). Where could my problem be and I though may be air lock, thus several times cut the water from house main shut off valve in yard and re started with no avid.
Hi Richard, the unit comes in various sizes to suit the property/system. requirements and the price are reflective of the size of the unit and whether the unit is pumped or unpumped. Thanks.
Came across a job this week where a plumber/ kitchen fitted hadn't sealed the sink properly. A year later the rear panel under the sink is completely wet and the water has drawn up half way up the panel. He has also fitted a 13amp double socket in this panel within inches of the waste pipes and connectors to the washing machine. Am I right in thinking putting a live socket this close to the plumbing wasntnnot just a bad idea but dangerous? The so called professional fitter is now ignoring the clients he took 27k from! Being an elderly couple with one in ill health. I do feel sorry for them as this cowboy was happy to take their money then just walked away. Still claiming to be the 'best in England '
Hi Peter, to check the pre-charged pressure in the vessel, isolate the electrics and mains supply, empty the vessel and use a pressure gauge attached to the Schrader valve on top of the vessel. To check the current PSI inside the vessel, there would be no requirement to drain it down. Thanks.
That unpumped unit bladder will lose pressure over time. Does the unit have a Schrader valve and can it be repressured with a compressor and what is the pressure. Thanks Roger, I might pursue this.
Thanks for a great video. I have this exact problem (good pressure but dramatic drop off in flow when more than 1 tap turned on). After doing some research I do wonder whether part of my problem is my pressure reduction valve. I have an outhouse tap that is not limited by the PRV and it’s pressure and flow is amazing! It seems PRVs are quite a varied beast, and different PRVs are required to achieve different flow rates at certain pressures I guess you also need to think about devices that my limit flow - like an undersized condensing boiler. I also wonder whether my DHW should have its own dedicated water supply from the incoming main taken off immediately after the PRV.
Hi Simon, you're absolutely right about outlets restricting the flow! As seen in the video the tap in the kitchen was limited to 22L/min, but when two taps were opened the combined water flow exceeded this giving a total of 30L/min. Our technical team would be happy to discuss the options available to you, just send us an email at tech@salamanderpumps.co.uk - thanks!
Great piece of kit. What do you think the life if the bladder will be, given the short life issues with the bladders in expansion vessels of unvented cylinders?
I am ot sure but the water is cold so maybe better than a central heating epdm membrane. Having said that, failure of the expansions vessel is often assumed and not confirmed, I have found many so called faulty ones perfectly ok. Sometimes it is just the schraer valve.
@@SkillBuilder I had one of these at my home in the US. We were on a well and had one of these systems to maintain pressure... The one I had was still running perfectly 10 years after installation.
Thank you for your comment. The AccuBoost accumulator has a “water on bag” type bladder so there is minimal stress applied to the bladder which means it should last a long time. In the unlikely event that there is a problem with the bladder, it is possible to replace the bladder.
Hey roger! Love your videos ! Just wondering what you would recommend for a house that has a decent flow rate and decent presssure…. But with a Harvey arc water softener which seems to completely sap all water pressure and flow rate. ( I had a big unvented cylinder and system boiler installed to avoid the rubbish shower when someone runs the kitchen tap like on our old combi system) and the water softener seems to have negated all my benefits !
My water softener did the same. It basically ran through washing machine valves and 15mm pipe work, with something like 8mm internal diamer washing machine hoses which saped the flow rate. I upgraded my 15mm to 22mm pipe work, full bore iso valves (instead of washing machine valves)and the largest diameter flexi hoses (tap tails) I could (22mm to 3/4 bsp, with something like 13mm diameter). Minimised 90 degree turns also. Now, no issues at all.
Hi there. I live in Los Angeles California. Can you recommend a plumber in my area who can install that unit for me. Currently I have Groundfos EZ boost in my house for very long time and that model was discontinued and I can’t find anyone to service the unit. I will love to replace the unit before it stops working completely. Thank you !
Your mentioning of the important terms (flow rate and static pressure) as well as their description is VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. You are the first plumber who shows a sound understanding of his trade (profession really) I have ever come across.
Professional plumber .? ( Busi ness man ?)Any way His idea is well come. our house pipe line must able to with Stand high pressure.
