Dear Readers,

To know more about the ways to transform your bathroom into a high performance zone for you rejuvenation, relaxation and self pampering zone, please raise your queries via comments on this page.  

December 2008 Edition

1. I live on the 3rd floor of a 5 floor building. From the very beginning the apartment has a pressure problem for all the outlets like basin mixer, wall taps and shower heads. What corrective action you would recommend to improve pressure?

Mr. Anup Shinde, Vile Parle, Mumbai.

It looks like your problem is due to insufficient main/header lines. Possible solutions can be

1. Replacing the main water line by scraping the old one and putting in a new lining.
2. Replacing the main lining with a larger one.
3. Installing pumps to boost the pressure (if the pipe line is more than 12 years old boosters are not recommended).

2. We have a 5 year old house. Our tenants complain of clogged drains. We have spent a lot of money on rectifying this problem. Can you suggest some solutions?

Mr Pankaj Malhotra, G K 1, New Delhi

Reasons

• Dumping solid food materials into kitchen, bathroom drains.
• Pouring greasy sticky materials into your kitchen sink/gully traps.
• Pouring chemicals or paints in drains.
• Improper, inadequate venting.

Solutions

Use a plumber to declog your drain. This will work for clogs of smaller size. If it still persists, call an expert. Homemade solutions sometimes do not work for bigger clogs. Clogs can be removed using various techniques. Cable/curtain spring/bamboo stick can be used to remove solid clogs and break through roots.

High pressure water jetting is effective for clog that happen due to sticky greasy materials (if happens especially in new houses or renovations because the painters pour the waste paints in drains). Before using water jetting as option, it is important to know the quality of the plumbing materials used and ability of the plumber. High pressure used in the process of removing clogs may damage pipes if inferior quality material is used.

Check the vents provided for any visible blocks. Find out whether the venting is adequate for the fixture it serves. An expert can help you in this regard. If the venting is absent or inadequate, experts will give suitable solutions to overcome the problem.

3. What are green buildings? Do you have any products for these kinds of buildings?

P. Indrareddy, Builder, Habsiguda, Hyderabad

Green buildings can be defined as “A building which throughout its lifecycle (construction, usage, demolition/renovations) supports the local, regional and global environment.

Yes, Grohe certainly has some products which qualify the norms of USGBC and LEEDS. Some of our products like showers and basin mixers are certifies by WELS (Water efficiency Labelling Scheme) with star ratings of 3 and 5 respectively.

4. What is concealed cistern? Is it safe to install? Can it be repaired easily?

Mrs Radhika Bhatt, Indira Nagar, Bangalore

The cistern is built into the wall behind the toilet, mostly used along with wall mounted closets. It can be also used for squatting pans. This cistern will have dual flush actuation through a wall plate, with full and half flush provision. Yet it is very safe to install, one should buy the products from reputed manufacturers like Grohe who provide pre and post installation guidance by well trained technicians.