Mains Cold Water Supply - Think I had a cowboy plumber at my house !

[IATM]

Hi Guys,

I have had various plumbing issues in my house after having a few plumbers in and I cant seem to find one who knows what they are doing or how to fix issues so I have decided to investigate them one by one and fix them myself or tell the plumber what to do.

Roughly a year agoI had a leak in the mains cold water supply tap/stopcock under the kitchen sink - this got worse and worse and eventually we have a plumber in to "fix" this - he spent 2 hours apparently fixing it but said we could not open it full as that was not a good idea/good practice ....

This "not a good idea" he fobbed my parents off with I realize now was proboably because if you turn the stopcock more than half approx it starts to leak which leads me to think he diddnt fix it properly as he should have done and took 300 quid off me for the pleasure of doing.

Can you correct me if I am wrong but I should have the ability to turn it full to benefit from the full mains pressure ( I think this is having an affect in the upstairs gravity fed system I have in the two bathrooms)

any links to quality stopcocks etc I can use to tell the plumber to fix and any other notes when fixing this issue.

I would be really grateful for any help as I just can't seem to find anyone who can say yes thats the issue this is what it will be to fix it 🙁

happy to provide pics if need be

Thanks

 

[acecharly]

If it was me there id change the stopcock for the price of the things anyway there only about £7 instantly rules out that being a problem but simply nipping it up will probably do the trick. Leaving the hot tap aside which can be more complicated, if the cold tap on the bath is running slow while the kitchen sink tap is good there must be something stopping the flow like a valve below the bath taps as the cold on the bath should be hardly any different to the kitchen. With regards to the hot pipe the main problem i can see is that both pipes running under your bath are 15mm where as the hot would be better suited to have a 22mm run. But first things first check behind that panel for those valves.

 

[jtsplumbing]

Looking at the pics again it looks like the up stairs is beeing fed by low pressure (2 x gate valves) these could be faulty ! replace these first !! Then it looks like new bath has been fitted ? if so then the 2 white pipes need to be 22mm up to the taps ! Shower should have its own seperate supply ! New electric shower connect to mains water ! But find out what the water pressure is in your house,! as you may need to fit a pressure reduceing valve, (Read instructions for new shower) any other service valves you fit need to be full bore, more so on low pressure systems.

 

[Will_D]

No one has asked "How is the cold water at the kitchen sink" This is fed from the mains via the suspect stop-cock and the non-return valve

If you are getting a good flow and pressure at the sink then the problem is not under the sink!

Hope this helps

Willl

 

[IATM]

Could I not run a set up similar to this?



I think I have this set up in the house and all I would need to do is get a surrey flange fitted for locked air and the pump. going to have a look tonight to establish exactly how the supply of water runs to the basin and toilet.... Not sure if they run off the two pipes in my pic doing to the tub but under the floorboards.

ps there has always been a bath in that place - it was changed 9 months ago when this "plumbing was done, prob to take into account different postion of taps

 

[IATM]

No one has asked "How is the cold water at the kitchen sink" This is fed from the mains via the suspect stop-cock and the non-return valve

If you are getting a good flow and pressure at the sink then the problem is not under the sink!

Hope this helps

Willl

Cold water at the kitchen sink is epic 🙂 if I turn the taps on full the pressure of the water makes a hollow drum sounds against the bottom of the sink and splashes me in the process lol - now I just need even half that upstairs LOL

 

[IATM]

this is what has been done under my tub - look ok to you? me is thinking maybe not .....



me thinks this sort of set up would seriously restrict flow to the shower outlet - is there not a better sort of Y connector to split off to the shower and taps or am I thinking this the wrong way?

 

[AWheating]

that pipework is very poorly fitted, the isolator will reduce flow to the shower as its not a full bore. your bath supplys should have isolators also and the flexis will also reduce flow rates and your bath should be fitting on some timber braces to stop it going through your chipboard floor.

i would have also have fitted timber battons around the walls to support the bath side 🙁........ so to sum it up your bathroom installer is a dix.

 

[IATM]

that pipework is very poorly fitted, the isolator will reduce flow to the shower as its not a full bore. your bath supplys should have isolators also and the flexis will also reduce flow rates and your bath should be fitting on some timber braces to stop it going through your chipboard floor.