Hi Roger love your plumbing videos
I ran a heating contractors for 30 years in south London and always dealing with flow and pressure problems particularly in Balham and Brixton notorious for low pressures sometimes only 1 bar
These accumulators solved many problems for me. One add on tip for you, where even one of these devices would improve but not completely, solve a problem, is to fit balancing valves on the supplies to the individual outlets (just a gate valve with the handle removed)
Then similarly to balancing radiators, you can restrict restrict the greedy to favour the needy
I used to find it was always the showers, usually at the higher parts of the house, that would suffer to some extent sometimes even after a booster. The combination of booster and balancing was needed on some of the toughest nuts I had to crack with very demanding clients in these expensive areas…..
Thanks Mark that is a good tip
Brilliant! Thank you for sharing this video! Simple, Clear & Practical with a lot of well defined valuable experience! You sound like my late father who was a carpenter by trade with plumbing experience! I lost him a few years ago at the age of 94 years! Thank you again and greetings from Madang, Papua New Guinea!
Your mentioning of the important terms (flow rate and static pressure) as well as their description is VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. You are the first plumber who shows a sound understanding of his trade (profession really) I have ever come across.
High end new builds with multiple bath facilities will of course come with all this factored in and kitted out, but of course existing older housing stock can experience issues over time as they put in attic extensions, en suites, and additional wet rooms, so this information is great for people to know.
Hi Roger
Thanks for explaining how these boosters work and the pump. The way you explained in every detail in depth and not only that and you went further to explain how to install it.
This is the best of the best videos I have seen then other people's videos.
Hi Roger, accumulators have been in use for many years in commercial buildings - hotels, pubs, schools and so on. They are very effective. Love all your videos, and opinions!
Thanks for sharing
Hi just a quick comment, being a building service engineer, I noticed you incoming mains at the start of the video,that your strainer should be positioned on the horizontal, with the filter facing downwards, or on the vertical with the flow going downwards, but never facing upwards as its installed - Im sure manufacturer installation guidance will verify this -see Hattersley valves as a guide. Apart from that, excellent videos and tips. You certainly have trade experience and it shows in your excellent videos and trademanship.
Hi Graham. I think you are right but I just followed the arrows, I hope. I will check it and get back to you.
Good spot Graham, was just thinking the same myself.
Strainer won’t catch much facing that way!
It’s usually good practice to take a flow rate from a non restricted tap such as an outside tap ….most kitchen taps / basin taps tend to have reduced flow rates these days! Good video roger
Very informative. My old Central heating system needs a refresh and the flow is lowish. Great to know about these and I will get the flow and pressure tested to help decide on the best solution for this house. Remove the tanks and Combi seems like a good option now. Cheers Roger
Good luck!
Excellent video and explanation. I couldn't help notice that the kitchen faucet handle is dripping...
Yes it was dripping but not any longer
Top marks - brilliant explanation throughout
I had the same issue - a 15mm main but just over 3 bar pressure. Swapped the cold tank in the loft for 2 x 250L Stuart Turner horizontal vessels. It made a huge difference. Two points to note though:
1. you need to check the pressure at the tank and adjust the air pressure in the bladder accordingly (from memory i think it was about one bar lower than the water pressure.
2. The stored water warms up over time so drinking water isn't as cold. I would recommend fitting a supply to a tap with a non return valve before the accumulators if possible, assuming you've got the pressure and reasonable flow for it.
Hi. Thanks for your comment. You only need to adjust the pressure on unpumped models, but the amount you need to set it by varies depending on the manufacturer so always check the literature. Thanks
Great information - Thankyou! Also reminds me of my disappointment when replacing our bathroom. Knowing we had crap water pressure, I very carefully replaced the hot piping to the bath in 22mm all the way - even using formed bends to reduce resistance - then unpacked the new tap to find the risers had pathetic 8mm bores!!
You did not waste your time with the 22mm because the resistance is end to end over the entire route and is still lessened by the mainly larger pipe
Watching from Louisiana. Amazing work!
Thank you very much!, good to hear from viewers in the USA.
Fantastic idea. Wellcome. Thank u. from INDIA . TN.
That 450 litre tank will weigh nearly half a tonne when full so take care where it's sited - a wooden floor may not like the extra load !
Hi Roger. Thanks for your comment. The AccuBoost 450L will weigh 281kg when filled. Depending where the unit is stored, some reinforcement work may need to be done.
