How’s the water pressure in your building? One thing I can’t stand is a wimpy shower. I live on the 4th floor of a 12-story building, and the water pressure is nice and strong. Is it true that the lower floors get stronger water pressure? As I contemplate moving to another place, I wonder if the higher floors of a highrise, while affording a great view, would have weaker water pressure.
You can buy a pump to increase water pressure; I have one on the fifth floor (of an old building), and the water pressure is great. I forget what they’re called in chinese… jia1 ya1 qi4 or something… I can find out if you want.
if moving to a new place… check the water pressure when you go for a look
Thing is with your own water pump. when it gets old or broken its a pain in the ass
I thought each building only had one common water pump that pumps the water to the watertank on the roof. Do you mean each unit in a building can install a private water pump that serves only that unit? Where would one install the thing?
Haha… I have NO idea. But yes, my landlord installed a water-pressure pump (?) years ago (just for my apartment/unit). Honestly? I have no idea where it is (my guess is on the roof - I’m on the top floor), but there’s a switch one of my walls that he installed for it.
The switch is supposed to be used to turn it off when you’re not using it, in order to lengthen its life, but I’ve pretty much left it on for the last three years, and I think it was installed a few years before that, and have had no problems whatsoever. If you find a place you really like, but the water pressure sucks (or doesn’t suck well enough?), I’d definitely look into it. From my recollection, most Taiwanese I talked to about it knew exactly what I was talking about, so they should be easy to find.
AFAIK most buildings have the watertanks on top, either a common one or with seperate compartments for each unit. The water is pumped up and the weight of the water provides the max. pressure, though a heater could limit it. I assume additional pumps would be installed in or close to the tank, i.e. where the pipe to your unit exits the tank.
I believe you were right to say most. During past typhoons and water rationings, it seemed that most people’s water supplies were unaffected because they live in apartments with water tanks on the roof which would get filled before the rationing.
But I lived in an apartment without a rooftop tank, so whenever a typhoon muddied the city water or the city cut it off during rationing, I really didn’t have water. Unfortunately I believe my present place also lacks a rooftop tank, so I’m hoping the water won’t be cut off.