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We are planning on a new kitchen sink and tap. SWMBO has found a tap she likes which states in the technical data that it has a flow rate of 12L/min-7L/min at 3 bar pressure.
While I understand the basic principle of what they are saying, I have no way of relating it to the system I have got.
What is worrying me slightly is that when I read the customer reviews someone has written
designed exclusively for high pressure system
AFAIK we don't have a high pressure system, it is just a gravity feed. Would the tap simply not work very well, not at all or what?
Thanks in anticipation of any help/advice. :o)
It would be a poor flow rate from a gravity system - you would find it hard to balance the hot and cold when you wanted warm water.
Your cold kitchen tap is almost certainly straight off the mains and could be anywhere between 1-5 bar. The hot tap from a gravity system will likely be 0.5-0.7 bar depending on the height of your ceilings.
These taps that need 3bar typically have small bore pipes inside the body of the tap - 10mm or so, hence the need for the higher pressure to give a decent flow rate.
cold will be fine but you will probably feel that the hot water is much slower in comparison, markedly so.
We have exactly your situation we plan to upgrade to a pressurised system soon. The hot water does flow slowly by comparison but you get used to it. The only real downside is the run of pope from the hot water tank to our kitchen sink is pretty long so with the reduced flow rate it takes a while for the tap to run hot. On the up side my wife's insistence on leAving it running while she washes things uses a lot less hot water.