Turns out that there 450L does not relate to water stored rather vessel/cylinder size.
As half the volume is taken up with the bladder.
Its not 450litre water stored just volume.
@@jgregory935 The vessel size refers to the total volume e.g. 450L, but this is split almost 50:50 air to water. The air is needed to hold the water under pressure. Thanks
@@SalamanderPumps shrinkflasion at its best.
Great video, been considering an accumulator after changing pumps on a tank system (original pump 20 years ago is spec'd less than current pump and the new one can't keep up with 90% of the house now and water blaster sure when under pressure)
Technology gets better but not always production.
I fitted one of these at our old house and it worked perfectly. :)
For how long?
No issues with water flow and static pressure here, static pressure is between 8,5 and 9,5 bar which is quite high.
A pressure regulator is needed to bring it down to 4 bar in the house.
For the garden I do have a 22mm pipe run of before the pressure regulator, the tap on that pipe fills a bucket in 10 seconds, so about 50l / min.
But there is another advantage to the accumulator, that's if the water main supply fails. There is enough water in the accumulator to get taps and toilets going for quite a time.
Thanks for the great info. I think I may have a solution to our problem with our water flow. Personally, I think these should be installed in all homes during the build process. Thanks, Guv'
It solved my problem, 6 bathrooms and over 3 floors. Thank goodness the problem solved otherwise my head will explode
Thank you for a grand explanation , just a mere sparks .
Really informative for me thanks!
I moved into a house and have what I think is a similar unpumped device in my loft. It only supplies 2 showers and the hot water.
Here’s a useful tip: Rotate the stopcock on and off twice a year to keep it free. So many are boxed in and totally inaccessible which is why they seize up.
Don't open the stopcock and leave it at the end of the thread, back off a half turn.
Just had a new main moled in for £1100, 3 small holes dug wouldnt even know it's been done. "pressure" issues sorted (well, no change in pressure but flow rate vastly improved). Permanent no maintenance solution worth looking in to.
Maybe you have an answer to the problem in my house in Thailand. 1. It takes almost a week to fill my 50m3 swimming pool. 2. I live on an estate with an undersized main and most houses have a pump and tank, so at peak times we have almost no water. Certainly the shower won't work and we only have a bungalow. 3. We don't have these products here and I found a Mitsubishi WP105 that may solve my problem. 4. If I use a tank that won't solve the filling my pool problem as when the tank is empty I am back to mains flow. 5. Due to the weather, the pool needs filling every four-six months so a week to do it is a pain. Any pointers would be helpful as no one in Thailand can.
Well done Roger as you explained very well which it was helpful and useful knowledge!!!!!
The issue (as stated) is that the water main connection was not replaced properly. We upgraded from 1/2” lead to 25mm MDPE and went from about 15l/m to over 50 L/m on our 3.5bar supply (identical pressure before and after as expected). I could run a shower at 15, a garden hose at over 20 with the kitchen tap also running more than a 20l weir cup could handle). Something is definitely wrong that they need additional kit in this house.
I would also love to know what the flow rate is straight out of their MDPE main before the restrictive stop cock, NRV, filter and PRV. I’d be willing to bet it was a lot higher than after.
I've had decreasing water flow for years.
I fixed it by turning my stopcock off and fully back on.
Dirty water then came out of my kitchen tap and the flow rate was as it should be.
I had to use a stopcock key with socket and socket wrench to move my seized stopcock key.
I have had that experience myself on some jobs but I am reluctant to adivse it because it is very easy to sheer the head off.
@@SkillBuilder Yes it was in the back of my mind whilst doing it. I just applied pressure until it just gave way.
All fixed now and looking forward to my shower later.
Fitted a few of these and they are a good idea. Biggest issue with this install is that he has fitted after the pressure reducer, if fitted before then you put more water in the vessel under a higher pressure making it last longer. Also with a accumulator when it is depleted you go back to mains, with a break tank you loose water untill refilled These use to be TWS before Stuart turner bought them out.
Hi Jamie, Thanks for your comment.
The AccuBoost accumulator needs to be installed after the PRV to protect the vessel from fluctuations in mains pressure which could damage the bladder.
