Shower water pressure!
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Discussion

zac510

Original Poster:

5,546 posts

237 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
quotequote all
Apologies for the serious off-topicness of this but we have a problem with our shower at home and I'm not a member of any plumbing forums.. smile
Over the last 12 months the water pressure has been getting progressively worse and now it's down to a almost a dribble. It's a rental place so I could call the landlord, but it's not yet stopping us from having a shower so I'm disinclined to call her just yet. I'm not even sure if 'st water pressure' is reasonable grounds to call the landlord?

What's the problem likely to be? Hot water pressure at the boiler is in the green zone. I've poked out all the little holes in the shower head. I suppose there's not much more I can do as a tenant.

I might test the flow rate - what should I expect it do be?

Cheers!

Technonotice

4,250 posts

222 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
quotequote all
faulty pump, my parents got a new pump installed and now is a pleasure to have shower whereas before a shower was like using a watering can.

hth

zac510

Original Poster:

5,546 posts

237 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
quotequote all
In the boiler? (It's a combi-boiler I forgot to add in the first post)

tvrbob

11,197 posts

286 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
quotequote all
This is more likely to be low flow rate which will in turn creates low pressure. Two sources of low flow, increased take off to other hot water users or a blockage somewhere prior to the shower. Are your other hot water outlets running at reduced pressure? Answering this question may lead you to the location of the blockage.

Cerbdog

2,372 posts

296 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
quotequote all
The 'green zone' gauge will probably be for the central heating, it's a charged diaphram, if it goes too low then the heating and hot water will cease to work until you charge it up again.

The reduction in pressure could be scale in the heat exchanger, or the incoming water is getting colder, of just the boiler going off the boil! Have you tried adjusting the water temp on the boiler?

Are the taps producing less hot water pressure? This might eliminate the actual shower valve being faulty if the taps are producing less hot water pressure than before.

zac510

Original Poster:

5,546 posts

237 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
quotequote all
Thanks, like most London places we get plenty of scale too. Can't say I've noticed the tap pressure dropping but you just don't demand high pressure from that like you do the shower. I'll run the eye-crometer over it later tonight smile

At what point do you think it is fair to call the landlord about a fix?

zac510

Original Poster:

5,546 posts

237 months

Thursday 21st August 2008
quotequote all
I just tested the kitchen hot water on full bore at about 9l/min, it seemed pretty brisk. How does that rate?