Low Water Pressure From Bungalow Ground Floor Immersion Tank All aspects of plumbing questions and answers, help, tips and information

[Whitey1974]

I live in a bungalow and have immersion tank for my hot water. it is situated in cupboard on the ground floor. I do not have a header tank in my attic, simply fed buy the cold water feed into the bungalow and thus runs off of the mains water pressure. The cold water pressure in the bungalow is fine but the hot water pressure is rubbish (trickle at best). Would it be best if I put the immersion tank in the attic or should I put a circulation pump in the long feed (Dead feed) somewhere? I notice that mosts pumps use 1KW per hour to run, is this only when the tap is turned on? Should i test the cold water pressure before i go down the route of putting the immersion tank in the attic. Can't work out which route to take as was hoping for some help. Regards Adam

[Barbastelle]

Before you start doing alterations to your plumbing, although you probably have fixed the issue by now by the date of posting.
You do not say how long the hot water tank has been last inspected for limescale if in a hard water area.
The hot water cylinder it appears is fed by an (electric) immersion heater that is screwed into the top of the tank. This heater will get very hot and produce much limescale in chalky areas. This limescale can also build up around the top of the tank where the hot water outlet is fitted taking hot water to the taps.
First off I would check that this 22mm or 28mm pipe which will most likely be 22mm is not filling up with limescale within six inches of the tank and so reducing the flow to the taps.
If this is clear - you can first remove the heater element from the tank and have a feel around with your hands or if possible a torch or ask a child (only when tank is cold) to see if limescale is in outlet pipe before dismantling the pipe.

You may find the tank is half full of limescale that has fallern off the element. This can be removed with a wet and dry vacuum to lengthen life of the tank. Takes 2 hours to vacuum half tank of limescale.
The immersion MUST be connected directly to the consumer box (fuse box) and not in the ring main as used to be the case.