Lack of water.

[Adamson10489]

Me and my partner are living in a town house in a small village west of Bangkok. We are constantly having problems with the water system in our house, barely getting a trickle out throughout the day downstairs and none at all up stairs. Only on some evenings do we get a half decent shower in the downstairs bathroom.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone else has the same issues where they live and if there's any way for the issue to be resolved. We don't mind paying if it can resolve the issue...

Ps, I do understand the water system in Thailand is really crap but I don't know anyone personally with these issues.

Thanks in advance

[metisdead]

Moving to the DIY housing forum.

[johnatong]

Do you have a water storage tank/pump or do you simply rely on the town water supply/pressure ?

[Adamson10489]

The latter I assume

[johnatong]

The latter I assume

Others with more knowledge than me will offer advise but if you really are just relying on a direct connection to the town water supply I am not surprised you have a problem.

If you hang on the "experts" will arrive !

[Adamson10489]

Ok thanks a lot hopefully someone will be here soon to guide me.

[55Jay]

Was this always a problem, or a recent development? If recent, about how long?

Honestly, the fact you get better pressure in the evening, sounds to me like you are on water rationing hours/reduced pressure. I was on that at my house during at the front end of the on-going drought. Pressure in the morning as people/kids get ready for the day. Off or very very low pressure during the day. On again for a few hours in the evening.

Walk around the property, look for a water tank and a pump. I've seen them underground, so also look for a trap door or an obvious covering of some type.

If you can't find, then that's one more tick in the box for direct water source from city.

If you find a tank/pump set up, first check the tank has water. Check the pump is plugged in.

Then update your findings.

Or better yet, if you are renting, then contact the landlord. Or find a local handy man to come over and have a look.

[Hedghog]

You live in a town house.

Ask your neighbours how their water supply is.

By the way the water system in Thailand isn't crap countrywide.

Will wash my car and water my garden later this morning.

[ThaiKneeTim]

Sounds very much like you're on a direct connection and at the mercy of a fluctuating town supply.

If you do decide on the tank/pump solution it's best to install the tank at the lowest point possible, even underground as has been suggested, and as close to the point where the main enters the property as possible. The pump will then provide enough pressure to reach the highest outlets in your home.

If you use a local tradesman, don't let him install it where it's easiest for him, or you'll end up with the same problems I had.

[Pib]

Doesn't sound like the OP has a water pump and water storage tank so he's solely reliant on the soi water main. I also live in western Bangkok...eight years now...the soi water main pressure has always been low around 8 to 10psi in the best of times (well, low by most western standards but not by Thailand standards) which is just barely enough to get water to come out of a second story faucet at a low rate. A person needs a water pump to feed their residence (which I have) if they want descent water pressure.

And this year, the pressure in my western Bangkok moobaan frequently drops to around 1 to 2psi during the day....not even enough pressure to push the water even up 2 meters into the top of my above ground water storage tank to refill it....but fortunately at night the water pressure comes back to probably around 5psi and the tank refills. The govt is intentionally lowering the water pressure as that reduces water usage/saves water--and a good example of how that saves water is the OP's post.

Speaking of water storage tank size, I few weeks ago I swapped out my 850L tank for a 2,000L tank due to the worsening water supply situation. The hardware store (Thai Watsadu) I bought my tank from said large tanks, and even small tanks, are selling better than ever due to the drought/water situation.

Yeap, sounds like the OP is getting his water directly from the soi water main...time to invest in a water pump and preferably a storage tank also....approx a Bt3K to Bt20K investment depending on pump and tank design/quality/sizes, whether installing a pump "and" tank, etc.

Now the water pressure so far has not dropped to zero which means a person can do without a storage tank (or bypass it) and suck directly from the soi water mains which is not the best method but commonly done in Thailand....plus, it increases the chances of your water pump burning itself up when trying to suck water but there is no water to suck. Many in my moobaan have started sucking directly from the soi water main even through they have storage tanks because their storage tank is too small and been running dry before the water pressure comes back high enough to refill the tank.

Edited April 17, 2016 by Pib

[Brewster67]

Sounds like you really need to install a tank and pump system which you can do for less than 10,000 baht, I would also recommend you install a small pump between your mains and tank to help the tank refill quicker, they can be got for 1500 baht. The tank will cost around 4000 baht and main pump to give good pressure round your property for about 5000 baht.

[billd766]

You live in a town house.

Ask your neighbours how their water supply is.

By the way the water system in Thailand isn't crap countrywide.

Will wash my car and water my garden later this morning.

How fortunate for you to have water to waste.

You have obviously taken the governments exhortations about saving water to heart.

Where I live in rural Khampaeng Phet we have had no government water supply for 4 months and rely on deliveries by the local fire trucks.

My truck hasn't been washed in about 6 months and the only bit of garden to be watered is about 10 sq/mt of my wife's vegetable garden.

