Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
Andy

On Feb 22, 10:05*pm, Andy wrote:
Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy
The pressure is not the issue. The problem is delivery of
VOLUME at the faucet. By now, most 50 year old pipes
have been replaced when a substantial volume deficit is
apparent.

"Andy" wrote in message
...
Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
Andy

City water? There is no practical way to increase the pressure beyond what
is fed to the house. It can be done with tanks and pumps though.
Expensive and may not solve the real problem.

Given that you have old galvanized pipe, there could be a lot of flow
restriction from corrosion buildup. My first thought is to replace it with
Pex. I'd also check on the condition of the feed from the street. No
matter what you do in the house if that line is partly closed from buildup,
nothing inside will improve.

You really need an inspection by someone that knows what to look for and
that can put a pressure gauge on the line.

On Feb 22, 10:55*pm, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:
"Andy" wrote in message

...

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * *Andy

City water? *There is no practical way to increase the pressure beyond what
is fed to the house. * It can be done with tanks and pumps though.
Expensive and may not solve the real problem.

Given that you have old galvanized pipe, there could be a lot of flow
restriction from corrosion buildup. *My first thought is to replace it with
Pex. * I'd also check on the condition of the feed from the street. *No
matter what you do in the house if that line is partly closed from buildup,
nothing inside will improve.

You really need an inspection by someone that knows what to look for and
that can put a pressure gauge on the line.

its probably past time to replace all the water lines......

PEX is excellent and cheap too, the incoming water line may be clogged
too espically if its lead..

the thing about galvanized, it will leak. fix one leak get 2 more
later.

On Feb 22, 7:05*pm, Andy wrote:
Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

Booster pump and tank. Shouldn't run more than about $200.

Harry K

On Feb 22, 10:17*pm, " wrote:
On Feb 22, 10:55*pm, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:





"Andy" wrote in message

....

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * *Andy

City water? *There is no practical way to increase the pressure beyond what
is fed to the house. * It can be done with tanks and pumps though.
Expensive and may not solve the real problem.

Given that you have old galvanized pipe, there could be a lot of flow
restriction from corrosion buildup. *My first thought is to replace it with
Pex. * I'd also check on the condition of the feed from the street. *No
matter what you do in the house if that line is partly closed from buildup,
nothing inside will improve.

You really need an inspection by someone that knows what to look for and
that can put a pressure gauge on the line.

its probably past time to replace all the water lines......

PEX is excellent and cheap too, the incoming water line may be clogged
too espically if its lead..

the thing about galvanized, it will leak. fix one leak get 2 more
later.

Wouldn't that be a rather large major job ?

Tearing out sheetrock to replace the pipes, etc.

Andy

On Feb 22, 10:24*pm, Harry K wrote:
On Feb 22, 7:05*pm, Andy wrote:

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

Booster pump and tank. *Shouldn't run more than about $200.

Harry K

Thanks.

Your idea brought up an idea.

The pressure is only an issue with one shower.

Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?

On Feb 22, 10:05*pm, Andy wrote:
Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

You can put a booster pump on it and a bladder tank just as if you
had a well supply. You'll need a check valve as well. Have you put a
guage on it to see what the current presure is now? As other point
out if the pipes have a lot of scale built up inside them you can have
a volume issue. Increasing the pressure can overcome that to a degree
but also puts a bigger load on the system. Increases your chances of
leaks. First step is to get a pressure guage and see. You can get
ones that screw on to your outdoor faucet.

On 2/23/2011 7:12 AM, Andy wrote:
On Feb 22, 10:17 pm, wrote:
On Feb 22, 10:55 pm, "Ed wrote:





wrote in message

...

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
Andy

City water? There is no practical way to increase the pressure beyond what
is fed to the house. It can be done with tanks and pumps though.
Expensive and may not solve the real problem.

Given that you have old galvanized pipe, there could be a lot of flow
restriction from corrosion buildup. My first thought is to replace it with
Pex. I'd also check on the condition of the feed from the street. No
matter what you do in the house if that line is partly closed from buildup,
nothing inside will improve.

