Pressure Question

[Plum Bob 66]

Hi

Attended emergency call out Friday night at 11.15pm. The customers kitchen, downstairs shower room were sodden with surface water. The water was clearly leaking through the downstairs shower room ceiling from the bathroom above. After looking upstairs it was clear the water had come from the vanity unit but all the pipe work was in good order and there was no leakage from the bath. The old lady was somewhat confused and said she had turned off the cold tap on the vanity unit. I did note the water pressure was very high. The basin was fitted with lever taps (possibly tap revivers, non ceramic).

Is it possible that water pressure could have turend this type of tap on and pushed it over the rim of the basin, if so it must have been happening for a good few hours to create such a flood downstairs.

Has any body come across this sort of thing before ??

Plum Bob

 

[wnjswozo]

yes that can happen,seen it in a old folks home,put inline pressure reducer on cold

 

[Puddle]

Could have been the cold tap on the vanity unit had not been turned off fully and it had leaked back down spout and down basin,have seen left like that for days until someone sees below,when customer checks and closed tap correctly,all was ok,this happened a lot with basin taps supplied in the ninties,with the sput end to shallow
All due respect but also you have to be carefull with older folk as sometimes they do things and do not like to admit it or realise it,have had a few floods/bad leaks from elderly people from up stairs flats ect,due to taps left on,with plugs in ect
It is also easy for confusion to set in,getting that way my self

If tap old lever type with large lifting washer thread,could be lifted by very high pressure,,if so maybe replace head with disc type.I have seen some with elastic bands between hot and cold to make sure kept closed,this is usually to stop them knocking them open though without realising

 

[Plum Bob 66]

Realy appreciate this because for a moment I thought i was going crackers here. The taps are the washer type, allthough she informed me they had only been in place for 6 months. I will suggets she changes them to ceramic 1/4 turns

Plum Bob

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

what sot of pressure are they on?

Did you see any water on the top of the basin?

 

[Plum Bob 66]

8 bar plus, yes water as arround theri of the basin, s its falling into place..

 

[Plumbstar Tom]

sounds like the mystery is solved #i too would advise to fit #PRV to about 2.5 and put some proper quarter turn lever taps on

 

[Plum Bob 66]

I think so, and will do. Thanks for the feedback gents.

Regards
Bob