Can i drink upstairs water

In the south and the east of England, many of the rivers that supply our drinking water run through limestone or chalk rocks giving rise to ' Hard Water'.

This is perfectly safe to drink, it often has similar levels of calcium and magnesium to expensive mineral water.

Some people do not like showering or bathing in hard water and it can even aggravate skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. One solution to the problem is to install a water softener. Water softeners work by exchanging calcium ions for sodium ions.

In areas such as London, water softening can lead to levels of sodium which may be unhealthy to drink. In areas where the water is very hard, the kitchen sink tap is often left unsoftened.

When you stay in a hotel you really have no idea of the quality of the tap water. Sure there may be a ' potable water' sign in the bathroom but is it really safe to drink? Has the water travelled through lead pipes or been stored in a tank? If the overpriced mineral water in the mini-bar is not for you then maybe the best solution is to bring a bottle of water from a trusted source. Whilst on the subject of which taps are safe to drink from, it's worth mentioning that it's never a good idea to drink from the hot water tap.

The hot water is often stored in tanks that can be heated and cooled many times and could lead to the growth of bacteria such as legionella. Steer clear of the hot tap and always choose the cold water tap. So, is it safe to drink tap water from the bathroom? Probably not. It's unlikely to kill you but the clean water from the cold tap in your kitchen is a far better option.

Float valve : Also known as a flat valve, this floats at the top of a tank to close a lever when the tank is full. Stop cock : This is the mains tap where water enters your property. Storage cistern : This is where water is stored when a home has an indirect system, and can also be stored in one of these to supply a regular or system boiler. Originally published August 5, Water facts:.

Older plumbing may mean a storage tank is part of the system. Stored water is more likely to be stale or contain bacteria. The water on top of the tank has a thin whitish film on it. The lid is loose fitting so the two things are connected I guess. It does have insulation round it but I am a bit bothered by the size of the thing. It would probably fill a bath three times over. I think it was installed by the previous owner some 28 years ago.

Is there a maximum safe size for a tank in the attic? There are two of us living here now. A big water tank is heavy. If you are lucky it will have been positioned over or close to a wall rather than in the middle of the span of timbers. Older houses often have more substantial timbers than modern ones with trussed rafters in a "W" shape. What width, depth and spacing are yours; how many under the tank, and what distance from the walls?

A bath takes about litres of water which is about 26 gallons, which should be enough unless you have two bathrooms or power showers. I think my tank is 50 gallons nominal but is not brim-full. A plastic tank should be on a thick WBP ply platform, but chipboard will do as long as there is no chance that it will ever get wet or damp ha! Tanks often have the size on the side, moulded or on a label.

Otherwise measure it and someone will know, In summer you can empty yours and scrub it out, wipe the inside of the lid with bleach, rinse it and use the cold bath tap to drain out the cleaning and rinsing water. If you turn off the stop-cock and fill the bath from the cold tap you will soon see how many bathfulls the tank holds.

Joined: 3 Sep Country:. Select the supplier or trade you require, enter your location to begin your search. Please select a service and enter a location to continue You must log in or sign up to reply here.