You really need an inspection by someone that knows what to look for and
that can put a pressure gauge on the line.

its probably past time to replace all the water lines......

PEX is excellent and cheap too, the incoming water line may be clogged
too espically if its lead..

the thing about galvanized, it will leak. fix one leak get 2 more
later.

Wouldn't that be a rather large major job ?

Tearing out sheetrock to replace the pipes, etc.

Andy

An analogy: You have four worn out flat tires on your car, it just
doesn't perform as well as it used to. You could likely find a solution
such as fitting a much bigger engine or even something more complicated
and still never get a good result or you could replace the tires.

There isn't any real fix for old galvanized piping except to replace it.

On Feb 23, 8:35*am, George wrote:
On 2/23/2011 7:12 AM, Andy wrote:





On Feb 22, 10:17 pm, *wrote:
On Feb 22, 10:55 pm, "Ed *wrote:

*wrote in message

....

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

City water? *There is no practical way to increase the pressure beyond what
is fed to the house. * It can be done with tanks and pumps though.
Expensive and may not solve the real problem.

Given that you have old galvanized pipe, there could be a lot of flow
restriction from corrosion buildup. *My first thought is to replace it with
Pex. * I'd also check on the condition of the feed from the street. *No
matter what you do in the house if that line is partly closed from buildup,
nothing inside will improve.

You really need an inspection by someone that knows what to look for and
that can put a pressure gauge on the line.

its probably past time to replace all the water lines......

PEX is excellent and cheap too, the incoming water line may be clogged
too espically if its lead..

the thing about galvanized, it will leak. fix one leak get 2 more
later.

Wouldn't that be a rather large major job ?

Tearing out sheetrock to replace the pipes, etc.

Andy

An analogy: You have four worn out flat tires on your car, it just
doesn't perform as well as it used to. You could likely find a solution
such as fitting a much bigger engine or even something more complicated
and still never get a good result or you could replace the tires.

There isn't any real fix for old galvanized piping except to replace it.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Again a bunch of you jump to conclusions without enough facts to
support them. Are the galvanized pipes really his problem? We don't
know because he did not report the actual pressure he has. Instead
suggest he do pressure and flow tests just like a plumber would do if
called out to the house with this problem. All it takes is a pressure
guage and a 5 gallon bucket. Who knows, he might just have a reglator
in the system. somewhere

On 2/23/2011 6:12 AM, Andy wrote:
On Feb 22, 10:17 pm, wrote:
On Feb 22, 10:55 pm, "Ed wrote:





wrote in message

...

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
Andy

City water? There is no practical way to increase the pressure beyond what
is fed to the house. It can be done with tanks and pumps though.
Expensive and may not solve the real problem.

Given that you have old galvanized pipe, there could be a lot of flow
restriction from corrosion buildup. My first thought is to replace it with
Pex. I'd also check on the condition of the feed from the street. No
matter what you do in the house if that line is partly closed from buildup,
nothing inside will improve.

You really need an inspection by someone that knows what to look for and
that can put a pressure gauge on the line.

its probably past time to replace all the water lines......

PEX is excellent and cheap too, the incoming water line may be clogged
too espically if its lead..

the thing about galvanized, it will leak. fix one leak get 2 more
later.

Wouldn't that be a rather large major job ?

Tearing out sheetrock to replace the pipes, etc.

Andy

all depends on the house. I have no pipes covered by sheetrock. A two
story? Yes, it probably would. But pex is pretty workable. If you can
pull romex through a given area, you can probably pull pex through the
same place. If a single level with a basement or crawl space, then it
ain't nothing but a thing to do.

--
Steve Barker
remove the "not" from my address to email

On Feb 23, 7:14*am, Andy wrote:
On Feb 22, 10:24*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 22, 7:05*pm, Andy wrote:

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

Booster pump and tank. *Shouldn't run more than about $200.

Harry K

Thanks.

Your idea brought up an idea.

The pressure is only an issue with one shower.

Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?

increasing the pressure will no doubt increase the risks for leaks....

since the problem is just one shower.

does the shower head have a flow restrictor in it?

is poor flow just hot or just cold?

could be a clogged shower head, galvanized generates particles of rust
that can clog things.

bad shower valve somehow?