Only unpumped accumulators would revert to the mains once depleted. When a pumped unit is depleted, the pump will continue to run to deliver a minimum of 12L/min.
@@SalamanderPumps good clarification. My fitter got hung up on achieving 3 bar on the prv until I pointed out it was there to protect the pump and vessel and we want it relatively low.
A side problem you can create with a pumped unit is drawing down “mains” causing other users of “main” to completey lose pressure. Check with water system operator befor installing.
That is why the pump is limited to 12 ltrs per minute
@@paul_my_plumbs_uk nice....{not}
Water regulations state that only 12ltrs per min can be drawn out of the mains, and this is what the manufacturers work with.
The get around is that if you “Store” the water with a accumulator, break tanks, cold water storage tank. You can boost it to what ever you want
@@jamiefirbank5747 Nowt wrong with that... unless everyone does it at the same time lol... unlikely but hey ho. 😏
Always a pleasure to watch you work!
Thanks Hugh
I think this is great, especially if rural. However maybe add some videos with innovation re gray water recovery, rain water capture, and anything that gives a shower user how much water they have used.
Bought this house a decade ago. Plumbed by a plumber with no common sense. Good street mains pressure on a 3/4 inch supply. Most houses here reduce the 3/4 to a 1/2 for interior supply by putting in a 3/4 x 1/2 x1/2 tee at the entrance, to feed an outside hose bib at what is also a convenient location. That allows garden watering without reducing inside pressure, because the 3/4 carries about twice volume as a 1/2. This guy reduced to 1/2 at entrance, then ran about 20 ft of 1/2 to a 1/2 tee to feed an outside bib in a very inconvenient location. Also reduces inside flow when watering! Used much more pipe than needed just to make things worse. 50 year old job, so the plumber is too old to ask "what were you thinking?"
Nice video as always Roger.
Don't know why these aren't more popular. Have just converted my system to unvented. Pressure is ....better but not great if two showers on at the same time. So will be installing one of these in the garage, along with some other pipework changes here and there... much easier than laying a new mains pipe!
Thanks for your comment! If you need any help or advice with your installation we'd be happy to help, www.salamanderpumps.co.uk
I have sufficient flow and pressure in the house, but since refitting the kitchen and installing a SureStop to make turning the mains off (we had a burst and my wife couldn't turn the stop tap off) the drop in flow is noticeable when 2 or more taps are turned on. This doesn't cause a problem even with the showers so it's not worth changing anything at the moment. What is interesting is that despite the SureStop being 22mm fitting the bore inside is the same as the 15mm version. Would you consider making a video on the pros and cons of these devices? There is no doubt they are useful in an emergency and where the stop tap is difficult to reach (aren't they all) but given that any restriction on the size of the bore will affect flow rate I think SureStop need to change their product.
I also have a SureStop and have had some flow issues - would too like to see a video on this
Replace the word Surestop with Nightmare! Get rid of it ASAP. I remove them every day of the week. Not only can they reduce your pressure, they are a major source of leaks themselves as they are water pressure operated as you know. As well as that , it will probably not work at all after a few years so don't rely on it. Tip, you may need to turn 2 taps on to get it to kick in. Sorry for the bad news but make sure you have an alternative way to turn water off . 👍
@@kevinmullin4504 Thanks Kevin. I am just a home owner and so obviously only see one rather than many. I have only had it for just over a year and I do test it every now and then. I did fit a new stop cock with the SureStop to make sure that I had a more permanent way of isolating the water supply because I read that they should not be relied upon for extended periods.
Interestingly I have spoken to a couple of plumbers (mainly on the heating side) who they they have never been asked to fit one
Amazing, sounds like it would fix our flow issues. Wish I knew about these years ago.
Hi, you can browse our full accumulator range at www.salamanderpumps.co.uk/range/accuboost/28
😂😂… this is why plumbers charge an arm and a leg when you call them…. Ask them to increase water pressure and they build you a new extension to your house
Most homes have trunk and branch plumbing systems with undersized pipework, manifold plumbing is the way to go.
well done roger
Very interesting info Rodger abs well explained 🙂👍
Thanks 👍
I accidentally bumped into your video and saw that your kitchen design is like mine.
Your a jack of all trades Roger. Lol. So how long where you a plasterer musnt been long if your forty years a plumber. Love your videos great help.
