# Booster pump necessity in highrise buildings



## rudolph15 (Jun 18, 2012)

I have been performing building audits in a number of existing highrise residential buildings (7 to 10 floors high) in southern Ontario. In most cases booster pumps have been installed and are operational. I have come across two cases where the booster pumps have been shut down and to my surprise there is ample water pressure on top floors and there are no operational issues. In one of the building the super was claiming that the plumbing company has shut the pumps down as they were not required !

Can someone help with understand if booster pumps are really needed in highrise applications and how can buildings operate without any issues on city pressure alone?

thanks in advance


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

There are many well knowledgeable mechicnal plumbers working in high rise buildings here,,.. however, intro is requested by the members...


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## drtyhands (Aug 16, 2008)

Where have I read highest point has to maintain 15 PSI.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

drtyhands said:


> Where have I read highest point has to maintain 15 PSI.


 Blinks???!!


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## PinkPlumber (May 20, 2012)

:tongue_smilie:


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## drtyhands (Aug 16, 2008)

So I found what I was talking about...
How bout you?

2010 UPC


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## GrumpyPlumber (Jun 12, 2008)

drtyhands said:


> Where have I read highest point has to maintain 15 PSI.


Same here, minimum service pressure, but let's face it, no one is going to settle for 15.


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## drtyhands (Aug 16, 2008)

GrumpyPlumber said:


> Same here, minimum service pressure, but let's face it, no one is going to settle for 15.


 Lowest I seen is 30 at the street.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

drtyhands said:


> Lowest I seen is 30 at the street.


There are areas in Chicago that still have wood water mains, you're lucky to get thirty at the street.


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## affordabledrain (Nov 24, 2009)

I am missing an intro


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## GrumpyPlumber (Jun 12, 2008)

Killertoiletspider said:


> There are areas in Chicago that still have wood water mains, you're lucky to get thirty at the street.


That just amazes me.


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## Pinnacle (May 16, 2012)

Lowest ive seen in Toronto is 30 at the street as well boosted to 80 for 22 floor apt.


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## PrecisePlumbing (Jan 31, 2011)

Killertoiletspider said:


> There are areas in Chicago that still have wood water mains, you're lucky to get thirty at the street.


Really? Any info on these wood mains? Thats amazing they still hold pressure at all


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

The plumber called the city and asked them to turn up the pressure in the neighborhood, when the pump failed on a weekend.


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## drtyhands (Aug 16, 2008)

PrecisePlumbing said:


> Really? Any info on these wood mains? Thats amazing they still hold pressure at all


 They're all over the place.Philly,NY,Portland.


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## victoryplbaz (May 19, 2012)

Killertoiletspider said:


> There are areas in Chicago that still have wood water mains, you're lucky to get thirty at the street.


 
I get looked at funny when i tell people that. They cant believe wood was used for water mains. I think read once the white house had a wooden water main up untill the 70s i think.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

They have wood pipes in the ground in Old Salem. Anything is better than the lead pipes that are supposedly still being used.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

Gettinit said:


> They have wood pipes in the ground in Old Salem. Anything is better than the lead pipes that are supposedly still being used.


Chicago has hundreds of thousands of lead water services, I prefer them over wood.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

Killertoiletspider said:


> Chicago has hundreds of thousands of lead water services, I prefer them over wood.


Why?


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

Gettinit said:


> Why?


Lead services are easy to repair.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

Killertoiletspider said:


> Lead services are easy to repair.


They don't need to be repaired, they need to be replaced.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Gettinit said:


> They don't need to be repaired, they need to be replaced.


 Why replace if they are in perfectly in good shape as I've seen many of them are... only time they get replaced when the existing size is too small to handle more plumbing fixtures.


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## drtyhands (Aug 16, 2008)

rjbphd said:


> Why replace if they are in perfectly in good shape as I've seen many of them are... only time they get replaced when the existing size is too small to handle more plumbing fixtures.


I think he's refering to something that lead is considered a poison.
Made the Romans nuts you know


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

Seems kinda silly that I will have to use no lead vs low lead when lead is under the roads everywhere.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

drtyhands said:


> I think he's refering to something that lead is considered a poison.
> Made the Romans nuts you know


Only the higher up Roman potilicals were poisoned with lead while drinking wine from the lead chalets, cups, etc.. they have found common people and slaves without lead posioning in their bones, hence no access to wine and leadwares.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

Gettinit said:


> They don't need to be repaired, they need to be replaced.


Why?

They work just fine.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

Killertoiletspider said:


> Why?
> 
> They work just fine.


Lead leeching into the drinking water.