On Feb 23, 7:12*am, Andy wrote:
On Feb 22, 10:17*pm, " wrote:





On Feb 22, 10:55*pm, "Ed Pawlowski" wrote:

"Andy" wrote in message

....

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * *Andy

City water? *There is no practical way to increase the pressure beyond what
is fed to the house. * It can be done with tanks and pumps though.
Expensive and may not solve the real problem.

Given that you have old galvanized pipe, there could be a lot of flow
restriction from corrosion buildup. *My first thought is to replace it with
Pex. * I'd also check on the condition of the feed from the street. *No
matter what you do in the house if that line is partly closed from buildup,
nothing inside will improve.

You really need an inspection by someone that knows what to look for and
that can put a pressure gauge on the line.

its probably past time to replace all the water lines......

PEX is excellent and cheap too, the incoming water line may be clogged
too espically if its lead..

the thing about galvanized, it will leak. fix one leak get 2 more
later.

Wouldn't that be a rather large major job ?

Tearing out sheetrock to replace the pipes, etc.

Andy- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

some jobs just must be done, once you get enough leaks you will
understand

PEX is DIY friendly, just do a run or two at a time

Andy wrote:

On Feb 22, 10:24 pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 22, 7:05 pm, Andy wrote:


Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
Andy

Booster pump and tank. Shouldn't run more than about $200.

Harry K


Thanks.

Your idea brought up an idea.

The pressure is only an issue with one shower.

Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?


Hey Andy, have you checked to see if that showerhead is clogged?

Or is the flow slow from faucets around the house too?

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10e12 furlongs per fortnight.

On Feb 23, 8:44*am, " wrote:
On Feb 23, 7:14*am, Andy wrote:





On Feb 22, 10:24*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 22, 7:05*pm, Andy wrote:

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

Booster pump and tank. *Shouldn't run more than about $200.

Harry K

Thanks.

Your idea brought up an idea.

The pressure is only an issue with one shower.

Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?

increasing the pressure will no doubt increase the risks for leaks....

since the problem is just one shower.

does the shower head have a flow restrictor in it?

is poor flow just hot or just cold?

could be a clogged shower head, galvanized generates particles of rust
that can clog things.

bad shower valve somehow?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

The OP obviously doesn't have a clue, he should call a real plumber.

On Feb 23, 4:14*am, Andy wrote:
On Feb 22, 10:24*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 22, 7:05*pm, Andy wrote:

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

Booster pump and tank. *Shouldn't run more than about $200.

Harry K

Thanks.

Your idea brought up an idea.

The pressure is only an issue with one shower.

Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?

No, if you have only an isolated problem, you find what the problem is
and fix that.

Harry K

On Wed, 23 Feb 2011 04:12:01 -0800 (PST), Andy
wrote:

its probably past time to replace all the water lines......

PEX is excellent and cheap too, the incoming water line may be clogged
too espically if its lead..

the thing about galvanized, it will leak. fix one leak get 2 more
later.


.... fix those leaks, get another three and then put Pex in...

Wouldn't that be a rather large major job ?

Tearing out sheetrock to replace the pipes, etc.

Abandon the pipes in the wall? Run Pex home runs from a manifold to
each fixture. A correct install, in the attic, would seem simple in my
view.

You might have to do some small patching -- though?

On Feb 23, 2:39*pm, Harry K wrote:
On Feb 23, 4:14*am, Andy wrote:





On Feb 22, 10:24*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 22, 7:05*pm, Andy wrote:

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

Booster pump and tank. *Shouldn't run more than about $200.

Harry K

Thanks.

Your idea brought up an idea.

The pressure is only an issue with one shower.

Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?

No, if you have only an isolated problem, you find what the problem is
and fix that.

Harry K- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

a home full of old galvanized is not a isolated problem.

in such cases your better off replacing the lines on your schedule,
than waiting for the flood that will certinally come.

my best friend said I am a patient person, i dont care how long it
takes to fill the tub, a trickle doesnt bother me in the least

but after his 8 or 9th leak he began the all copper project

meanwhile the repeated water leaks did a good bit of damage to his
home.