When did I say I was a plasterer? I have been plumbing for 40 years but in that time I have done a great many other things and take a few sabaticals because plumbing would drive me nuts. If I gave the impression that I have plumbed 5 days a week for 40 years I am sorry. If the sun is shining and I am in the mood I will even do a bit of exterior painting.
I have also done a good many loft conversions with my pals.
Excellent video with great explanation
Thank you!
Thanks for your comment!
I tried to fix this problem a while back. Had the utilities company round several times, replaced the small bore pipework from the street stop cock to my house etc. The guy from the utilities (after I said I was going to have to fit a pump) said "shouldn't have to fit a pump, it's regulated up the street as the flow and pressure are too high" the never adjusted it for me but its just annoying that the are throttling in for a reason I haven't figured out yet. I still havent installed a pump and just struggled on...
Hi Nathan, the utility provider are required to provide you with around 9l/min to the boundary, however depending on the length of pipe run and the size of the property a pump could be the solution to poor flow you are experiencing. To find out which pump would best suit your system, please take a look at our product selector. www.salamanderpumps.co.uk/product-selector
Get a powertank!!!
great! just sent the apprentice a few screen shots!
Thanks for your comment!
Really useful video - thanks
Glad you liked it
I heard salamander pumps are not reliable. Stuart Turner pumps are the rolls royce of pumps there not cheap but built to last.
Interesting concept & a good idea, but after having a burst pipe last year, large Water tanks & flexible pipes would make me anxious every time I went out.
gREAT vIDEO, THANKS FOR THAT INFO sKILL bUILDER, I like someone who knows what theyr'e talking about!...
Excellent vid, thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your comment!
Roger, I can tell by your fridge there that you have your grandkids round a lot ! Or your wife uses those magnetic letters to leave you little love poems. Most probably "Take the bins out", "Shopping at 5pm", "Hang the washing out". Or is that a reflection on why my wife has magnetic letters on our fridge 🤔😆🤗
Hi Lee
Yes it is the grandchildren, my wife has given up leaving me messages especially of love and she takes the bins out and mows the lawn. Also for me the secret of a happy marriage is to never go shopping.
@@SkillBuilder 😂Brilliant !
I am not kidding, the number of times other women say to my wife while we are shopping "Why don't you make him stay at home?". I'm always bloody moaning 😩
Is that the consumer unit behind your head?
I have found the problem! Its the full port shutoff valve near the well
Stuart Turner have been making mains boost tanks for years. Brilliant equipment, if you have the room.
beet salamander hands down every time across the board and better on service will not use salamander mains booster or shower pumps
@@billpalmer2381 beat
Stuart turner every time, salamander aftersales and warranties are laughable. Nice video though 😁
@@SkillBuilder sorry had a few beers
@@billpalmer2381 Hi Bill, Sorry to hear you feel that way. Our Customer Experience Manager would like to understand why you feel that way, could you send us a DM on one of our social media channels with the pump serial number and a contact number? Thanks.
The first thing people should do is contact their regional water company , here in the north west United utilities will always prove to the property’s boundary if the issue is on public they will renew Pipework or connection for free
That is standard across the country and the minimum pressure is 0.7 bar at the stopcock and you should be able to fill a 2 litre bottle in less than 13 seconds. which equates to around 9 litres per minute. That is not a lot for a shower.
Great video.
Was this taken 10 years ago? Now there is an electric pump 1/100 of that size and get a better result for only 50 gbp.
Thank you for your video.
Please tell me how much it cost me to fixed it.
Recently plumber charged me £80 just to change two washer.
Did i paid him too much?
Fixing water pressure how much do i have to pay an arms and the legs?
The plumber charged you for travelling to and from your home and having the van, tools and knowledge to do the job.
🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤ Uncle You’re so amazing skill level 🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤ 😊😊😊 very nice 😊to sharing your experience to the kids on these days on earth 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
I like how he speaks
very interesting, informative and to the point........great job.
Hi Roger, thanks for all your videos. Why don’t you do any videos with Robin Clevett anymore ?
Robin left to start his own channel, based on him, which we helped him set up. He is doing O.K so there is no compelling reason for him to dilute that by doing stuff with us.
