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Joe the Plumber



Member Since: 18 Dec 2013
Location: Midlands
Posts: 906

2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 HT Fuji White
Poor flow from outside taps
I hope this will prove of interest to anyone having problems getting a decent flow rate from their outside tap, particularly if a pressure washer needs more flow than you're currently getting.

The first thing to do is check how much flow you're getting from your kitchen sink tap.

Time it filling a bucket of known capacity. 10 litres per minute would be okay, any less and the flow rate into the house may need looking at. This means checking if the stop taps outside and in the house are turned on enough. Fully on and half a turn back is what you need.

If that doesn't improve things, ask your neighbours if they'd mind you checking their kitchen tap flow rate. If theirs is poor too, then chat to your water company.

If the kitchen tap flow is okay, do the same check on your outside tap. If it's less, you need to investigate everything from where its feed leave your house mains pipe. Are there any isolator valves not fully open, is there a non-return valve that's sticking, is the tap itself faulty?

Some DIY Shed outside tap kits come with a device that clamps around the mains pipe and cuts into it to make a small hole that then feeds a piece of garden hose connected to the tap. These are terrible, and if you've got one, it really needs to be replaced with a properly fed supply in 15mm copper (or ghastly push fit plastic if you really must).

Outside ('bib') taps are easy to change. They simply unscrew from their wall fittings. However if the fitting is just sticking out of the wall and directly attached to a piece of copper pipe, you must make sure to support the fitting and on no account let the copper take any turning moment, or you'll have a much bigger problem.

If all seems okay up to the tap, you can remove it and check the flow without it fitted. Be prepared to get wet! Of course this assumes you have an isolator valve fitted to the pipe to use. All outside taps should have double check valves fitted to comply with the water regulations. They can stick or become blocked, so check them too.

For Walfy's query in the topic about pressure washers, with a tap so far from the house supply, there will be losses in the pipe to the tap. If the house supply is poor, you may need to run a larger bore pipe all the way along I'm afraid.

I'd never heard of an IBC Unit before, but yes, a 'big tank' would do the trick if you have a suitable way to connect it to your machine. Just watch for the water stagnating though, and make sure the inlet valve has sufficient separation from the stored water.

There's probably loads more to add, and this is certainly not meant to be a definitive guide, but I hope it's helpful.
Post #811885 25th Jan 2020 1:57pm
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Sulisuli



Member Since: 30 Oct 2016
Location: South west
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United Kingdom 2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
Some good pointers there Thumbs Up 2015 HT XS 90
2008 SVX 90
2000 XS TD5 90
Post #811887 25th Jan 2020 2:07pm
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Thon



Member Since: 22 Nov 2015
Location: Salisbury Plain
Posts: 696

United Kingdom 
Great info - thanks!

I had a problem with a new tap on the outside of my workshop, which turned out to be the (new) non-return valve which had an "o" ring or seal that intermittently jammed it very nearly closed. Such a pain in the arse....
Post #811974 25th Jan 2020 9:23pm
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VVS210



Member Since: 12 Nov 2016
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 946

United Kingdom 
One of my old neighbours had a son who rode motocross bikes. He had a pressure washer that was plumbed into the bottom of a large plastic barrel which in turn was fed from his outside tap. No idea what the pressure washer was but effectivley it was taking its supply via what I guess was a gravity feed from the barrel which in turn was able to regulate the demand vs. supply from the mains? Hate to think how much water they got through as it was a 45 gallon sized plastic barrel Shocked
Post #812037 26th Jan 2020 12:03pm
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Badger110



Member Since: 06 Feb 2018
Location: South hams
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Decent pressure washers have a gravity feed via an internal pump.

Most B&Q jobbies couldn't do it
Post #812090 26th Jan 2020 7:59pm
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walfy



Member Since: 29 Aug 2007
Location: Frome
Posts: 2637

 
Joe

Many thanks for ypur ideas. I've looked at the pipework. I have 15mm dia pipework in the utility room, but where it T's off for the outside tap it goes down to 10mm so I think thats my problem.
But the problem doesn't end there, the pipework is really neat and I have about 6 pipes running in parrallel with the tap feed coming off one of the internal pipes so no easy way to cut the pipework and insert a T of decent size.

I might have to get a plumber typre person to come and sort it for me, at least they'll have the proper tools and an idea of what they are doing.