PEX is great, cheap, easy to work with, no tees in walls etc. less
chance for leaks freeze tolerant..

flexible around obstructions.....

try it its great

On Feb 23, 7:14*am, Andy wrote:
Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?

At least spend a LITTLE time educating yourself instead of diving in
wide-eyed and excited on the first person who says what you want to
hear.

The fact that it's limited to one shower is even MORE proof that it's
an issue with your pipes, not the pressure. Assuming that there is no
flow restrictor on the shower.

A booster pump and tank is NOT a solution for old clogged pipes,
unless the plan involves flooding the house and then using the
insurance money to hire a plumber to redo all the pipes.

Most likely, the shower head is an old-fashioned high-flow unit, and
the pipes or valve to that shower have partially clogged, and it
cannot get enough water to maintain pressure.

Here's a quick bandaid workaround that'll make your showers more
pleasant: Walmart has a small, simple metal low-flow shower head. It
looks like a garden hose nozzle, except chrome. While it cuts down on
the amount of water, it brings the pressure back up so it FEELS like
you're getting a full-force 5-star hotel shower.

Back at the folks' house, the water barely dribbled out the shower
head. Low pressure due to the well and a long pipe run to the shower.
After they put one of these Walmart heads on, it was like showering
under a pressure washer! With normal water pressure and no flow
issues, these heads give the best back massages.

wrote:

[snip]

increasing the pressure will no doubt increase the risks for leaks....

since the problem is just one shower.

does the shower head have a flow restrictor in it?

is poor flow just hot or just cold?

could be a clogged shower head, galvanized generates particles of rust
that can clog things.

bad shower valve somehow?

My shower has been slow, because of a deteriorated washer in the hot water
valve. Bits of rubber would break off and got stuck in the shower head.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us

"Making fun of born-again Christians is like hunting dairy cows with a
high powered rifle and scope." -- P.J. O'Rourke

On 2/23/2011 8:44 AM, jamesgangnc wrote:
On Feb 23, 8:35 am, wrote:
On 2/23/2011 7:12 AM, Andy wrote:





On Feb 22, 10:17 pm, wrote:
On Feb 22, 10:55 pm, "Ed wrote:

wrote in message

...

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
Andy

City water? There is no practical way to increase the pressure beyond what
is fed to the house. It can be done with tanks and pumps though.
Expensive and may not solve the real problem.

Given that you have old galvanized pipe, there could be a lot of flow
restriction from corrosion buildup. My first thought is to replace it with
Pex. I'd also check on the condition of the feed from the street. No
matter what you do in the house if that line is partly closed from buildup,
nothing inside will improve.

You really need an inspection by someone that knows what to look for and
that can put a pressure gauge on the line.

its probably past time to replace all the water lines......

PEX is excellent and cheap too, the incoming water line may be clogged
too espically if its lead..

the thing about galvanized, it will leak. fix one leak get 2 more
later.

Wouldn't that be a rather large major job ?

Tearing out sheetrock to replace the pipes, etc.

Andy

An analogy: You have four worn out flat tires on your car, it just
doesn't perform as well as it used to. You could likely find a solution
such as fitting a much bigger engine or even something more complicated
and still never get a good result or you could replace the tires.

There isn't any real fix for old galvanized piping except to replace it.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Again a bunch of you jump to conclusions without enough facts to
support them. Are the galvanized pipes really his problem? We don't
know because he did not report the actual pressure he has. Instead
suggest he do pressure and flow tests just like a plumber would do if
called out to the house with this problem. All it takes is a pressure
guage and a 5 gallon bucket. Who knows, he might just have a reglator
in the system. somewhere

I have never seen galvanized pipe that has been in service for 50
years (and often a lot less) that wasn't almost completely obstructed so
I think it is a pretty safe conclusion.

On Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:47:42 -0500, George
wrote:



I have never seen galvanized pipe that has been in service for 50
years (and often a lot less) that wasn't almost completely obstructed so
I think it is a pretty safe conclusion.

