• Forum
• Gallery
• Shop
• Sponsors

↓ Advertise on Defender2 ↓

Home · FAQ · New Posts · My Posts · PMs · Search · Members · Map · Calendar · Profile · Donate · Register · Log In

Home > Off Topic > Poor flow from outside taps

Page 1 of 2 1 2 >

Print this entire topic ·

Joe the Plumber Member Since: 18 Dec 2013 Location: Midlands Posts: 910

Poor flow from outside taps I hope this will prove of interest to anyone having problems getting a decent flow rate from their outside tap, particularly if a pressure washer needs more flow than you're currently getting. The first thing to do is check how much flow you're getting from your kitchen sink tap. Time it filling a bucket of known capacity. 10 litres per minute would be okay, any less and the flow rate into the house may need looking at. This means checking if the stop taps outside and in the house are turned on enough. Fully on and half a turn back is what you need. If that doesn't improve things, ask your neighbours if they'd mind you checking their kitchen tap flow rate. If theirs is poor too, then chat to your water company. If the kitchen tap flow is okay, do the same check on your outside tap. If it's less, you need to investigate everything from where its feed leave your house mains pipe. Are there any isolator valves not fully open, is there a non-return valve that's sticking, is the tap itself faulty? Some DIY Shed outside tap kits come with a device that clamps around the mains pipe and cuts into it to make a small hole that then feeds a piece of garden hose connected to the tap. These are terrible, and if you've got one, it really needs to be replaced with a properly fed supply in 15mm copper (or ghastly push fit plastic if you really must). Outside ('bib') taps are easy to change. They simply unscrew from their wall fittings. However if the fitting is just sticking out of the wall and directly attached to a piece of copper pipe, you must make sure to support the fitting and on no account let the copper take any turning moment, or you'll have a much bigger problem. If all seems okay up to the tap, you can remove it and check the flow without it fitted. Be prepared to get wet! Of course this assumes you have an isolator valve fitted to the pipe to use. All outside taps should have double check valves fitted to comply with the water regulations. They can stick or become blocked, so check them too. For Walfy's query in the topic about pressure washers, with a tap so far from the house supply, there will be losses in the pipe to the tap. If the house supply is poor, you may need to run a larger bore pipe all the way along I'm afraid. I'd never heard of an IBC Unit before, but yes, a 'big tank' would do the trick if you have a suitable way to connect it to your machine. Just watch for the water stagnating though, and make sure the inlet valve has sufficient separation from the stored water. There's probably loads more to add, and this is certainly not meant to be a definitive guide, but I hope it's helpful.

25th Jan 2020 1:57pm

Sulisuli Member Since: 30 Oct 2016 Location: South west Posts: 4799	Some good pointers there  2015 HT XS 90 2008 SVX 90 2000 XS TD5 90
25th Jan 2020 2:07pm

Thon Member Since: 22 Nov 2015 Location: Salisbury Plain Posts: 696	Great info - thanks! I had a problem with a new tap on the outside of my workshop, which turned out to be the (new) non-return valve which had an "o" ring or seal that intermittently jammed it very nearly closed. Such a pain in the arse....
25th Jan 2020 9:23pm

VVS210 Member Since: 12 Nov 2016 Location: Hampshire Posts: 953

One of my old neighbours had a son who rode motocross bikes. He had a pressure washer that was plumbed into the bottom of a large plastic barrel which in turn was fed from his outside tap. No idea what the pressure washer was but effectivley it was taking its supply via what I guess was a gravity feed from the barrel which in turn was able to regulate the demand vs. supply from the mains? Hate to think how much water they got through as it was a 45 gallon sized plastic barrel

26th Jan 2020 12:03pm

Badger110 Member Since: 06 Feb 2018 Location: South hams Posts: 1039	Decent pressure washers have a gravity feed via an internal pump. Most B&Q jobbies couldn't do it
26th Jan 2020 7:59pm

walfy Member Since: 29 Aug 2007 Location: Frome Posts: 2672

Joe Many thanks for ypur ideas. I've looked at the pipework. I have 15mm dia pipework in the utility room, but where it T's off for the outside tap it goes down to 10mm so I think thats my problem. But the problem doesn't end there, the pipework is really neat and I have about 6 pipes running in parrallel with the tap feed coming off one of the internal pipes so no easy way to cut the pipework and insert a T of decent size. I might have to get a plumber typre person to come and sort it for me, at least they'll have the proper tools and an idea of what they are doing. An IBC is a big plastic tank that holds 1000L. Didn't give stagnation of the water a thought to be honest so might have to rethink that 110 D250 SE HT 110 USW SOLD RRE HSE Dynamic Gone, wife killed it VOLVO XC60 R Dynamic with some toys Polaris RZR 900XP SOLD

26th Jan 2020 9:23pm

Joe the Plumber Member Since: 18 Dec 2013 Location: Midlands Posts: 910

Thanks Walfy. The only other thing I can think of is if you can cap off the feed to the outside tap and run a new one from elsewhere on the mains pipe. 10mm pipe, run around the house, is rather unusual. I do have one customer with it, but that's in a really small place and I think it's not a brilliant idea. Could you have a new tap fitted elsewhere on your house and buy a longer hosepipe? This one is absolutely first class (we have one on our boat): https://www.screwfix.com/p/fitt-50m-heavy-.../6545j#_=p Sadly, you're rather a long way from me or I'd love to have a look at it for you.

