Violations of rights in the housing sector are common. One of them is a violation of the normative water pressure in the water supply network in the apartment. This refers to both cold water and hot. The consequences of the mismatch can be very different: from small leaks or damage to plumbing to the inability, for example, to take a shower.
Consequences of deviation of water pressure in the water supply from standard characteristics
A decrease or increase in water pressure leads to big trouble associated with the technical equipment of urban apartments.
- High pressure destroys shutoff valves: valves, gate valves.
- Household appliances, water meters fail.
- If the water pressure decreases, some types of household appliances do not turn on, for example, a washing machine or dishwasher.
- Plumbing, which requires increased drainage, will not work. For example, boilers, toilets and more.
The main nuisance is the inconvenience associated with the use of plumbing for hygiene purposes. This is mainly due to a decrease in pressure. With low pressure, showering is not possible.
Minimum pressure indicators for some types of plumbing fixtures:
- the mixer installed on a sink in a bathroom or a sink in the kitchen - 0.2 atm .;
- the mixer installed on a bathtub or in a shower cabin - 0,3 atmospheres;
- toilet bowl, or rather its flushing tank - not lower than 0.2 atm .;
- bidet - the pressure should be not less than 0.3 atm .;
- washing machine - within 2 atm .;
- dishwasher - 1.5 atm .;
- if a heating boiler is used in the house, which provides the heating system and hot water supply with hot water, the pressure in the water supply should not be lower than 1.5 atm .;
- for a hydromassage or a jacuzzi a pressure of at least 4 atm is required.
The latest plumbing fixtures are rarely found in multi-storey buildings, therefore, when calculating the pressure in the water pipes in apartments, they can be neglected. But if the installation of such plumbing is planned, you will have to consider this parameter. If the actual pressure in the pipes is low, you will have to consider a way to increase the pressure. The easiest option is to install the pump.
In suburban areas, an irrigation system is necessarily formed. Water in it should have a pressure of at least 3.5 atm.
Norms on Construction Norms and Regulations
Water supply networks are designed on the basis of SNiP under the number 2.04.2-84, which clearly regulates the standards for supplying water to apartments. This document sets out what should be the water pressure in the water supply system of apartment buildings and private buildings.
The SNiP indicates that the pressure inside the water pipes should not be less than 1 bar. This is an atmospheric unit of measurement that determines the pressure equal to 10 m water column - at this pressure the water rises to a ten-meter height.
Since apartment buildings and private houses belong to different categories, the regulations in them are slightly different from each other.
- On the ground floor of an apartment building, the water pressure should be 1 bar. With an increase in the number of storeys at each level, an increase of 0.4 bar should be made. That is, at 4 m. For example, if the house is five floors, the calculation is as follows: 10+ (4x5) = 30 m or 3 bar.
- In a private house, the height of which does not exceed 3 floors (this is 10 m), the pressure in the water supply should be 1 bar.If the number of storeys is higher than this indicator, the water pressure increases to 2 bar.
In legislative documents, regulations are spelled out precisely. They differ greatly from the passport indicators of plumbing fixtures. Cold water should enter the apartment with a pressure of 0.3-6.0 atm. Hot water should be supplied with a pressure of 0.3-4.5 atm. These options are extreme.
If the pressure inside the water pipe deviates in one direction or another, this is considered a violation of the law, and residents of a multi-storey building can file a complaint with the management company. Based on the checks, a recalculation for the consumption of hot and cold water can be achieved.
The method of lowering or raising water in the water supply
Experts say that the minimum level of water pressure in the water supply network of multi-storey buildings should not be lower than 2 atm, and the maximum should not exceed 4 atm. This plug is sufficient for the normal operation of plumbing fixtures and the creation of favorable conditions for water procedures.
If there are violations in the direction of increasing pressure, that is, there is a high probability of failure of the plumbing fixtures, this problem can be solved by installing such a device as a pressure reducer (regulator). It is mounted at the entrance of the water pipe to the apartment in front of the water meter, but after the shut-off valve or gate valve.
To increase the pressure, you can use household pumps of small capacity. These are compact devices that operate on a 220 V network. The power of the unit is selected according to the number of consumers.
Water head in an autonomous water supply system
There are two problems in the autonomous water supply system of a private house. The first is raising the fluid from the depths. The second is the provision of water not only at home, but also on distant sections of the local area. Therefore, it is very important to choose the right pumping equipment with which water is pumped. But in this case, in addition to pressure, it is necessary to take into account the pump performance - the amount of water pumped per unit time.
The optimum operating mode of the pump is 4 atm. If the area around the house is large enough, and the house itself is built on several floors, where a large number of plumbing fixtures are installed, it is recommended that pump equipment be selected for at least 6 atm pressure.
Water pressure in apartment water supply
The easiest way to determine the pressure in the water pipe is to fill a liter jar by opening the faucet as much as possible, for example, at a sink in the kitchen. Typically, this container at normal pressure should fill up in 7 seconds, not more. But this does not always mean that the pressure in the water supply is low. The reason may be a clogged mixer. Therefore, it will be necessary to confirm the test result in the bathroom, filling the can in the same way, opening the mixer in the sink or shower.
The second way is to connect a conventional pressure gauge to one of the consumers. To do this, use an adapter that connects, for example, to the same mixer in the kitchen or to a shower head.
The results are compared with tabular, which are indicated in SNiPs. If they are smaller or larger, you can safely contact the management company with a complaint.
Where to deal with the problem of improper pressure
Before taking any action related to filing a complaint, it is necessary to check whether the water supply system installed in the apartment is working properly, and also to check the plumbing fixtures. Clogging of filters, faucets, and other household appliances can often lead to their malfunctioning. For example, the drainage grid of the mixer may be clogged. You just need to unscrew it and clean it, and the pressure from the tap will become normal.
The same goes for the filter of the dishwasher or washing machine, shower head and other details.If a coarse filter is installed in the water supply network, it is necessary to check it, not to mention the fine filter systems that are mounted in the cabinets under the kitchen sink.
If the above factors are not the cause of the pressure drop, the sources of low pressure can be purely technical characteristics of the water supply:
- pipe installation was carried out incorrectly, for example, the diameter of the riser is equal to the diameter of the beds;
- incorrectly installed shutoff valves (vice versa);
- pump station does not provide the required head.
Residents of apartment buildings cannot solve such problems on their own. You can safely file a complaint so that the management company responds to ongoing violations. She must respond to the application within a month.
If there is no response from the Criminal Code, the applicant may contact the supervisory authority - the Housing and Communal Services Administration of the city administration. It also writes a statement indicating the problems and encloses a copy of the application to the management company. The city administration responds quickly to complaints from the public. But not the fact that the problem will be resolved immediately.