They close up, but mostly at the turns and after the HW tank.
I've had galvanized in all my homes and never saw a leak.
This house has 50 years old galvanized and the pressure is fine.
I re-piped the scaled up 60 year-old galvanized in my last place, a
2-flat.
Didn't bother replacing the verticals in the plumbing wall, as they
looked good inside.
Worst parts were the first el in the supply, and all the HW supply up
to the veriticals.
That was 30 years ago and I still have family living there with 90
year old galvanized in the walls and good pressure and no leaks.
If I ever get a low flow problem in this house I know where to look.
I've always been on Lake Michigan water, and I understand galvanized
might have more problems elsewhere.
The OP has a problem with one shower.
He should find out why that shower is slow.
A sink faucet screen with some pieces of scale in it can almost stop
the flow, so the same can happen with a showerhead.
Don't know if he has a tub shower and the tub faucets run strong.
He didn't say. That's par for the course.

--Vic

"Vic Smith" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 23 Feb 2011 18:47:42 -0500, George
wrote:



I have never seen galvanized pipe that has been in service for 50
years (and often a lot less) that wasn't almost completely obstructed so
I think it is a pretty safe conclusion.

This house has 50 years old galvanized and the pressure is fine.
I re-piped the scaled up 60 year-old galvanized in my last place, a
2-flat.
Didn't bother replacing the verticals in the plumbing wall, as they
looked good inside.
Worst parts were the first el in the supply, and all the HW supply up
to the veriticals.
That was 30 years ago and I still have family living there with 90
year old galvanized in the walls and good pressure and no leaks.

Of course, all of this depends on the quality of water to begin with. That
90 year old pipe may be corroded in 2 years in another place in the country.

"Andy" wrote

Thanks.

Your idea brought up an idea.

The pressure is only an issue with one shower.

Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?

Different problem. If the pressure is low at one fixture, it is a piping or
faucet problem. It may be as simple as cleaning or replacing the shower
head. If all the faucets are turned off, the pressure in the system is
going to be the same every place. If, when the faucet is open, the pressure
of the shower drops there is a restriction of the flow. Find and fix it.

On Feb 23, 1:36*pm, " wrote:
On Feb 23, 2:39*pm, Harry K wrote:





On Feb 23, 4:14*am, Andy wrote:

On Feb 22, 10:24*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 22, 7:05*pm, Andy wrote:

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

Booster pump and tank. *Shouldn't run more than about $200.

Harry K

Thanks.

Your idea brought up an idea.

The pressure is only an issue with one shower.

Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?

No, if you have only an isolated problem, you find what the problem is
and fix that.

Harry K- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

a home full of old galvanized is not a isolated problem.

in such cases your better off replacing the lines on your schedule,
than waiting for the flood that will certinally come.

my best friend said I am a patient person, i dont care how long it
takes to fill the tub, a trickle doesnt bother me in the least

but after his 8 or 9th leak he began the all copper project

meanwhile the repeated water leaks did a good bit of damage to his
home.

PEX is great, cheap, easy to work with, no tees in walls etc. less
chance for leaks freeze tolerant..

flexible around obstructions.....

try it its great- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

So he has low pressure in ONE run of pipe to a shower and it _isn't_
an isolated problem? Weird.

Harry K

On Feb 23, 11:29*pm, Harry K wrote:
On Feb 23, 1:36*pm, " wrote:





On Feb 23, 2:39*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 23, 4:14*am, Andy wrote:

On Feb 22, 10:24*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 22, 7:05*pm, Andy wrote:

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

Booster pump and tank. *Shouldn't run more than about $200.

Harry K

Thanks.

Your idea brought up an idea.

The pressure is only an issue with one shower.

Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?

No, if you have only an isolated problem, you find what the problem is
and fix that.

Harry K- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

a home full of old galvanized is not a isolated problem.

in such cases your better off replacing the lines on your schedule,
than waiting for the flood that will certinally come.

my best friend said I am a patient person, i dont care how long it
takes to fill the tub, a trickle doesnt bother me in the least

but after his 8 or 9th leak he began the all copper project

meanwhile the repeated water leaks did a good bit of damage to his
home.