[jeab1980]

You should never pump direct from mains what happens if your neighbours or someone on street just happen to have an outside fish pool which is usually connected straight to mains with no, no return valve fixed you pump from mains when no water you get the fish pond and all its inhabitants. It happens should never pump from mains

[55Jay]

You should never pump direct from mains what happens if your neighbours or someone on street just happen to have an outside fish pool which is usually connected straight to mains with no, no return valve fixed you pump from mains when no water you get the fish pond and all its inhabitants. It happens should never pump from mains

Besides that, taking a suction on the main ain't very neighborly. Everyone out for themselves.

[Pib]

You should never pump direct from mains what happens if your neighbours or someone on street just happen to have an outside fish pool which is usually connected straight to mains with no, no return valve fixed you pump from mains when no water you get the fish pond and all its inhabitants. It happens should never pump from mains

"Should" is the operative word. But the fact is in Thailand many, many folks pump directly from the soi main. I sure know most most everyone in my MIL's village out in the province suck directly from the soi main and backflow valves are things of rocket science to them and they don't have them unless maybe they are built into the water meter. And the water company meter man taking the monthly meter readings/issuing the bill/accepting bill payment could care less. Quite a few in my Bangkok moobaan suck directly from the mains also....meter man don't care...don't care or look at what water feed setup you have...he just reads the meter and issues a bill.

And about a month ago I took a klong boat tour and one thing that struck me was the large water line that ran along the top of the klong wall with residence's water lines tapped directly into that line every 10 or 20 meters, and I saw very, very few folks with storage tanks....whether they had any blackflow valves I couldn't tell...most of these homes were homes of poor Thais.

Plus with so many people sucking directly from the soi mains any backflow into the mains get sucked into the neighbor's downstream soi main-to-residence line whether their neighbor uses a tank or not.

Yeap, you are right your "shouldn't" suck directly from the mains without a backflow valve (but this is Thailand and their is little to no enforcement of whatever law/regulation they may have against it)...and a storage tank definitely comes in handy.

[jeab1980]

Yes afraid your corect on that one MIL same pumped direct from main tried to tell her problems they have with water color is as a result of this. Answer been doing it for years bless her. Invested in a 2000ltr tank for her a day of my time (which I have plenty off). Set it it all up after building 4ft plynth from wood. Ripped up old pipe work around house easy job laid new even easier. Filled tank and hey presto clean water. Theold pipe had about one quaters of its usable diameter left full of black yak no wonder water was black. As an added bonus I managed to re use pump to give them even more pressure from tank. All in all with tank pipe and glue about 500 bht. So far had three requests from neighbours to do same at there expense of course.

Edited April 17, 2016 by jeab1980

[jeab1980]

5000bht sorry won'tL let me edit

[angiolo]

The latter I assume

Others with more knowledge than me will offer advise but if you really are just relying on a direct connection to the town water supply I am not surprised you have a problem.

If you hang on the "experts" will arrive !

I had a similar problem. After several call to the water HQ a couple of men turned up on a m/c with a big spanner. They removed the water meter and blew out a load of sheet . water ok now. I was told that the general water pressure has been reduced because of the poor condition of the main water pipes. Worth a try Angiolo

[Pib]

If you got a 2,000L tank for around Bt5,000 it must have been a thin-walled polymer...maybe even the blue plastic/polymer tanks which are usually low cost but get the basic job done. A 2000L polymer tank that comes with thick polymer walls, anti-algae and anti-bacteria interior coatings with a 20 or 25 year guarantee plus other features costs around Bt12K or more. So, so many different types/grades/prices of tanks. Good on you for taking care of the MIL...I will be doing the same thing soon as talked below.

I was fairly amazed at the range of quality and prices of polymer tanks when shopping at places at Thai Watsadu and Global hardware stores which have BIG selections of tanks ...around a 100 or more at each store I guesstimate based on the three stores I visited and spent significant time just walking around, looking at, feeling, reading the specs, of all the various tanks they had outside the stores. Some polymer tanks were really thin-walled and light...felt like I was pressing on a empty plastic milk bottle...very easy to push around. Others were significantly thicker and heavier as person could tell from the stiffness when pressing on the tank sides and pushing the tanks around. Some only had 7 year warranties. Then you had all the various UV protection, anti-algae, anti-bacteria/nano silver coating, exterior design, warranty period, etc., specs (and prices) to consider with polymer tanks. Yes sir, specifications and prices all over the map.

And it was pretty obvious that the stainless steel tanks were over-shaded (sales and selection-wise) by the polymer tanks as the stainless steel tanks cost significantly more than polymer tanks...even the high end polymer tanks. At those mentioned hardware stores I mentioned which had over a 100 tanks to choose from, I estimate only about 15 to 20% (or less) were stainless steel tanks. Hard for stainless steel now days to compete with polymer tanks when used for residential/basic water storage due to the big price difference.

