Advice on fitments and water pressure needed

[EmmaT]

Hi, We have just had a new bathroom fitted and we have lost virtually every ounce of water pressure on both hot and cold feeds on all new fitments. We are fed from a tank in the loft and have an external pressure tank in the airing cupboard.
The pressure was absolutlely fine before the work was carried out and taps that were not touched (in the downstairs loo) are still completely fine in terms of pressure and flow.
The plumber says the "had to" fit control valves and that we now have to have a pump (at extra expense) to fix the problem and wanted advise on if there are regulations in place meaning that they had to fit these control valves (meaning I have to pay extra for a pump) or if the control valves are removed then water pressure would go back to what it was previously.
Please help as currently it ould take about a week to get wet in the shower and takes over an hour to run a decent bath!!!

 

[Scott_1979]

By control valves do you mean service valves? You can get these full bore as in they don't reduce water pressure but are more expensive (less so than a pump). Also the only place you have to fit these in a bathroom is for the toilet cistern, everywhere else it's just best practice.

 

[Scott_D]

Are the new taps and shower suitable for low pressure (tank fed) systems?

 

[steadyon]

1. A "tank in the loft" sounds like a standard open vented hot water system.
2. As far as I'm aware there is no such thing as an "external pressure tank" in normal usage in domestic plumbing. You can get an unvented hot water system, but this is incompatible with a cold water storage cistern in the loft.
3. I suspect you have a standard unvented hot water system with cold water storage system in the loft and hot water cylinder in the airing cupboard. The following points assume this, and assume this was known to the plumber who did the work.
4. If, as Scott-1979 suggests, the "control" valves are actually isolating valves, then his advice is absolutely correct. I would expect the plumber to change the valves free of further charge.
5. If you have had high pressure taps fitted in the new bathroom, that would give you the symptoms you have.
5a. If the plumber suggested the taps, he should have known better and I would expect them to be changed for more suitable items at no additional cost for parts or labour. 5b. If you sourced the taps for him / her to fit, he / she should have advised you they were unsuitable, but I would still expect them to be changed at no labour cost.
6. If you decide to go for a pump, be aware that it will need it's own feeds from the cold and hot tanks. It would not be wise to pump the bath and / or wash basin taps unless you go for a "whole house" type of pump which can deal with only pumping hot or cold. Typically showers use both hot and cold at the same time.

 

[ShaunCorbs]

Sounds like you haven't got taps for low pressure ignore the ones that say there universal as there not

 

[Chalked]

Most taps these days are restricted to 6 lpm for basins, and 12-8 lpm for baths and showers.
They ar designed to do this with a decent water pressure. Unfortunately your system is not suitable for these. Even with modern low pressure taps, you will be disappointed.
I would bite the bullet and fit a negative head pump to feed you bathrooms.