In a moment of madness some years ago I asked Thames Water to install a
(free) water meter here. Having regained a level of sanity I then
reverted to unmetered payment. However, of course, TW refused to remove
the meter, and even when I asked that they replace it because it had
started making a too-loud clicking noise they took no action.

I now intend fitting a water softener immediately above the rising-main
stopcock (yes including a garden tap and drinking water spur) but
realise that TW's meter is plumbed in exactly where I need to play, so I
have some questions...

Shouldn't they have fitted their meter *before* the stopcock?

Since the meter is now of no relevance to either them or me (and
especially since it makes that noise) could I just set it to one side?
Would TW be likely to object? (I'd have to leave it sitting somewhere
nearby as it has the wiring attached which leads to one of their reading
points on an external wall.)

Do you think that even though I'm not now classed as a metered property
they might still be reading the meter occasionally and thus will notice
what I've done?

--
dave @ stejonda

dave @ stejonda wrote:
In a moment of madness some years ago I asked Thames Water to install a
(free) water meter here. Having regained a level of sanity I then
reverted to unmetered payment. However, of course, TW refused to remove
the meter, and even when I asked that they replace it because it had
started making a too-loud clicking noise they took no action.

I now intend fitting a water softener immediately above the rising-main
stopcock (yes including a garden tap and drinking water spur) but
realise that TW's meter is plumbed in exactly where I need to play, so I
have some questions...

Shouldn't they have fitted their meter *before* the stopcock?

Since the meter is now of no relevance to either them or me (and
especially since it makes that noise) could I just set it to one side?
Would TW be likely to object? (I'd have to leave it sitting somewhere
nearby as it has the wiring attached which leads to one of their reading
points on an external wall.)

Do you think that even though I'm not now classed as a metered property
they might still be reading the meter occasionally and thus will notice
what I've done?


I imagine you know this but you are obliged to inform your water
supplier if you fit a softener and the building regs man will require
you to have an unsoftened tap.

If you keep quiet you might get away with it but since Thames water know
about the meter you might as well play safe
Nick

In message , Nick Brooks
writes

I imagine you know this but you are obliged to inform your water
supplier if you fit a softener and the building regs man will require
you to have an unsoftened tap.

How strange that I didn't read that anywhere on the W-S manufacturers'
web-pages.

Please tell me more re. this building regs man (or where to find the
info).

If you keep quiet you might get away with it but since Thames water
know about the meter you might as well play safe

Thanks,

--
dave @ stejonda

dave @ stejonda wrote:
In message , Nick Brooks
writes


I imagine you know this but you are obliged to inform your water
supplier if you fit a softener and the building regs man will require
you to have an unsoftened tap.


How strange that I didn't read that anywhere on the W-S manufacturers'
web-pages.

Please tell me more re. this building regs man (or where to find the info).


If you keep quiet you might get away with it but since Thames water
know about the meter you might as well play safe


Thanks,

It is a legal requirement that you have one unsoftened tap ( for making
bottles for babies and others on a low sodium diet) and in my case,
because we are doing other work on the house, the building inspector
from the local council will enforce this.

If you are just installing a softener you probably won't have to tell
anyone except your water supplier.

"Official" version here

http://www.dwi.gov.uk/consumer/faq/filter.shtm

HTH

Nick Brooks

In article ,
says...


If you are just installing a softener you probably won't have to tell
anyone except your water supplier.

"Official" version here

http://www.dwi.gov.uk/consumer/faq/filter.shtm

Your link suggests that you only have to tell the supplier if you are
installing a "reverse osmosis" system as 20-30% of the water supply will
be wasted and sent back down the drain.

Peter

In message , Nick Brooks
writes
dave @ stejonda wrote:
In message , Nick
Brooks writes

I imagine you know this but you are obliged to inform your water
supplier if you fit a softener and the building regs man will require
you to have an unsoftened tap.
How strange that I didn't read that anywhere on the W-S
manufacturers' web-pages.
Please tell me more re. this building regs man (or where to find the
info).

It is a legal requirement that you have one unsoftened tap ( for making
bottles for babies and others on a low sodium diet) and in my case,
because we are doing other work on the house, the building inspector
from the local council will enforce this.

If you are just installing a softener you probably won't have to tell
anyone except your water supplier.

"Official" version here

http://www.dwi.gov.uk/consumer/faq/filter.shtm

Thanks Nick. I have now asked Thames Water to tell me what they require.

--
dave @ stejonda

"To materialist eyes, India is a developing country;
to spiritual eyes, the United States is a developing country."
Ram Dass

Peter Watson wrote:
In article ,
says...


