How to balance water pressure in taps

BobbyJoe · Oct 22, 2023

Hi everyone,

Gas combi Boiler
Mains fed in all taps and shower

How do I balance the water pressure in all faucets in my flat. Every tap/water faucet is mains fed but the cold water is really strong in every tap that if I open the tap fully it flies out like a fountain but the hot water is not as much.

Can a PRV help in these situations as I want equal pressure in taps and if it is a PRV I need then where should it be placed thanks.

Marcin · Nov 28, 2023

I'm not a plumber - yet.

PRV (Pressure Relieving Valve) by the design is an emergency feature - once the line pressure reaches/exceeds a certain value, it just temporarily opens up and relieves the pipe, tank, etc.

The simplest solution under the ..sink is to use the isolation valves - ensure that the hot has full bore valve (e.g. Made4Trade Full Bore Isolating Valve CP - https://www.toolstation.com/made4trade-full-bore-isolating-valve-cp/p77164 - leave it fully open, but on the cold pipe - just block the flow by slightly closing the valve.

The only problem with my idea is that it will be noisy: you will hear restricted flow.

Before you head straight on to Toolstation - google also: Flow Control Valves (FCV) e.g: https://www.robertpearson.co.uk/robertpearson/images/2019/inlineflow/rp-iso_v2.pdf

Ben-gee · Nov 28, 2023

Marcin whilst your understanding of a pressure relief valve is very good - you have fallen into the trap created by PRV also refers to a Pressure Reducing Valve !
Yes I know this is an annoying situation, but somehow it’s where we ended up. You can often guess which one someone means from the context- but it’s worth confirming this before you turn up to a job with wrong one.

BobbyJoe the pressure reducing valve should normally be fitted where the mains enters your property so that it affects all outlets equally - then you only need the one prv.

However depending upon the actual mains pressure and flow rate that you have, your problem may be better solved with individual flow control valves fitted in the cold feed pipework to each tap (such as those suggested by Marcin above).

Get a plumber in to assess the situation.