Low water pressure or low water flow?
 

Ignoramus22745 wrote:
I am trying to wrap up a few issues with the house.

We have a relatively nice house (ie not terribly cheaply built, 25 yrs
old), but we have a strange problem that has become bad lately. It is
either low water pressure or low water flow. Some facts

- If I am taking a shower and someone turns on some water faucet, even
not too much, the flow drops dramatically

- It applies to both hot and cold water

- Flow of water in the basement bathroom sink used to be pretty good,
not it is not

- We have a defunct "water softener" system that is still in line but
not operating for several years.

- it just feels that there "is not as much" water than before

- I checked the main valves near the water meter, they are quite wide
open (I was hoping that perhaps the problem is that they are just
"cracked open", but not such luck).

I have some nice stuff such as a "Magnehelic water pressure gauge"
that goes up to 30 psi. Would it be suitable to use? I could mount it
permanently somewhere in the furnace room.

I am thinking, if I record pressure, low pressure when all faucets are
closed means a city water problem. If not, low pressure when one
faucet is open means a house problem. Is that right?

What is the rational approach to solving this problem?

i


sounds like you have a rational approach.

--
Thank you,



"Then said I, Wisdom [is] better than strength: nevertheless the poor
man's wisdom [is] despised, and his words are not heard." Ecclesiastes 9:16

Low water pressure or low water flow?
 

Ignoramus22745 wrote:

On Tue, 28 Mar 2006 10:34:30 -0500, dnoyeB wrote:
Ignoramus22745 wrote:
I am trying to wrap up a few issues with the house.

We have a relatively nice house (ie not terribly cheaply built, 25 yrs
old), but we have a strange problem that has become bad lately. It is
either low water pressure or low water flow. Some facts

- If I am taking a shower and someone turns on some water faucet, even
not too much, the flow drops dramatically

- It applies to both hot and cold water

- Flow of water in the basement bathroom sink used to be pretty good,
not it is not

- We have a defunct "water softener" system that is still in line but
not operating for several years.

- it just feels that there "is not as much" water than before

- I checked the main valves near the water meter, they are quite wide
open (I was hoping that perhaps the problem is that they are just
"cracked open", but not such luck).

I have some nice stuff such as a "Magnehelic water pressure gauge"
that goes up to 30 psi. Would it be suitable to use? I could mount it
permanently somewhere in the furnace room.

I am thinking, if I record pressure, low pressure when all faucets are
closed means a city water problem. If not, low pressure when one
faucet is open means a house problem. Is that right?

What is the rational approach to solving this problem?

i


sounds like you have a rational approach.


OK... so my initial plan is:

1) Per hallerb's suggestion, remove the water softener

2) Install the magnehelic water pressure gauge (I will post pictures
of it prior to installing, to make sure that it is suitable).

3) Based on a changed situation (removed water softener) and with the
pressure gauge, see what is going on

3) go from there

Does it make sense?

What is the max water pressure that could exist in residences? I need
this question answered to decide if I can install the pressure gauge
that I have.

thanks

i

If the gauge only does 30PSI it won't cut it even if you had a well.
City water could easily be 80PSI though there should be a regulator to
drop it to 60PSI. You can get a suitable gauge for like $10 at Depot or
Lowe's.

Pete C.