See for me you call in someone to fit a new bathroom and then the pressure goes down and suddenly that person is nowhere to be seen. Then you call in someone else that tells you the entire thing has to come out because they used the wrong size everything and you decide to just live with it for 18 years lol.
If the cylinder is not changing its water very much doesn't that constitute a dead leg? A potential legionella breeding ground if the temperature is nkt kept below 20`C.
It is a good point. I don't know the answer but I will empty it every few weeks now. You just have to turn the mains off and let it deplete.
Where can I buy such a cup-type flow measurement device?
The mains and the stopcock are under my kitchen sink. Could I run the mains pipe up into my attic (from ground floor, 1st floor to loft) and still benefit from the bladder version or even the pumped ? I will check out their site. What a great solution. I love the bladder cylinder, GENIUS !
Yes it doesn't matter where you put it on the system but you lose a little head pressure if it is high up. You can put them in a shed outside if you have room.
@@SkillBuilder Thank you. Outside is doable. I'd rather not take up space in the loft I have plans for a Man Cave !
Hi Lee, pumped models should ideally be connected directly after the stop cock. Unpumped models can be located anywhere in the property however if in a shed make sure its protected from frost etc.
Should of bought a powertank
My house water pressure is low as when using same time bathroom and kitchen sink . Please advise how to fix them problems.
IMHO, the home owner just needs water saving taps fitted especially on the lower floors. Saves tonnes of money and more water efficient that way.
I assume the tank is installed prior to the boiler?
How about turning the main water valve up a bit?
Brilliant !
that moment when your giant water tank turns into a little tiny one.
Where in the UK do you see 4 bar in the street?! Thames Water guarantee only 1 bar and can legally drop it to 0.85 without notice. It's so bad that they even dropped the requirement for a break tank....yes you can directly pump a TWA main!
I have a new problem after fitting a new kitchen sink mixer tap. The hot flow is extremely slow. I followed the fitting instructions to the T & the exchange was successful with the addition of a couple of stop taps & filters positioned correctly but as for the hot flow, well its just shocking. In fact when both hot & cold are on together its probably worse. Like Roger said in the video, is it just how new mixer taps are?
.A new faucet (a dual spray switch tap that allows to switch between a strong shower setting, and normal stream setting) is installed downstairs. Whenever the downstair neighbor switches to strong flow setting I hear a high pitched water stream noise in my kitchen. The below neighbor uses the high flow setting quite often in the day, and it affects my ears as I have an ear condition called tinnitus. But it's loud enough that even someone without tinnitus would find it annoying (the nails against chalkboard type of sound)..why the noise is coming,
Really appreciate any help, thank you!
Presumably, if you size the tank correctly so water isn't sitting for days, microbial growth isn't an issue, right?
It would be cheaper to retap the street main tap for 3/4” or, if permitted, 1”.
Thank you for you video's' my question is, can I have a unvented cylinder connected directly to my combi boiler to give me constant hot water just by opening the taps, without using a switch to wait for the cylinder to heat the water. If yes does it use a lot of electricity to work.
Thank you
My problem: in the upper floor of house, water comes well of the shower but barely a drop comes out of sink next to it in the same bathroom. Same for a second restroom in the same floor (Flow to toilet siphon is good but barely a drop coming off at the sink to wash hand!). Where could my problem be and I though may be air lock, thus several times cut the water from house main shut off valve in yard and re started with no avid.
Great piece of kit - but not cheap!!
Hi Richard, the unit comes in various sizes to suit the property/system. requirements and the price are reflective of the size of the unit and whether the unit is pumped or unpumped. Thanks.
Terrible piece of kit you mean....do your research
Being an Electrician, the analogy between Flow rate and Pressure is just like Current & voltage...funny that lol...
Mathematically sparks and plumbing engineering are the same. Just a bunch of particles (h2o or electrons) in a pipe/wire
Came across a job this week where a plumber/ kitchen fitted hadn't sealed the sink properly. A year later the rear panel under the sink is completely wet and the water has drawn up half way up the panel.
He has also fitted a 13amp double socket in this panel within inches of the waste pipes and connectors to the washing machine.
Am I right in thinking putting a live socket this close to the plumbing wasntnnot just a bad idea but dangerous?
The so called professional fitter is now ignoring the clients he took 27k from!
