As an experiment I have used 10mm plastic for the hot feed to my bathroom washbasin. It's done with a single uninterrupted length of about 12 metres all the way back to the combi.
We have quite good mains pressure but I wanted to see if the flow rate through 10mm would still be acceptable. The logic behind trying this was the assumed user benefit of quicker warm up time at the tap, and cost benefit due to reduction of heat losses. Our bathroom tap is used frequently so with a 10mm feed, a much lower volume of hot water would be left to cool in the pipework each time it is used.
The results?
First of all flow rate although obviously reduced is still fine for normal use. Mrs blondini never even noticed the change.
Warm up is much quicker than before. This is the furthest tap from the combi and it now warms more quickly than the kitchen tap which is closest to the combi.
An incidental benefit is that use of the basin tap has much less impact on flow to the shower (mixer) and both can be used at same time without drama.
On the down side, flow is more greatly reduced if either kitchen tap is used so I intend to make a few more changes...
We have quite good mains pressure but I wanted to see if the flow rate through 10mm would still be acceptable. The logic behind trying this was the assumed user benefit of quicker warm up time at the tap, and cost benefit due to reduction of heat losses. Our bathroom tap is used frequently so with a 10mm feed, a much lower volume of hot water would be left to cool in the pipework each time it is used.
The results?
First of all flow rate although obviously reduced is still fine for normal use. Mrs blondini never even noticed the change.
Warm up is much quicker than before. This is the furthest tap from the combi and it now warms more quickly than the kitchen tap which is closest to the combi.
An incidental benefit is that use of the basin tap has much less impact on flow to the shower (mixer) and both can be used at same time without drama.
On the down side, flow is more greatly reduced if either kitchen tap is used so I intend to make a few more changes...
