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

SNIP

Ask neighbors if they have same problem.
As suggested, get the softener out of the circuit.
If there is a "Bypass" arrangement, make sure it is Open.

Your 30psi gauge may go off scale, but a gauge set up
the way you describe is a good test.

Any chance the supply piping in the house is galv iron?

Is there a pressure reducing valve on the water service?

Jim

Ignoramus22745 wrote:

On Tue, 28 Mar 2006 15:53:26 GMT, Speedy Jim 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


SNIP

Ask neighbors if they have same problem.
As suggested, get the softener out of the circuit.
If there is a "Bypass" arrangement, make sure it is Open.


Will check, i think that it is set on bypass.


Your 30psi gauge may go off scale, but a gauge set up
the way you describe is a good test.


OK... I can always buy an appropriate gauge, like I have on my TIG
water cooler. It is only about $10.


Any chance the supply piping in the house is galv iron?


I think that it is regular black iron pipe.


Is there a pressure reducing valve on the water service?


Good question, where would I find one? There are two regular looking
valves on both sides of the water meter. Pipe enters house near the
meter from the bottom of the basement floor.

i


PRV might look like this:
http://www.cashacme.com/pressregeb5.html

Black iron wouldn't be used for water,
but it could be galvanized. Hold a magnet to the supply piping.
If it *is* iron, could be the problem.

"Ignoramus22745" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 28 Mar 2006 18:35:00 GMT, Speedy Jim wrote:
Ignoramus22745 wrote:

On Tue, 28 Mar 2006 15:53:26 GMT, Speedy Jim 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


SNIP

Ask neighbors if they have same problem.
As suggested, get the softener out of the circuit.
If there is a "Bypass" arrangement, make sure it is Open.


Will check, i think that it is set on bypass.


Your 30psi gauge may go off scale, but a gauge set up
the way you describe is a good test.


OK... I can always buy an appropriate gauge, like I have on my TIG
water cooler. It is only about $10.


Any chance the supply piping in the house is galv iron?


I think that it is regular black iron pipe.


Is there a pressure reducing valve on the water service?


Good question, where would I find one? There are two regular looking
valves on both sides of the water meter. Pipe enters house near the
meter from the bottom of the basement floor.

i


PRV might look like this:
http://www.cashacme.com/pressregeb5.html

Thanks. I will check tonight if I see anything of the sort.

Black iron wouldn't be used for water,
but it could be galvanized. Hold a magnet to the supply piping.
If it *is* iron, could be the problem.

Will try that and will report my results. Thanks.

i


Galv steel piping is the cause of many problems due to it rusting inside.
If you have an interface between Galv. steel pipe and copper, if it was not
made using a dielectric union, that point will surely be badly corroded.

It is possible that a city copper pipe interfacing to a household galv steel
was repaired incorrectly using a regular union or threaded nipple. I wouuld
expect a restriction there as well. Jumping a ground wire across the
dielectric union will also cause corrosion and may have been done with good
intentions of grounding the pipe (older homes used this earth ground more
commonly, today we need to use a ground spike)

Try locating the city shutoff valve (usually near the property line at the
street) and turn it off and on a couple of times in case that valve was not
completely opened in the first place. You may need to buy or borrow a tool
for this or the city will do it as a matter of troubleshooting the problem.

If you have a pressure regulator (near where water first enters the house)
it may be misadjusted or have become defective.