An IBC is a big plastic tank that holds 1000L. Didn't give stagnation of the water a thought to be honest so might have to rethink that 110 D250 SE HT
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Post #812099 26th Jan 2020 9:23pm
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Joe the Plumber



Member Since: 18 Dec 2013
Location: Midlands
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2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 HT Fuji White
Thanks Walfy. The only other thing I can think of is if you can cap off the feed to the outside tap and run a new one from elsewhere on the mains pipe. 10mm pipe, run around the house, is rather unusual. I do have one customer with it, but that's in a really small place and I think it's not a brilliant idea.

Could you have a new tap fitted elsewhere on your house and buy a longer hosepipe? This one is absolutely first class (we have one on our boat):

https://www.screwfix.com/p/fitt-50m-heavy-.../6545j#_=p

Sadly, you're rather a long way from me or I'd love to have a look at it for you.
Post #812123 27th Jan 2020 6:29am
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walfy



Member Since: 29 Aug 2007
Location: Frome
Posts: 2637

 
Joe

Here is my conundrum, the existing pipework is smaller dia to the rest of the pipework, it loks like the tap is on 15mm pipe where as the pipe that feeds it is 22mm.

Tap feed is pipe on left




Only other option is to T into the pipework elsewhere but it's all run very neatly and I can't see an easy way to tap in



Click image to enlarge
 110 D250 SE HT
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Post #812191 27th Jan 2020 6:08pm
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Joe the Plumber



Member Since: 18 Dec 2013
Location: Midlands
Posts: 906

2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 HT Fuji White
Hmm, normally 15mm pipe will deliver plenty of flow. It's not possible the tap pipe is tank fed is it?

Can you show me the rest of the pipe to the tap, and the tap itself please?

You could do with checking the 22mm pipe is in fact fed from the mains.

I'm sure we'll be able to sort it out.
Post #812199 27th Jan 2020 6:48pm
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the gamekeeper



Member Since: 01 Jan 2010
Location: Surrey
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England 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Tonga Green
If they have installed a ballofix to isolate, this may be restricting the flow, looking at the pipe work in the photos seems ok, like has been said more photos will confirm the possible restrictions
Post #812201 27th Jan 2020 7:00pm
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landy andy



Member Since: 15 Feb 2009
Location: Ware, Herts
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2006 Defender 110 Td5 USW Zermatt Silver
If you have poor water supply from your outside tap, the easiest way to check it is, turn off water remove outside tap (just unscrews) then turn on mains.

If you still have poor flow you either have a valve that isn’t fully open somewhere in the system, or, and it’s very common, there is Censored in the check valve. Personally I don’t fit taps with check valves as they cause too many problems due to being cheaply made. Like most things these days, you can’t even buy quality when you want it.

If I had this as a “job” to go and sort I would buy a new outside tap (without check valve), turn off water and fit new tap. I would be very surprised if that didn’t sort it.
Post #812212 27th Jan 2020 7:41pm
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Sulisuli



Member Since: 30 Oct 2016
Location: South west
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United Kingdom 2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
^^^
All outside taps should have double check valves fitted to comply with the water regulations. Shocked

Back siphoning is all to common a problem and that’s why double check valves are required. 2015 HT XS 90
2008 SVX 90
2000 XS TD5 90
Post #812214 27th Jan 2020 7:48pm
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walfy



Member Since: 29 Aug 2007
Location: Frome
Posts: 2637

 
We live in a 17c cottage with a modern extension built 10yrs ago. The mains come into the house and everything is fed from there. We have no cold water tank. There is an isolator tap just out of view of the pic and then the outside tap. Will get some pics tomorrow when it's light 110 D250 SE HT
110 USW SOLD
RRE HSE Dynamic Gone, wife killed it
VOLVO XC60 R Dynamic with some toys

Polaris RZR 900XP SOLD
Post #812219 27th Jan 2020 7:57pm
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
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Indeed, otherwise there is a back syphon and possible contamination of fresh water supply. Shocked

On a similar subject when it to garden hoses, I have always found the Yellow Hozelock Ultimate hoses to be best.
The green ones always rubbish, preferable without any joints or connectors in between. A 50M is perfect. Diesels Lives Matter. ⛽️🛢️👨‍🔧🧰⚙️
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Post #812221 27th Jan 2020 7:59pm
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Joe the Plumber



Member Since: 18 Dec 2013
Location: Midlands
Posts: 906

2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 HT Fuji White
I'll be most interested to see some more details tomorrow Walfy. Thank you.

Incidentally, I only ever fit outside taps that are Water Regs compliant. The penalties for fitting those that aren't, if discovered, can be prohibitive.


Last edited by Joe the Plumber on 27th Jan 2020 8:11pm. Edited 2 times in total
Post #812223 27th Jan 2020 8:03pm
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