Pressure:
Pressure is the physical force that pushes liquids like water along pipework. This pressure will control the flow of water coming from your tap. How big that pressure at your tap will depend on the height of the reservoir or water tower in relation to your home, or even by the amount of consumption at the time. The height at which your home sits can also have an affect on your water pressure. Homes at a greater height might get a low pressure, whereas lower homes may get the high pressure. A garden hose with an adjustable nozzle on the end that is only open a small amount will produce a high pressure jet of water. Open the nozzle fully and the pressure will be far less but the amount of water coming out (the flow rate) will be far greater. There are devices available to measure pressure and flow. You may see a professional plumber from London Plumbers using these. Where a new plumbing installation is being designed, measurements of both the incoming mains water pressure and flow may be needed to help with the design and specification process. Radlett Plumbers know about flow and pressure.

Flow:
Water flow measures how much water is delivered over a set period. For example if a 2litre bucket under a tap takes 2 seconds to fill then the flow rate is 2ltrs per second.

Weir Cup:
A professionally trained Radlett Plumber may need to check there is a sufficient flow rate for installing a combination boiler. There is a device used is called a weir cup that Plumbers use for accurate flow readings. Readings on these are usually shown in both litres per second and gallons per minute. If a flow rate needs to be reduced, a weir cup may be used to measure and then accurately adjust the flow rate to meet the operating flow rate required to suit an appliance manufacturer’s specification.

Mains Water Pressure Gauge:
This device includes a threaded part that screws to the outlet and measures the water pressure in bar.