PEX is great, cheap, easy to work with, no tees in walls etc. less
chance for leaks freeze tolerant..

flexible around obstructions.....

try it its great- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

So he has low pressure in ONE run of pipe to a shower and it _isn't_
an isolated problem? *Weird.

Harry K- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

well my buddy who had the leaky galvanized lines said at first only
the bathroom is effected, probably because it was on the 2nd floor so
pressure and flow were a little less.

then the problem became more widespread, and the leaks began....

its altogheter possible the OP here has poor flow everywhere from
interior pipe rust but has adjusted, its now getting worse, and most
noiticeable at that one fixture

On Feb 24, 9:17*am, " wrote:
On Feb 23, 11:29*pm, Harry K wrote:





On Feb 23, 1:36*pm, " wrote:

On Feb 23, 2:39*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 23, 4:14*am, Andy wrote:

On Feb 22, 10:24*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 22, 7:05*pm, Andy wrote:

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

Booster pump and tank. *Shouldn't run more than about $200.

Harry K

Thanks.

Your idea brought up an idea.

The pressure is only an issue with one shower.

Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?

No, if you have only an isolated problem, you find what the problem is
and fix that.

Harry K- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

a home full of old galvanized is not a isolated problem.

in such cases your better off replacing the lines on your schedule,
than waiting for the flood that will certinally come.

my best friend said I am a patient person, i dont care how long it
takes to fill the tub, a trickle doesnt bother me in the least

but after his 8 or 9th leak he began the all copper project

meanwhile the repeated water leaks did a good bit of damage to his
home.

PEX is great, cheap, easy to work with, no tees in walls etc. less
chance for leaks freeze tolerant..

flexible around obstructions.....

try it its great- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

So he has low pressure in ONE run of pipe to a shower and it _isn't_
an isolated problem? *Weird.

Harry K- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

well my buddy who had the leaky galvanized lines said at first only
the bathroom is effected, probably because it was on the 2nd floor so
pressure and flow were a little less.

then the problem became more widespread, and the leaks began....

its altogheter possible the OP here has poor flow everywhere from
interior pipe rust but has adjusted, its now getting worse, and most
noiticeable at that one fixture- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

So he should replace all his pipe because you had a buddy that had a
problem with his pipe? Probably ought to tear down and rebuild his
desk too, huh?

On Feb 24, 6:17*am, " wrote:
On Feb 23, 11:29*pm, Harry K wrote:





On Feb 23, 1:36*pm, " wrote:

On Feb 23, 2:39*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 23, 4:14*am, Andy wrote:

On Feb 22, 10:24*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 22, 7:05*pm, Andy wrote:

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

Booster pump and tank. *Shouldn't run more than about $200.

Harry K

Thanks.

Your idea brought up an idea.

The pressure is only an issue with one shower.

Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?

No, if you have only an isolated problem, you find what the problem is
and fix that.

Harry K- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

a home full of old galvanized is not a isolated problem.

in such cases your better off replacing the lines on your schedule,
than waiting for the flood that will certinally come.

my best friend said I am a patient person, i dont care how long it
takes to fill the tub, a trickle doesnt bother me in the least

but after his 8 or 9th leak he began the all copper project

meanwhile the repeated water leaks did a good bit of damage to his
home.

PEX is great, cheap, easy to work with, no tees in walls etc. less
chance for leaks freeze tolerant..

flexible around obstructions.....

try it its great- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

So he has low pressure in ONE run of pipe to a shower and it _isn't_
an isolated problem? *Weird.

Harry K- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

well my buddy who had the leaky galvanized lines said at first only
the bathroom is effected, probably because it was on the 2nd floor so
pressure and flow were a little less.

then the problem became more widespread, and the leaks began....

its altogheter possible the OP here has poor flow everywhere from
interior pipe rust but has adjusted, its now getting worse, and most
noiticeable at that one fixture- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

You seem to be psychic. Somehow you just _know_ that his pipes are
corroded. Must be nice to be able to do that. I have a house that
was built back in the 40s. Bought it in 76. Replaced all iron pipe
in the 80s - it was not corroded - replaced due to a total rebuild and
floor plan rearangement (added an 18x30' additon).

