Many never give a thought to how potable water rises to the top floors of a high rise building. That is, unless you are a building manager or live or work on one of the upper floors. In either of those cases you are likely well-aware of the issues involved, including the frustrations low water pressure can cause. How does water rise to these upper floors and what part does plumbing play? Is low pressure an indication of problems and what effect does all of this have on pipes? Let's take a look behind the walls.
Through the 1940's, gravity roof tanks were a popular way to deliver water to the top floors of high-rise buildings. Water was pumped up to the tank from a water main on ground level. But the summer heat, winter cold, leaks and even pigeons contributed to the demise of these problematic tanks. Throughout the 1950's and 1960's many buildings stopped using these rooftop gravity tanks and replaced them with pneumatic pressure tank systems. These bulky systems were energy inefficient, using an air compressor to provide the pressure to push water upward. Modern systems now tend to use a series of booster pumps or pneumatic tank systems. These modern systems tend to be custom designed for each particular structure.
Plumbing, especially aging plumbing, can have a significant negative effect on water pressure in a building. Leaks, corrosion and clogged valves and pipes can reduce pressure, especially for upper floors where potable water delivery can already be a problem. If water pressure continues to fall in a high rise, it is a good indication that plumbing is contributing to the problem.
Part of the problem with water pressure in high rise buildings is trying to maintain consistency throughout the plumbing. Physics makes this a challenge that is not being helped by aging plumbing. Increasing the force used to maintain water pressure for upper floors can increase the rate of plumbing leaks and failures, especially in older plumbing. The solutions are not inexpensive, but waiting to address the issue may be even more costly.
Improving water pressure in a high rise building may involve reassessing how water is being currently delivered to the upper floors and determining the role aging plumbing is playing. This can be done with a complete pipe assessment from Nu Flow Midwest. Nu Flow Midwest offers an alternative to complete plumbing replacement. With a complete pipe assessment, we can evaluate your plumbing and help you determine the best path to take. Working with Althoff Industries, we can tell you if pipe relining may be a better option than replacement and where the opposite may be true. Together we can help you develop a long-term plan that will improve the water pressure in the upper floors of your Chicago area building. We encourage you to contact us to learn more.