Being an elderly couple with one in ill health. I do feel sorry for them as this cowboy was happy to take their money then just walked away. Still claiming to be the 'best in England '
However when you want to check the air pressure vessel you do need to empty out ,
Hi Peter, to check the pre-charged pressure in the vessel, isolate the electrics and mains supply, empty the vessel and use a pressure gauge attached to the Schrader valve on top of the vessel. To check the current PSI inside the vessel, there would be no requirement to drain it down. Thanks.
That unpumped unit bladder will lose pressure over time. Does the unit have a Schrader valve and can it be repressured with a compressor and what is the pressure. Thanks Roger, I might pursue this.
Yes there is a schraeder valve on top and you can pump it up with a car footpump.
👍good deal 👌 thanks
Thanks for a great video. I have this exact problem (good pressure but dramatic drop off in flow when more than 1 tap turned on).
After doing some research I do wonder whether part of my problem is my pressure reduction valve. I have an outhouse tap that is not limited by the PRV and it’s pressure and flow is amazing! It seems PRVs are quite a varied beast, and different PRVs are required to achieve different flow rates at certain pressures
I guess you also need to think about devices that my limit flow - like an undersized condensing boiler.
I also wonder whether my DHW should have its own dedicated water supply from the incoming main taken off immediately after the PRV.
Hi Simon, you're absolutely right about outlets restricting the flow! As seen in the video the tap in the kitchen was limited to 22L/min, but when two taps were opened the combined water flow exceeded this giving a total of 30L/min.
Our technical team would be happy to discuss the options available to you, just send us an email at tech@salamanderpumps.co.uk - thanks!
You may not need the pump if you have good static pressure just an accumulator tank.
It’s what I have 3 bar static but poor mains flow.
Very good 👍
Thanks for you comment!
How do your easily measure pressure if you don't have an outside tap that readily fits the gauge? I would imagine it's difficult.
where do you buy that. product to measure the flow?
Will the old pipes not leak because of extra pressure?
They shouldn't leak
Why not just use a recirculating pump? You can also add a smart plug and tell “Alexia” to “turn up the water” and instant extra boost of water.
Interesting info thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
Thanks for your comment!
Great piece of kit. What do you think the life if the bladder will be, given the short life issues with the bladders in expansion vessels of unvented cylinders?
I am ot sure but the water is cold so maybe better than a central heating epdm membrane. Having said that, failure of the expansions vessel is often assumed and not confirmed, I have found many so called faulty ones perfectly ok. Sometimes it is just the schraer valve.
@@SkillBuilder I had one of these at my home in the US. We were on a well and had one of these systems to maintain pressure... The one I had was still running perfectly 10 years after installation.
Thank you for your comment. The AccuBoost accumulator has a “water on bag” type bladder so there is minimal stress applied to the bladder which means it should last a long time. In the unlikely event that there is a problem with the bladder, it is possible to replace the bladder.
@@SkillBuilder Hi, when you say the water is cold - how do you get hot water to the shower? Sorry if a stupid question.
I always wanted to be a plumber but then realised it was just a pipedream lol
Hey roger! Love your videos ! Just wondering what you would recommend for a house that has a decent flow rate and decent presssure…. But with a Harvey arc water softener which seems to completely sap all water pressure and flow rate. ( I had a big unvented cylinder and system boiler installed to avoid the rubbish shower when someone runs the kitchen tap like on our old combi system) and the water softener seems to have negated all my benefits !
My water softener did the same. It basically ran through washing machine valves and 15mm pipe work, with something like 8mm internal diamer washing machine hoses which saped the flow rate. I upgraded my 15mm to 22mm pipe work, full bore iso valves (instead of washing machine valves)and the largest diameter flexi hoses (tap tails) I could (22mm to 3/4 bsp, with something like 13mm diameter). Minimised 90 degree turns also. Now, no issues at all.
Have you completed the orangery project now Roger?
Almost. It needs a new floor and a bit of EWI
Hi there. I live in Los Angeles California. Can you recommend a plumber in my area who can install that unit for me. Currently I have Groundfos EZ boost in my house for very long time and that model was discontinued and I can’t find anyone to service the unit. I will love to replace the unit before it stops working completely. Thank you !
Surely more pressure will use more water , in times of water shortages is this a good idea ?
Have a shower of reduced duration
@@SkillBuilder Really, is that your reply 🤔