[Elfyn]

The water company has been working on the water supply in my area since the new year and the pressure has, since then, been very low. I've been waiting for the work to be finished hoping that the pressure will come back up to what it was before. I haven't seen any work going on for a few weels, but the pressure remains low. Since it takes about 10 hours to fil my 650ltr tank, I've finally decided to fit a booster pump, but I don't want to splash out on an expensive pump (and controller?) just in case the water comes back to the higher pressure. What would you guys do?

[Oliver @ GrippaTank]

Good Evening,

A few tips:

Before buying a booster pump Check your flow rate from the mains first as well - a booster pump could be damaged if your water company have reduced the flow rates as well as the pressure. If the flow rate is as low as well as the pressure being low, you may have to also install a header tank.

We would also recommend calling the water board to find out if the loss of flow / pressure is as result of the work mentioned and if that is likely to returned once the works are completed.

That being said, it would not be a waste of money to fit a booster pump, because unless you have 80-100psi coming from the mains plus high flow (combination of which is very rare) then having a booster pump will assist your ro membranes to work in a more efficient way.

Booster pumps are not just for speed of fill, that really is an added bonus - the main job (providing they are giving the correct flow and pressure) is to cause your system to work more efficiently.

Hope this helps - feel free to call us tomorrow to discuss.

[SB Cleaning]

I had the same in my area...

It was low for months and I was going through pre filters like the clappers the water quality was dire...eventually the pressure went back to normal..

Welsh water by any chance?

[Bungle]

My water pressure was 3 bar last August. The water board started digging pipes up and it went down to 2 bar. This week they've been digging again and it's gone down to 1 bar 

Welsh Water here.

[Bungle]

I had the same in my area...

It was low for months and I was going through pre filters like the clappers the water quality was dire...eventually the pressure went back to normal..

Welsh water by any chance?

What PPM does the water come out of your RO @SB Cleaning?

[SB Cleaning]

I had the same in my area...

It was low for months and I was going through pre filters like the clappers the water quality was dire...eventually the pressure went back to normal..

Welsh water by any chance?

What PPM does the water come out of your RO @SB Cleaning?

I changed my RO on Sunday it's 4ppm at the moment.

You down my neck of the woods now Bungle?

[duncan h]

its illegal to pump from the mains. Tank only

[Spruce]

its illegal to pump from the mains. Tank only

Generally, the regulations center around drawing more than 12LPM of water through a pipe rather than focusing on pressure. If it was illegal then all these Salamander pumps that are sold to boost water to shower heads and combi boilers would also be illegal. Salamander pumps and others advertise they boost household water pressure by 1.5 bar above current household water pressure so it appears some have mistaken this pressure as part of the regulations.

If you want to boost water to an open tap then it is very likely that the water limit would be exceeded and hence illegal if not used with a breaker tank.  (I'm referring to the booster pump that Gardiners sell as well as the one Machine Mart sell.)  But with a booster pump being used to boost the pressure for a 4040 setup correctly, I very much doubt that the 12LPM marker would be exceeded. (My 4040 produces 2LPM pure and virtual the same waste at 50psi. So I'm using around 4LPM of tap water. If I boost that I could get 4LPM of pure and 4LPM of waste, still well within the 12LPM limit.)
So when flushing the r/o it would be best practice to switch the booster pump off.

I guess its best to inquire directly from the water board that supplies water in that particular area as to how they enforce the regulations.

The only 'concern' I would envisage is noise. These booster pumps aren't silent. So it would be worth considering a suitable place to situate it so as not to attract attention or annoy the neighbours.

.

[Spruce]

Good Evening,

A few tips:

Before buying a booster pump Check your flow rate from the mains first as well - a booster pump could be damaged if your water company have reduced the flow rates as well as the pressure. If the flow rate is as low as well as the pressure being low, you may have to also install a header tank.

We would also recommend calling the water board to find out if the loss of flow / pressure is as result of the work mentioned and if that is likely to returned once the works are completed.

That being said, it would not be a waste of money to fit a booster pump, because unless you have 80-100psi coming from the mains plus high flow (combination of which is very rare) then having a booster pump will assist your ro membranes to work in a more efficient way.

Booster pumps are not just for speed of fill, that really is an added bonus - the main job (providing they are giving the correct flow and pressure) is to cause your system to work more efficiently.

Hope this helps - feel free to call us tomorrow to discuss.

Need to remortgage the house to afford some of those booster pumps.

[CleanClear]

Generally, the regulations center around drawing more than 12LPM of water through a pipe rather than focusing on pressure.

?

Water Regulations Advisory Scheme
https://www.wras.co.uk/plumbing_professionals/advice_for_plumbing_professionals/installation_faqs/

[CleanClear]

Oh...........

[CleanClear]

Looks like its a legal requirement to tell your water supplier when you install an RO too. Can of worms...........

[Spruce]

Nice job Cleanclear.

The only way using a booster on a single 4040 system would break the regulations was if it was left on when flushing imho.
So I wouldn't get the water board involved otherwise. As you say, it could be opening a can of worms. I wouldn't consider putting the house on one anyway, but rather just the r/o supply.

I try to run the r/o at night.  I've lost count of the number of times I've seen the water board out looking for leaks in the street.  My van isn't sign written and is reversed into the drive way 99% of the time.  I try to be cautious and keep a low profile.

The neighbours know what I do and I clean there houses. They know I use water but have no idea about what goes to waste. Keeping them sweet hopefully will deter anyone for causing an issue when there isn't one.

Not quite sure how a non return valve effects us. My supply is shut off with a solenoid valve when the tank is full. Others will just turn their tap off like I used to do, so I can't see any contaminates getting back into the water supply from our r/o.

.

[Spruce]

Looks like its a legal requirement to tell your water supplier when you install an RO too. Can of worms...........

Interesting about applying for permission to fit an r/o.  A bidet??

[Bungle]

I had the same in my area...

It was low for months and I was going through pre filters like the clappers the water quality was dire...eventually the pressure went back to normal..

Welsh water by any chance?

What PPM does the water come out of your RO @SB Cleaning?

I changed my RO on Sunday it's 4ppm at the moment.

You down my neck of the woods now Bungle?

Yes mate, I waved at you the other week 

What RO have you got? I've got an HF 5 4040 40"  had it since last September. Waste to pure is just over 1-1. Making about 1500 litres a week and the TDS out of the RO is 030PPM  from 007PPM when I got it. Surely an RO must last longer?