Cyprus-Forum.com

[MoscowMale]

Can anyone advise me on the best way to convert an existing gravity fed hot and cold water system to pressurised (as offered on new houses)?

[devil]

I believe it is recommended on houses with ONLY all-metal plumbing.

[Sotos]

I believe it is recommended on houses with ONLY all-metal plumbing.

Why is that? I have a pump for my apartment and it works fine. The pipes are plastic. Those white cheap ones A good pump with installation is about 150 pounds for an apartment. For house you might need a stronger pump.

[cyprusgrump]

I believe it is recommended on houses with ONLY all-metal plumbing.

My new house has plastic piping throughout and a pressurised system.

[Svetlana]

There is no problem with having a pressurised water system with plastic piping. You will need to upgrdade the solar panel plumbing to cope with the additional pressure; you cannot just add a pump!

Lana

[Sotos]

You will need to upgrdade the solar panel plumbing to cope with the additional pressure; you cannot just add a pump!

In apartments you can just ad a pump. At least this is what I did.

[Svetlana]

Hi Sotos

Do your neighbours have wet ceilings?

Lana

[devil]

I believe it is recommended on houses with ONLY all-metal plumbing.

I enquired of two plumbers whether they could convert my house. Both said they could but they would take no responsibility for leaks developing because the glued PVC joints may be badly made and may not withstand the pressure. I presume this is the voice of experience in similar cases. They recommended it only for all-copper plumbing.

A neighbour put it in but, as he did not like the original tiled flooring, he ripped it up and the screed, so he replaced all the plumbing with copper, which may be a third opinion.

[Sotos]

Do your neighbours have wet ceilings?

I had wet ceiling! But thats another story not related with the water pump

[davidp]

I have had plenty of experience with pressurised systems in both Cyprus and the UK so I can write with some authority.

Plastic pipework is fine for pressurised systems, of course the joints must be sound and the pipes undamaged (the same applies to copper systems whether new or old)

A true pressurised system pressurises all the pipes and the hot water cylinder, to convert to this can be expensive.

An cheaper (and good) alternative is to pressurise the outlet of your HW cylinder and CW tank with a pump that only operates when you are drawing water, the rest of the time the pump is off and the pipes have low pressure water in them.

If you need any more info I'll be happy to oblige.