If you are just installing a softener you probably won't have to tell
anyone except your water supplier.

"Official" version here

http://www.dwi.gov.uk/consumer/faq/filter.shtm


Your link suggests that you only have to tell the supplier if you are
installing a "reverse osmosis" system as 20-30% of the water supply will
be wasted and sent back down the drain.

Peter

Yes it does doesn't it.

" The Water Fittings Regulations require that consumers give notice to
their water company of the intention to install a RO system."

Do you know different?

Nick Brooks

In article ,
says...
Peter Watson wrote:


Your link suggests that you only have to tell the supplier if you are
installing a "reverse osmosis" system as 20-30% of the water supply will
be wasted and sent back down the drain.

Peter

Yes it does doesn't it.

" The Water Fittings Regulations require that consumers give notice to
their water company of the intention to install a RO system."

Do you know different?

No, but the link does acknowledge that "base exchange softening" is the
most common type of softener that is fitted and makes no mention of any
requirement to inform your water supplier if you fit one of these
devices....

Peter

In message , Nick Brooks
writes
Peter Watson wrote:
In article ,
says...

If you are just installing a softener you probably won't have to tell
anyone except your water supplier.

"Official" version here
http://www.dwi.gov.uk/consumer/faq/filter.shtm

Your link suggests that you only have to tell the supplier if you
are installing a "reverse osmosis" system as 20-30% of the water
supply will be wasted and sent back down the drain.

" The Water Fittings Regulations require that consumers give notice to
their water company of the intention to install a RO system."

Do you know different?

The Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 can be found at
http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/s...9/19991148.htm

The Water Supply (Water Fittings) (Amendment) Regulations 1999 are at
http://www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk/s...9/19991506.htm

I can find no mention of 'softener' nor 'ion exchange' within either.

However, in the first document there is the following...

Notification
5. - (1) Subject to paragraph (2), any person who proposes to
instal a water fitting in connection with any of the operations listed
in the Table below-
(a) shall give notice to the water undertaker that he proposes to begin
work;
(b) shall not begin that work without the consent of that undertaker
which shall not be withheld unreasonably; and
(c) shall comply with any conditions to which the undertaker's consent
is subject.

TABLE
1. snip
2. snip
3. snip
4. The installation of-
(a) snip
(b) snip
(c) snip
(d) snip
(e) a unit which incorporates reverse osmosis;
(f) a water treatment unit which produces a waste water discharge or
which requires the use of water for regeneration or cleaning;
endquote

So, the fact that an ion-exchange softener uses water to regenerate
means that notification is a legal requirement.

--
dave @ stejonda

"To materialist eyes, India is a developing country;
to spiritual eyes, the United States is a developing country."
Ram Dass

In message , Nick Brooks
writes
dave @ stejonda wrote:
snip
I now intend fitting a water softener immediately above the
rising-main stopcock (yes including a garden tap and drinking water
spur)
snip

I imagine you know this but you are obliged to inform your water
supplier if you fit a softener


I have just spoken to Thames Water and they informed me that I do *not*
need to inform them officially that I am fitting an ion-exchange water
softener.

--
dave @ stejonda

"dave @ stejonda" wrote in message
...
In a moment of madness some years ago I asked Thames Water to install a
(free) water meter here. Having regained a level of sanity I then
reverted to unmetered payment. However, of course, TW refused to remove
the meter, and even when I asked that they replace it because it had
started making a too-loud clicking noise they took no action.

I now intend fitting a water softener immediately above the rising-main
stopcock (yes including a garden tap and drinking water spur) but
realise that TW's meter is plumbed in exactly where I need to play, so I
have some questions...

Shouldn't they have fitted their meter *before* the stopcock?

Since the meter is now of no relevance to either them

But it is relevent to them.

The rule is that you, as the original person to have it fitted, can choose
not to be billed on the metered basis after some trial period. But once
it is installed, the water board can force all future owners of the house
to be meter billed. I don't know if it isTW's policy to do this but it was
certainly the policy of my previous water company, and they regularly
wrote to us trying to get us to allow them to fit a trial 'free meter'.

tim

or me (and
especially since it makes that noise) could I just set it to one side?
Would TW be likely to object? (I'd have to leave it sitting somewhere
nearby as it has the wiring attached which leads to one of their reading
points on an external wall.)

Do you think that even though I'm not now classed as a metered property
they might still be reading the meter occasionally and thus will notice
what I've done?

--
dave @ stejonda