Drinking Water Issues

[aes0427]

Hi folks,

I have had a few plumbing disasters recently (including changing a radiator & valves without draining a pressurised system!) so thought I better seek some advice on this. We have recently moved into a new house which has a water tank and an F&E tank. both of which have lagging jackets on them. However, the quality of the drinking water is pretty poor. It tastes metallic and lukewarm, never cold. Our previous house (less than quarter of a mile away) had no water tank and the water was so cold and very tasty! Can anyone offer up some form of solution? The practicalities of a Brita style filter jug in the fridge are not practical I'm afraid.

Thanks in anticipation.

 

[Dotty]

Assuming you're using the kitchen tap, what kind of pressure you got on the cold?

 

[aes0427]

Oh I should have added our new house is just under 20 years old - if that makes a difference to the plumbing layout etc.

 

[aes0427]

Erm the pressure seems ok on the cold taps - not thunderous but sufficient I think. Although the pressure for the outdoor tap for the garden hose etc is dire.

 

[Chris F]

It should have nothing to do with your tanks. Is it the water from the kitchen tap? That should be fed from the main regardless of you having an indirect cold water supply. If you have got indirect and your drinking out of the basin taps it won't be as good.

 

[plumben]

although your kitchen tap should be off the main ive seen a few that arnt

I had this problem in my house so ended up fitting a water filter and separate drinking tap, however was partially to benefit replenishing aquarium tank water,

if you get up into the loft have a look with a torch what the inside of the tank looks like and feel if its warm

 

[aes0427]

So my cold kitchen tap is mains fed (or should be)? Are the rest of the cold taps the same? As opposed to being indirect through the cold tank. I will have a look up in the loft although when I went up previously it was somewhat tropical in climate which may explain a lot.

 

[Chris F]

Usually the whole of the cold side is mains fed although I have seen some wierd and wonderful arrangements. But worst case is whole house on gravity (never seen it) next is main to the kitchen rest of the house from tanks.

 

[Mike Jackson]

Usually the whole of the cold side is mains fed although I have seen some wierd and wonderful arrangements. But worst case is whole house on gravity (never seen it) next is main to the kitchen rest of the house from tanks.

Completely depends on the area you're in. Some areas are predominantly cold mains throughout the property whilst others will have a cold main feed to the kitchen tap and cistern fed to all other outlets.

Historically all of the outlets in a property, including the kitchen tap, would have been fed from a cold water storage cistern located. This was because of a limited supply so a cistern large enough to supply a whole days water was located in the roof space and this would slowly fill overnight when the demand on the main was less. As water supplies improved the kitchen tap began to be taken straight from the cold main as ii was a more hygienic supply. In some areas the whole house began to be fed from the main to lessen the amount of cold water storage required. Generally meaning a 25 gallon cistern could be used instead of a 50 gallon one.

 

[aes0427]

Thank you all for the advice thus far. I have a feeling all the water taps in the house are fed from the water cistern. I turned off what I think was the mains water supply - cold water still flowed at the taps. I then went up into the loft and turned off the stopcocks from the tank, this stopped the flow of water. I think I will have to call a local plumber to come in and fix it - if 'fixing it' is an option.