On 7/8/2010 7:20 AM, scott wrote:
>>> It's different in the UK, the mains pressure usually equates to about
>>> 10-50 metres plus of head. Any water from a tank in the roof is usually
>>> *way* lower pressure than mains. For example you can easily block off a
>>> fully open hot tap with your thumb with very little force, but it is
>>> tricky, if not impossible to do the same on a mains pressure cold tap.
>>
>> Is this everywhere, though?
>
> Pretty much, water companies are required to supply at a minimum of 1
> bar, which means upstairs you'd get a guaranteed ~0.7 bar. Unless you
> are able to put a tank 7 metres higher than upstairs it's not going to
> give any improvement over the worst mains pressure.
>

I figured in some rural areas this may not be the case, though. If, for 
instance, the water were coming from a well...

... But by virtue of what you said the tank seems completely 
unnecessary. I'm going to go out on a limb and say it was a vestige of 
an earlier time back when the house was built. Probably to equalize the 
pressure of cold and hot, as you said.

How do the on-demand hot water systems work, btw? It seems like here in 
the States tanks are by far the norm. It seems like it would be a heck 
of a lot more efficient to have the on-demand heating system, and a tad 
less annoying... .I really, really despise it when the hot water runs out.
-- 
~Mike

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