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

rjbphd said:


> Only the higher up Roman potilicals were poisoned with lead while drinking wine from the lead chalets, cups, etc.. they have found common people and slaves without lead posioning in their bones, hence no access to wine and leadwares.



Roman aqueducts were not made of lead.


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## drtyhands (Aug 16, 2008)

rjbphd said:


> Only the higher up Roman potilicals were poisoned with lead while drinking wine from the lead chalets, cups, etc.. they have found common people and slaves without lead posioning in their bones, hence no access to wine and leadwares.


I have always been under the impression they had lead pipes.
does make sense city outsiders wouldn't have lead in'em


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Gettinit said:


> Lead leeching into the drinking water.


Nope.. at first yes, then itself get coated with minerals and prevent leeching.. there's been studies on that for many years and said to best leave it alone.. to play it safe as for ALL water system, is to let the water runs for at least a minute or two to flush out standing water before drinking it.


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## user4 (Jun 12, 2008)

Gettinit said:


> Lead leeching into the drinking water.


Did I miss the news on a sudden upswing in lead related deaths in Chicago?

Last year there were twenty, all related directly to lead based paint.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

drtyhands said:


> I have always been under the impression they had lead pipes.
> does make sense city outsiders wouldn't have lead in'em


I'm talking about the drinkware they were using which the wine leached the lead out. Its all in the "History of Plumbing" by the P&M magizines.


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## drtyhands (Aug 16, 2008)

rjbphd said:


> Nope.. at first yes, then itself get coated with minerals and prevent leeching.. there's been studies on that for many years and said to best leave it alone.. to play it safe as for ALL water system, is to let the water runs for at least a minute or two to flush out standing water before drinking it.


So once again policy makers costing society billions to revamp fixtures


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## Gettinit (May 9, 2012)

drtyhands said:


> I have always been under the impression they had lead pipes.
> does make sense city outsiders wouldn't have lead in'em


Not everybody drank from lead pipes but it did cause health problems and stillbirths. I don't know what some may be reading but lead is not something that should be consumed directly or indirectly.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Killertoiletspider said:


> Did I miss the news on a sudden upswing in lead related deaths in Chicago?
> 
> Last year there were twenty, all related directly to lead based paint.


 Same old story after year and year.. another public scare tactics with lead posioning.. many section 8 people were caught feeding their kids with lead paint in order to sue HUD dept for allowing them to live dangerously at rent subsiery(sp) housings.. more studies showed lead is aborbed by inhaling lead paint powder (sanding,etc) not by swallowing lead paint as prevoisly thought.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

drtyhands said:


> So once again policy makers costing society billions to revamp fixtures


Yep, and who's the policy makers???


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## AWWGH (May 2, 2011)

Off topic.

OP had no intro.

Mods?

Start a lead thread, or lead free.


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

maria snow said:


> I think booster pumps are required in big buildings. As building providers sometime leaves this as it cost high but after few years if any problem occurs then its very hectic to change or repair these. So its always better to take help from the experts who are working in this field.


 And who are YOU????


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## Hillside (Jan 22, 2010)

rjbphd said:


> And who are YOU????


Hold on...... She sounds hot


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## SHAUN C (Feb 16, 2011)

PrecisePlumbing said:


> Really? Any info on these wood mains? Thats amazing they still hold pressure at all


My first year plumbing teacher had a 2' section of a wood main on his desk. Whoever guessed what it was got to leave early, nobody got it


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## pilot light (Apr 21, 2012)

SHAUN C said:


> My first year plumbing teacher had a 2' section of a wood main on his desk. Whoever guessed what it was got to leave early, nobody got it


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## pilot light (Apr 21, 2012)

It all comes down too incoming water pressure and The prv!


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## Mike24 (Jan 18, 2012)

4.3 psi per 10 ft. If u have 45psi coming out of street you may be ok on a 9 story building


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Mike24 said:


> 4.3 psi per 10 ft. If u have 45psi coming out of street you may be ok on a 9 story building


 And you are????


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## Mike24 (Jan 18, 2012)

Mechanical contractor from nj. I work on nothing but high rises. For quick calc 5psi per floor


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## rjbphd (Feb 5, 2010)

Mike24 said:


> Mechanical contractor from nj. I work on nothing but high rises. For quick calc 5psi per floor


 That's great but the mods here looking for proper intros... thanks


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## Radium (Dec 25, 2010)

The OP is a guy who called me saying he is an engineer in California. Talking about the same thing. I find it odd that he is hanging around here.

Sent from my iPad using PlumbingZone


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## plbgbiz (Aug 27, 2010)

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