I think you will be shocked at what my parents were charged to do this work by a different plumber...... to input that piping and take one up to the wall

..... 280 pounds

how should this be done and with parts - ill do it myself - if you have links to parts that would be useful - I am quite handy with most things and rather do it myself now.

ps, he is also the person who tore out three massive holes in my chipboard like the one u see in my picture - i suspect he done this to see where the pipes were going..... *rubbing head* at the madness

 

[AWheating]

first thing to do is wined the legs up on the bath and put some timber under them to support the bath on the weak floor.

slide some 4x2 if possible under the front legs and the back legs (so 2 bits of wood, 1 under the front legs, 1 under the back legs)

 

[Millsy 82]

this is what has been done under my tub - look ok to you? me is thinking maybe not .....

View attachment 7571

me thinks this sort of set up would seriously restrict flow to the shower outlet - is there not a better sort of Y connector to split off to the shower and taps or am I thinking this the wrong way?

The pipes are undersized off gravity you should have 22mm pipes going to the bath.

And also looking from the pipework chances are you have an AIRLOCK in it ( I did keep saying it earlier just to point out)

 

[AWheating]

good spot, undersized pipes also. I would ask for money back from the cowboy fitter.

 

[IATM]

The pipes are undersized off gravity you should have 22mm pipes going to the bath.

And also looking from the pipework chances are you have an AIRLOCK in it ( I did keep saying it earlier just to point out)

can I ask a silly question - the hot and cold run under th floorboard )the HW tank is literally half a meter away in the airing cupboard. the hot and cold run directly under the tub and come up via a 90 degree bend per pic on page 4 to take 2 reduced white pipes back to the other end of the tub where the taps are.

WHY DID THIS MUPPET NOT JUST TAKE IT FROM UNDER THE FLOORBOARD WHERE YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE PICTURE ON THIS PAGE -WOULD THIS NOT HELP THE FLOW INSTEAD OF THE WATER HAVING TO DO A MASSIVE U TURN BACK TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE ....

time for a twinnings tea - two tea bags lol

 

[Millsy 82]

can I ask a silly question - the hot and cold run under th floorboard )the HW tank is literally half a meter away in the airing cupboard. the hot and cold run directly under the tub and come up via a 90 degree bend per pic on page 4 to take 2 reduced white pipes back to the other end of the tub where the taps are.

WHY DID THIS MUPPET NOT JUST TAKE IT FROM UNDER THE FLOORBOARD WHERE YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE PICTURE ON THIS PAGE -WOULD THIS NOT HELP THE FLOW INSTEAD OF THE WATER HAVING TO DO A MASSIVE U TURN BACK TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE ....

time for a twinnings tea - two tea bags lol

I think you just answered your own question with muppet

 

[gavinwilson]

Probably wrong but shouldn't the feed to the bath be 22 mm pipe

sent from my annoying box

 

[AWheating]

looking at it the bathroom fitter probably cant solder/fit copper??

 

[IATM]

Probably wrong but shouldn't the feed to the bath be 22 mm pipe

sent from my annoying box

no you are correct - i thought the same and a few of the experts in this thread have thankfully confirmed and agree

 

[snowhead]

looking at it the bathroom fitter probably cant solder/fit copper??

Or fit solvent weld waste correctly.
Looks like he /she knows where the nearest Wickes / B&Q is tho'.

 

[IATM]

I want to fix this myself - I just can't trust anyone to do it and I can't afford to pay out hard earned cash to people who don't even have the passion or moral to do a fair job.

I just need to know what to do - i just need to figure out the set up and I'll be able to do it myself.

 

[WHPES]

If you fit a shower pump put part of a paving slab beside the base of your cylinder and stand the pump on it. Plumb the pump tails up with plastic pipe not copper.

From your last photo, the large white pipe I assume is a waste pipe has a crazy angle.

 

[Millsy 82]

I want to fix this myself - I just can't trust anyone to do it and I can't afford to pay out hard earned cash to people who don't even have the passion or moral to do a fair job.

I just need to know what to do - i just need to figure out the set up and I'll be able to do it myself.

HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Sorry for that ( Hopefully I have your attention) I have said time and time again try for an AIRLOCK AIRLOCK AIRLOCK ( I think 3 times is enough) I have been in this trade for 14 years and I was always taught start off with the easiest to solve but hey start changing everything else first if you want. Once you have tried that then start on other things