Higher water pressure in your street?

[louisiana]

Has anyone else experienced problems with substantially increased water pressure and consequent leaks? (in the last 9-18 months or so)

If so, what road are you in? And around when do you think it started, roughly?

I've suddenly had a number of leaks into my property for no apparent reason, some of which have been very damaging; the water is often incredibly noisy in the pipes now (sounds like an industrial installation); the water pressure is clearly way higher than it used to be; and one of my neighbours on the same side of the road (so at the same elevation) has mentioned that Thames Water has increased water pressure and they (the neighbours) are having serious problems (and were considering installing some kind of flow limiter).

(Apparently this has happened elsewhere in London also, with TW ending up paying compensation for damage caused, so I'm just checking around before writing to TW.)

Feel free to PM me

[ClareC]

I wish mine was increased! Its rubbish in Goodrich!

[thebeard]

I wish I had higher pressure.

I would happily fit a pressure regulator on the mains and replace fittings at my own cost rather than suffer from the pathetic pressure I have!

[Gerrard]

I have noticed that over the past six months, we have substantially lower water pressure in East Dulwich Road... If only we could come to some sort of trade off agreement, Louisiana!

[Huguenot]

You can get a plumber to check pressure - there are fixed limits.

If it exceeds those limits then you're entitled to compensation etc.

[ClareC]

Redirect it my way ;-)

[dbboy]

Just off Forest Hill Road, I suffer from water pressure fluctuations courtesy of Thames Water on my cold water kitchen tap. A few months ago it subsided but has again restarted. I don't know what causes Thames Water to continually mess about with the pressure, Its extremly fustrating.

[kford]

Turn down your main stopcock. That might ease the flow.

[Ace77]

About 2 weeks ago water started steadily dripping through the over flow pipe in my lofts water tank. Could this be connected?

[louisiana]

kfrd, unfortuantely it's not my mains stopcock that can affect this, as the issue is with water leaks into mine from surrounding properties. (I've had just about all my pipework replaced recently, but I have a number of pipes going though my property to neighbours, and then there are their appliances and taps etc beyond.)

The neighbour concerned with my building's problem has spoken to plumber who thinks that all the problems we are experiencing are down to raised/erratic pressure, but I'm not sure that I can force this neighbour to do something about what is essentially a TW problem. (And there's another building in the same situation two doors down with same issues.)

Last night the pressure suddenly went up at around 1.20am, sounded like a factory with all the pipes passing though my place making strange noises...

[louisiana]

thebeard Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I wish I had higher pressure.

>

>

> I would happily fit a pressure regulator on the

> mains and replace fittings at my own cost rather

> than suffer from the pathetic pressure I have!

Unfortunately fitting a pressure regulator on my own property won't fix the problem. It's the leaks and noise from other properties that's the problem. All my fittings etc are practically brand new and haven't had any problems.

[thebeard]

Ace77 Wrote:

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> About 2 weeks ago water started steadily dripping

> through the over flow pipe in my lofts water tank.

> Could this be connected?

Possibly

But you will need a new valve.

[thebeard]

louisiana Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> thebeard Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I wish I had higher pressure.

> >

> >

> > I would happily fit a pressure regulator on the

> > mains and replace fittings at my own cost

> rather

> > than suffer from the pathetic pressure I have!

>

> Unfortunately fitting a pressure regulator on my

> own property won't fix the problem. It's the leaks

> and noise from other properties that's the

> problem. All my fittings etc are practically brand

> new and haven't had any problems.

You shouldn't have anyone else?s pipes going through your property even if it?s a flat the mains should be routed through common areas only.

A pressure regulator on your neighbours will stop the clanging problems caused by incorrectly installed pipes ? they should have been fixed in place with clips.?

[louisiana]

thebeard Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> louisiana Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > thebeard Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> > -----

> > > I wish I had higher pressure.

> > >

> > >

> > > I would happily fit a pressure regulator on

> the

> > > mains and replace fittings at my own cost

> > rather

> > > than suffer from the pathetic pressure I

> have!

> >

> > Unfortunately fitting a pressure regulator on

> my

> > own property won't fix the problem. It's the

> leaks

> > and noise from other properties that's the

> > problem. All my fittings etc are practically

> brand

> > new and haven't had any problems.

>

> You shouldn't have anyone else?s pipes going

> through your property even if it?s a flat the

> mains should be routed through common areas only.

I have several, of varying ages. There are no 'common areas' (other than outdoors).

Can you point to anywhere vaguely official that says this?

>

> A pressure regulator on your neighbours will stop

> the clanging problems caused by incorrectly

> installed pipes ? they should have been fixed in

> place with clips.?

It's not actually clanging of pipes, it's a kind of 'I've switched on the engine of this aircraft' industrial hum and pervades the whole flat (although clearly caused by the pipes)

[Penguin68]

Ace77 wrote:-

About 2 weeks ago water started steadily dripping through the over flow pipe in my lofts water tank. Could this be connected?

This could be being exacerbated by high pressure, but it is most likely a function of a failing ball valve (or other type of valve depending on what is installed). You probably have two tanks in your loft, a water tank fed by the mains that then distributes cold water to upstairs taps, loo etc. and an expansion tank for central heating.

In either case you need to get this sorted, and particularly before any chance of winter frost. Whatever the pressure now, once the valve fails to stop water entering the tank once a set level is reached you have a problem. It may be simple to solve - sometimes debris can be blown into pipes when a water main is breached (for instance) and this debris can be jamming the valve - clear the debris and the valve will work again. Or the valve may have failed.

Either which way, this is a job for a plumber or competent DIYer.

[thebeard]

? louisiana Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

>Can you point to anywhere vaguely official that says this?

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/industry/wsregs99/index.htm

>It's not actually clanging of pipes, it's a kind of 'I've switched on the engine of this >aircraft' industrial hum and pervades the whole flat (although clearly caused by the >pipes)

Sounds like major pipe and flat, surgery would be required.

[louisiana]

thebeard Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> ? louisiana Wrote:

> >

> --------------------------------------------------

>

> >Can you point to anywhere vaguely official that

> says this?

>

>

>

> http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/water/industry

> /wsregs99/index.htm

Thanks for this, useful, but I can't see anything there or on any of the links there, that says anything about any of those regulations applying retrospectively (or indeed anything about anything to do with flats)

Have I missed something?

Or maybe I should just contact the TW people responsible for dealing with the Regs?

[thebeard]

louisiana Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Thanks for this, useful, but I can't see anything

> there or on any of the links there, that says

> anything about any of those regulations applying

> retrospectively (or indeed anything about anything

> to do with flats)

> Have I missed something?

> Or maybe I should just contact the TW people

> responsible for dealing with the Regs?

As it appears the pipes have been there for many years ie since conversion, I doubt you can do anything, unless you and your neighbours refurbish and re run them.

TW won?t be interested past the mains feed upto your boundry on the pavement.

[newsummer]

Seriously i would not complain having a higher pressure... we cannot even use one of our showers because of the low pressure on upland road

[louisiana]

newsummer, if you had one water leak (from another property) after another literally flooding your property, you might thing differently. I've actually had steam rising from my walls when the neighbour's boiler exploded, just one of many "events" involving cascading water. Draping your rooms in plastic sheeting is not an answer.