Hello all, First time poster, so thank you in advance for your patience! As the title states, when I use the pressure washer (and at times just the hose) I get a lot of water from the overflow going into the neighbouring garden. The hose is connected to the kitchen tap which is a mixer tap which is run through the house to the garden, in an ideal world I would have an outside tap, but the kitchen is at the front of the house. What solutions can be recommend before I go and hire someone in to fix this, one option I have seen is to have a non return valve fitted to the hot water tap, would this be correct? Many thanks RS
Sounds like you have mains pressure cold and gravity fed hot? do you have an isolator valves on the kitchen tap? If so just close the hot one when using the pressure washer. If not then non return valve or fit isolators or fit outside tap
Hi Jon, I would need to check, but I will give you suggestion a go and see if there is a difference, the hot water taps definitely have a lower pressure than the cold. Fitting an outside tap would mean dragging the hose round even further and leaving the front door open, unfortunately not very practical or safe, wandering people and animals is an issue
Not the neatest solution, but can you get under the sink? If you can, then maybe fit a hose outlet to the cold feed and connect directly there.
Deffo back feeding on the hot. Against water byelaws and you risk contamination of yours and others on that water network. As above put tap under the sink
Hi Mike, yes I can, that is also a possibility, I do have a small downstairs toilet, would have to make some modifications but maybe more practical to fit a hose outlet there... or is it best from the kitchen sink?
As said - anywhere there is a mains feed is preferred. What is the water pressure like in the downstairs toilet? DO you know if it is mains or stored? You can use stored - although the flow rate will be a lot lower
Thanks Mike, the toilet flushes pretty strongly! Not sure but by the looks of this diagram: This is what I have, found this on https://www.mirashowers.co.uk/support/how-to-identify-your-water-system/ Many thanks RS
It is not how te WC flushes but how fast it refills the cistern. They can be from mains or stored. The diagam will help you understand but you need to find out how your house is plumbed. That, for example shows just teh kitchen sink on mains water, and nothing else on te ground floor, however if you have a cloakroom, it is possible that the plumbing there will be direct. Do you know where you main stop tap is? If so, turn it OFF, run te kitchen cold and there should be no water flow. Then flush the downstairs WC, does it refill? If yes, it is stored water, if not, mains. Similarly with the local basin, does the cold still run?
Thanks Mike, checked and it is a mains system, so will look at getting someone into fit a garden tap to the toilet basin Thanks all for your help.
Hi Mike, Though I have replaced taps, I would be wary of cutting pipes! I'd did look at a couple of videos and not ashamed to admit its beyond my skill set
Just remember, it’s easy when you know how. But then we know what possible problems there might be and what to do if they doo happen.
At least you now have a better knowledge and understanding that will allow you to question a potential tradesman.