Every faucet in my house performs poorly. The first thing in the
morning, they flow pretty well for a few seconds, then slow WAY down.
Some days it's the bathroom sink other days it's the tub; every day it's
the kitchen sink.
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Here are the symptoms:
* Faucets flow well for three seconds or so first thing in the morning.
* The first faucet turned on usually works this way. Subsequently-used
faucets tend to be slow from the beginning.
* Outside faucets are also slow.
* Bathtub faucets (not shower heads) have flow of about 4 gallons per
minute (GPM).
* The kitchen sink flows a 1 GPM. It's a pull-out-sprayer model, and
that rate is AFTER I removed a kink from the hose. I don't even get
enough flow for the aereator to put bubbles in the water stream. It
occasionally flows really well, but just for a few seconds.
* My sprinkler system works fine, with what looks to me like good flow
with six to eight heads. The system branches off next to the water meter
at the curb.
* I have pressure of 40 PSI measured at the bibcock by the front door.
The next door neighbor has more than 100 PSI. I don't know how much
more, because my gauge only goes to 100. The way the needle hit the
limit peg, I'd guess it's a lot more. My neighbor said taking showers
was painful.
* The water company came out and said that 40 PSI is adequate.
* A plumber came out and said this isn't covered by my homeowner's
warranty. He poked around for a while, replaced the gate valve cutoff by
the front porch with a 1/4-turn ball valve, and tried reverse-flushing
the system by running a hose to the back yard bibcock and draining out
the main line. The valve needed to be replaced, because it was rusting
out, but the reverse flush didn't help.
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Here's are some things I think might be causing the problem:
* Debris in the lines. Since the first-used faucet of the day flows hard
for a few seconds, the debris might be in a main line that then branches
off.
* Kinked main supply line from the curb to the front of the house. This
hypothesis is supported by good flow in the sprinkler system.
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My questions:
* What are likely causes for my problem?
* If there's debris in the line, how can I get rid of it?
* Why is my pressure so much lower than my neighbor's?
* What other questions should I ask?