27th Jan 2020 6:29am

walfy Member Since: 29 Aug 2007 Location: Frome Posts: 2672

Joe Here is my conundrum, the existing pipework is smaller dia to the rest of the pipework, it loks like the tap is on 15mm pipe where as the pipe that feeds it is 22mm. Tap feed is pipe on left Only other option is to T into the pipework elsewhere but it's all run very neatly and I can't see an easy way to tap in Click image to enlarge 110 D250 SE HT 110 USW SOLD RRE HSE Dynamic Gone, wife killed it VOLVO XC60 R Dynamic with some toys Polaris RZR 900XP SOLD

27th Jan 2020 6:08pm

Joe the Plumber Member Since: 18 Dec 2013 Location: Midlands Posts: 910	Hmm, normally 15mm pipe will deliver plenty of flow. It's not possible the tap pipe is tank fed is it? Can you show me the rest of the pipe to the tap, and the tap itself please? You could do with checking the 22mm pipe is in fact fed from the mains. I'm sure we'll be able to sort it out.
27th Jan 2020 6:48pm

the gamekeeper Member Since: 01 Jan 2010 Location: Surrey Posts: 96	If they have installed a ballofix to isolate, this may be restricting the flow, looking at the pipe work in the photos seems ok, like has been said more photos will confirm the possible restrictions
27th Jan 2020 7:00pm

landy andy Member Since: 15 Feb 2009 Location: Ware, Herts Posts: 5789

If you have poor water supply from your outside tap, the easiest way to check it is, turn off water remove outside tap (just unscrews) then turn on mains. If you still have poor flow you either have a valve that isn’t fully open somewhere in the system, or, and it’s very common, there is in the check valve. Personally I don’t fit taps with check valves as they cause too many problems due to being cheaply made. Like most things these days, you can’t even buy quality when you want it. If I had this as a “job” to go and sort I would buy a new outside tap (without check valve), turn off water and fit new tap. I would be very surprised if that didn’t sort it.

27th Jan 2020 7:41pm

Sulisuli Member Since: 30 Oct 2016 Location: South west Posts: 4799	^^^ All outside taps should have double check valves fitted to comply with the water regulations. Back siphoning is all to common a problem and that’s why double check valves are required. 2015 HT XS 90 2008 SVX 90 2000 XS TD5 90
27th Jan 2020 7:48pm

walfy Member Since: 29 Aug 2007 Location: Frome Posts: 2672

We live in a 17c cottage with a modern extension built 10yrs ago. The mains come into the house and everything is fed from there. We have no cold water tank. There is an isolator tap just out of view of the pic and then the outside tap. Will get some pics tomorrow when it's light 110 D250 SE HT 110 USW SOLD RRE HSE Dynamic Gone, wife killed it VOLVO XC60 R Dynamic with some toys Polaris RZR 900XP SOLD

27th Jan 2020 7:57pm

custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20576	Indeed, otherwise there is a back syphon and possible contamination of fresh water supply. On a similar subject when it to garden hoses, I have always found the Yellow Hozelock Ultimate hoses to be best. The green ones always rubbish, preferable without any joints or connectors in between. A 50M is perfect. KEEP CALM AND Drill ON 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪
27th Jan 2020 7:59pm

Joe the Plumber Member Since: 18 Dec 2013 Location: Midlands Posts: 910	I'll be most interested to see some more details tomorrow Walfy. Thank you. Incidentally, I only ever fit outside taps that are Water Regs compliant. The penalties for fitting those that aren't, if discovered, can be prohibitive. Last edited by Joe the Plumber on 27th Jan 2020 8:11pm. Edited 2 times in total
27th Jan 2020 8:03pm

Page 1 of 2 1 2 >

All times are GMT Jump to  Select a forum General Technical Maintenance & Modifications In Car Electronics Wheels & Tyres Tdi V8 Td5 Puma (Tdci) 130 BMW Engine Conversions Defender Celebration Series & Classic Works Series Land Rovers My Defender Spotted Events Pictures & Video Expedition & Overland Camping, Caravanning and Holidays Land Rover Customer Relations General & Technical (L663) Orders 2021MY (L663) Orders 2022MY (L663) Orders 2023/24MY (L663) Orders 2025MY Faults & Fixes (L663) Wheels & Tyres (L663) In Car Electronics (L663) My New Defender (L663) Modifications & Maintenance (L663) P400e Area (L663) V8 P525 Area (L663) Pictures & Video (L663) INEOS Grenadier Europe Australia & New Zealand Africa North America & Canada For Sale & Wanted For Sale & Wanted (L663) eBay & Bargain Spots Group Buys Dealership & Sponsor Feedback Finance & Insurance Stolen A-Plan Insurance Advanced Factors CSK Land Rovers Duckworth Parts Empire Tuning Other Site Sponsors Site News & Feedback Off Topic

<  Previous Topic | Next Topic >

Posting Rules You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum

Site Copyright © 2006-2025 Futuranet Ltd & Martin Lewis