Cold water
Brief overview of key points-for more detail click HERE which takes you to a Cold Water site designed for your studies.
click on the link opposite to jump straight to the section you wish to see
what you need to know
inside the property
Cold water systems can be classified into two types when they come into the property, this is very much dependant on the water pressure that is available at the property. Let us firstly look at how to measure and check how this result will affect the type of system we are to install.
We measure static pressure with a pressure gauge.
The gauge measures static pressure, which is the amount of pressure with no outlets open, all taps closed. The pressure will be displayed in Bar.
We use this to establish if the pressure is suitable for the installation we intend to install. If the pressure is low then a Direct cold water system would not be suitable.
If measuring and the result was a reasonable pressure than a Direct system would be suitable. Let us look at what is meant by a Direct & Indirect cold water supply.
Direct supply
indirect supply
units of pressure
1 Bar = 100000 Pascals
1 Bar = 100 Kpa
So it is a general rule that if you had 1 Bar of pressure coming into a property it would be able to rise to a height of 10m, which means that 1 Bar being the force required to raise water to a height of 10m. This is replicated with 2m to 20m and so on.
flow of water
The flow of water is a crucial part to how a system works, whether it is via a Direct system or an Indirect system. The flow of water is measured by a specialist tool called a Weir cup. The measurement is recorded in Litres per Minute.
uses of cold water
In general there are three types of cold water wholesome water for domestic purposes - drinking, washing and food production.
Then there are these two recycled water/harvested water - WC flushing, water for outdoor use and clothes washing.
Let us look at the Wholesome water firstly;
The following description is taken from the Approved Document part G1 which describes wholesome water as follows;
Water supplied to the building by a statutory water undertaker or a licensed water supplier through an installation complying with the requirements of the Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 (SI 1999/1148 as amended) may be assumed to be wholesome water.
This is the water that we drink from our taps. Wholesome water is supplied by the undertaker e.g. United Utilities and has been treated and tested that it is fit for human consumption.
Water treatment works
Before it is considered wholesome, the water undergoes several stages of treatment to ensure its cleanliness and quality: sedimentation, filtration and sterilisation. These stages are the responsibility of the water undertaker.
Recycled water/harvested water
Recycled water is essentially water from baths, showers, washing machines, dishwashers and sinks is often referred to grey water (recycled water). About a third of all water used in the average household is for WC flushing. Therefore it makes sense to collect water from baths, showers and washbasins and it can be cleaned and reused for this purpose.
https://tuxedotshirts.wordpress.com/water-and-waste/collection-and-storage/
Recycled water collection seen in this image. Grey water is usually clean enough for use in WC's with only minimal disinfection. Problems can arise when the warm grey water deteriorates when stored, as the bacteria it contains can rapidly multiply, making the water smell.
https://www.totalwatersystems.co.uk/rainwater-harvesting-systems/gravity-fed-rainwater-harvesting-systems/
Harvested water rainwater harvesting has the potential to save large volumes of mains water and reduce pressure on resources. It can be used to flush toilets, water gardens and feed washing machines, instead of using water direct from the supply.
the water regulations
https://www.watersafe.org.uk/blog/posts/do_you_know_the_wate/
Are there to prevent
Waste
Undue consumption
Misuse
Contamination
Erroneous measurement