The 850L stainless steel tank I replaced with the 2,000L polymer tank will be going to the MIL's house as soon as an in-law can round-up a truck to come get it. Hopefully to accomplish the same thing your accomplished with your MIL---give her cleaner water by allowing allowing sediment to settle to the tank bottom before use and also store water because the water in the MIL's area routinely goes off for half day periods or the pressure is very, very low...been like that for a long time---and it use to be worst. But she don't complain about it that often....just been that way all her life and she thinks it's just pretty normal....low expectations I guess. I installed a water pump for her back in late 2011, but she uses it sparingly...just turns it on occasionally...guess she don't want to break it or use electricity--bless her heart.

[ThaiKneeTim]

You should never pump direct from mains what happens if your neighbours or someone on street just happen to have an outside fish pool which is usually connected straight to mains with no, no return valve fixed you pump from mains when no water you get the fish pond and all its inhabitants. It happens should never pump from mains

Besides that, taking a suction on the main ain't very neighborly. Everyone out for themselves.

We haven't had water for about a week now, which I recently found out is party to do with many in the village having pumps connected directly to the main. The Songkran high demand, coupled with direct pumps, has last a lot of us on this side of the village without water.

[jeab1980]

If you got a 2,000L tank for around Bt5,000 it must have been a thin-walled polymer...maybe even the blue plastic/polymer tanks which are usually low cost but get the basic job done. A 2000L polymer tank that comes with thick polymer walls, anti-algae and anti-bacteria interior coatings with a 20 or 25 year guarantee plus other features costs around Bt12K or more. So, so many different types/grades/prices of tanks. Good on you for taking care of the MIL...I will be doing the same thing soon as talked below.

I was fairly amazed at the range of quality and prices of polymer tanks when shopping at places at Thai Watsadu and Global hardware stores which have BIG selections of tanks ...around a 100 or more at each store I guesstimate based on the three stores I visited and spent significant time just walking around, looking at, feeling, reading the specs, of all the various tanks they had outside the stores. Some polymer tanks were really thin-walled and light...felt like I was pressing on a empty plastic milk bottle...very easy to push around. Others were significantly thicker and heavier as person could tell from the stiffness when pressing on the tank sides and pushing the tanks around. Some only had 7 year warranties. Then you had all the various UV protection, anti-algae, anti-bacteria/nano silver coating, exterior design, warranty period, etc., specs (and prices) to consider with polymer tanks. Yes sir, specifications and prices all over the map.

And it was pretty obvious that the stainless steel tanks were over-shaded (sales and selection-wise) by the polymer tanks as the stainless steel tanks cost significantly more than polymer tanks...even the high end polymer tanks. At those mentioned hardware stores I mentioned which had over a 100 tanks to choose from, I estimate only about 15 to 20% (or less) were stainless steel tanks. Hard for stainless steel now days to compete with polymer tanks when used for residential/basic water storage due to the big price difference.

The 850L stainless steel tank I replaced with the 2,000L polymer tank will be going to the MIL's house as soon as an in-law can round-up a truck to come get it. Hopefully to accomplish the same thing your accomplished with your MIL---give her cleaner water by allowing allowing sediment to settle to the tank bottom before use and also store water because the water in the MIL's area routinely goes off for half day periods or the pressure is very, very low...been like that for a long time---and it use to be worst. But she don't complain about it that often....just been that way all her life and she thinks it's just pretty normal....low expectations I guess. I installed a water pump for her back in late 2011, but she uses it sparingly...just turns it on occasionally...guess she don't want to break it or use electricity--bless her heart.

pump us rigied to come on when tap is opened it is a thin walled tank has a 15yr garuntee not that that's worth anything. We have two had them for a few years now no problems so far. I also put a screw in filter (but from Global House just before the pipe goes up to fill tank. Might do the job will check it in a few weeks if clogging up then at least it's easy to get at and to clean. But to be honest I don't expect the same furring as with her old pipes they were some years old and a very very thin pipe anyway. Good luck on instalation but as you know I'm sure it's relatively simple procedure. Another trick I was told about before I found the filter was putting a a bag made out of cotton or muzlin around the ball cock at top of tank which would catch the sediment.

[KonaRain]

I catch water in Hawaii, but now I see why I saw tanks at our neighborhood in Thailand

Alohz

[Adamson10489]

Is the water situation worse at the moment due to it being songkran? I have been back home for a month and come back and it has decreased to a drip, even in the evenings?

[Pib]

Is the water situation worse at the moment due to it being songkran? I have been back home for a month and come back and it has decreased to a drip, even in the evenings?

It's not due to Songkran...it's just the drought has been going on longer, dam levels are getting lower and lower to critical levels, the govt is lowering water pressure to save water and even cutting off water for x-hours per day in some places. Until rainy season starts arriving in June or so it will be getting worst before it gets better.