Timeless Taps

by **jaffajenks** » Mon Mar 02, 2009 10:39 pm

Help, Just fitted a new bathroom suite in my parents house but the water flow from the baths tap is very weak, They are Timeless make from B&Q, the bath and sink taps look the same size (15MM) so I had to reduice the size of the bath supply from 22mm to 15mm using a flexihose. The old bath taps were 22mm and the water flow was pretty good, the house is around 30 years old and the supply to the upstairs bathroom is from a tank in the loft, Have I been given the wrong size bath taps???
Thanks :?: :?:

by **rosebery** » Tue Mar 03, 2009 12:50 am

I'll bet you have fitted 1/4 turn ceramic disk type taps. These are very restrictive and reduce your flow rate. Flexis also reduce flow rate as a 15mm to 1/2 inch flexi actually has a bore of about 8mm.

Bath taps should have a 3/4 inch tap connector - are you sure you didn;t use 22mm to 3/4 inch flexis on the bath taps? Have you fitted basin taps on the bath?

You've probably also fitted isolating valves in compliance with the Water Regulations but unless these are the "full bore" type then there is a further restriction on flow rate.

Cheers

by **Pamela Marchant-Ragan** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:04 pm

Did you ever resolve this? I've got exactly the same problem. Seems these taps are not suitable for a gravity feed - although it doesn't state that anywhere on the literature. I quoted misrepresentation and the Sale of Goods Act to B&Q - they have agreed to finance a warm water pump for me, but I'm having trouble locating one. If you haven't sorted it let me know and I'll drop you a line if I find one.

by **rosebery** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 11:04 am

"Did you ever resolve this? I've got exactly the same problem. Seems these taps are not suitable for a gravity feed - although it doesn't state that anywhere on the literature."

What is says on the website is "minimum working pressure 0.5 bar". If you don't have 0.5 bar thats your problem because you bought the wrong item frankly. If you have a CSWT in the roof you can calculate the static head (pressure) of your system by measuring the vertical distance (just roughly will do) between the level of water in the tank and the top of the tap in metres and multiply by 0.1. Its probably iro 0.2 - 0.25 bar.

The website says nothing about flow rate and thats the key issue because the tap still works although with much reduced and disappointing flow rate compared with the conventional tap you have replaced - particularly combined with other restrictive issues I have highlighted above.

"I quoted misrepresentation and the Sale of Goods Act to B&Q"

You are pushing your luck frankly as I do not think you will win UNLESS you can prove that a) they were missold on their advice b) the taps are not fit for purpose, c) that they were installed in such a way as there was no restriction to flow or d) that there has actually been misrepresentation in the literature.

"they have agreed to finance a warm water pump for me,"

which only goes to prove once again that 95% of people who work in the sheds on the floor haven't got the first idea! I suspect that once this gets up the management tree this offer wll vanish into thin air as I cannot see (from this distance) that they have any liability. If you've got a problem with the hot water the you also have a problem with the cold mehinks. So why consider just fitting a single ended pump, why not pump both?

"but I'm having trouble locating one."

Go for a low cost shower pump if its just for bathroom taps.

HTH

Cheers

by **plumbbob** » Sat Mar 28, 2009 9:14 pm

Salamander do single head pumps, but personally, I would not bother.

Get a refund if you can for the taps, junk the flexible pipes and fit proper low pressure taps with full bore feeds that will work at 0.1 bar.

I have to agree mostly with Rosebery, but sheds are pretty good if pushed.

by **Pamela Marchant-Ragan** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 11:03 pm

Interesting - I went into a bathrppm store on Friday, they confirmed what the problem was and sold me a 1.7 bar Salamander pump for £110 which they said was trade price.

The store manager at B&Q, with whom I had been dealing, kindly reimbursed me for the full amount once I had produced my invoice, as agreed. They will also pay for its installation upon receipt of invoice.

If it works, I'll be happy. In fact the bathroom store said I should be in a better position since the water pressure to the house, per se, is fanatastic and I should end up with a power shower in the en-suite too!

Happy days ...........

by **plumbbob** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 12:45 pm

Whoa, just hang on a sec. I am not sure who said you would end up with a power shower, but this is not going to be true. Fitting a pump to boost hot water pressure to sink taps is not going to make any difference to the shower because they have separate supplies. Well they should have anyway!

To boost the taps, a single impeller pump is needed in the hot supply somewhere after the expansion pipe connection. A shower needs a twin impeller pump installed in both the hot AND cold feeds to the shower. The hot connection is often from a Surrey or Ess ex flange fitted to the cylinder, or teed off the main feed before the expansion pipe.

As Rosebery says, " Which only goes to prove once again that 95% of people who work in the sheds on the floor haven't got the first idea!"

by **rosebery** » Mon Mar 30, 2009 9:14 pm

Congratulations - you've rolled over on B&Q big time!

Bob - quite. Next stop more "misrepresentation" because it won't provide a power shower?

Cheers