Many are aware of the issues arising from the fluctuating municipal water pressure. This has particularly affected the top floor units in our complex where little or no pressure is available during these variations. It was decided at the last AGM (held on 9 and 16 December 2018) to proceed with the booster pump project, ensuring consistent supply of water pressure despite the reoccurring drops from the city. A budget of R430 000 was approved for the project to be paid from the reserve fund. We are pleased to let you know that the project has been successfully completed at a total cost of R 417,676.79.
Greg and the team from SOMO have done a great job to deliver the new system. This includes several fail-safe mechanisms to ensure that no additional strain is placed on the municipal line. A further benefit of the system includes a 24 hour reserve supply of water as well as further protection of our infrastructure in the event of negative pressures, water hammer etc.
We have received multiple emails during the commissioning of the booster system and have put together a small problem and solution list below to advise on how to rectify ongoing hot water unit issues. In all cases the problems were resolved using the below. It must be noted that each apartment is only supplied with a cold water supply (pipe) and the split to and from the hot water unit occurs inside each apartment. If the cold water tap inside the apartment has sufficient pressure, the booster system is functioning correctly.
Low hot water pressure (very little / no hot water being produced) – the supply filter inside the hot water unit is blocked and needs to be cleaned. The filter is located at the bottom right of the unit, inside the 90 degree copper bend with the large nut facing downwards. To clean the filter, switch off the apartments water supply and electricity to the hot water unit. Remove the cover and locate the large filter nut. Placing a bucket underneath the unit, loosen and remove the copper nut. The filter can be removed using a flat screwdriver. If the filter is stuck, it may require additional force to remove it. Once removed, it is advisable to have someone switch on the mains water slightly to flush the pipe while a bucket is held below. Clean the filter with a scrubbing brush and pin. Replace in reverse order. This advice sorted out the majority of the issues that were sent through.
Hot water pressure for a specific tap in the apartment is low – this can be a result of a kinked flexible hot water supply pipe under the sink / basin or as a result of debris inside the water mixer unit or tap outlet filter.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.