In this area buried iron pipe has limited life, the soil eats it. I
have dug up pipe that was double in size from rust with the interior
still clean.

But please do continue with all your assumptions - they are good for
laughs.

Back to the subject. It is one run. Sensible persons would examine
that run for the problem (probably a clogged shower head). Only if
that inspection showed corroded pipe as the problem would a sensible
person set out to replace all the pipe in the house.


Harry K

On Feb 24, 6:23*am, jamesgangnc wrote:
On Feb 24, 9:17*am, " wrote:





On Feb 23, 11:29*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 23, 1:36*pm, " wrote:

On Feb 23, 2:39*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 23, 4:14*am, Andy wrote:

On Feb 22, 10:24*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 22, 7:05*pm, Andy wrote:

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

Booster pump and tank. *Shouldn't run more than about $200.

Harry K

Thanks.

Your idea brought up an idea.

The pressure is only an issue with one shower.

Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?

No, if you have only an isolated problem, you find what the problem is
and fix that.

Harry K- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

a home full of old galvanized is not a isolated problem.

in such cases your better off replacing the lines on your schedule,
than waiting for the flood that will certinally come.

my best friend said I am a patient person, i dont care how long it
takes to fill the tub, a trickle doesnt bother me in the least

but after his 8 or 9th leak he began the all copper project

meanwhile the repeated water leaks did a good bit of damage to his
home.

PEX is great, cheap, easy to work with, no tees in walls etc. less
chance for leaks freeze tolerant..

flexible around obstructions.....

try it its great- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

So he has low pressure in ONE run of pipe to a shower and it _isn't_
an isolated problem? *Weird.

Harry K- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

well my buddy who had the leaky galvanized lines said at first only
the bathroom is effected, probably because it was on the 2nd floor so
pressure and flow were a little less.

then the problem became more widespread, and the leaks began....

its altogheter possible the OP here has poor flow everywhere from
interior pipe rust but has adjusted, its now getting worse, and most
noiticeable at that one fixture- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

So he should replace all his pipe because you had a buddy that had a
problem with his pipe? *Probably ought to tear down and rebuild his
desk too, huh?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

He probably didn't even have that buddy. He just heard about it from
the friend of a neighbor who heard it at the local bar .

Harry K

On Feb 24, 11:31*am, Harry K wrote:
On Feb 24, 6:23*am, jamesgangnc wrote:





On Feb 24, 9:17*am, " wrote:

On Feb 23, 11:29*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 23, 1:36*pm, " wrote:

On Feb 23, 2:39*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 23, 4:14*am, Andy wrote:

On Feb 22, 10:24*pm, Harry K wrote:

On Feb 22, 7:05*pm, Andy wrote:

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

Booster pump and tank. *Shouldn't run more than about $200.

Andy wrote:
On Feb 22, 10:24 pm, Harry K wrote:
On Feb 22, 7:05 pm, Andy wrote:

Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
Andy

Booster pump and tank. Shouldn't run more than about $200.

Harry K

Thanks.

Your idea brought up an idea.

The pressure is only an issue with one shower.

Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?

The problem is probably a pluged head or valve, most likely the head. Take it
off - do you get powerful flow? Then clean or replace the head.

On 2/24/2011 11:30 AM, Harry K wrote:
(snip)

Back to the subject. It is one run. Sensible persons would examine
that run for the problem (probably a clogged shower head). Only if
that inspection showed corroded pipe as the problem would a sensible
person set out to replace all the pipe in the house.


Harry K

Hard to say without seeing it. And while I am no plumber, I have
personally seen multiple instances of galv iron water systems, where
once you disturb it, and stress joints and runs further upstream or
downstream, they start leaking.

I've never used Pex, but have heard good things about it, especially
once it got past the growing pains of the early fittings. I've long been
of the opinion that if you can afford it, dedicated runs are the way to
go, with a labeled shutoff valve manifold to shut off each run as needed
if there are problems. Tees and other joints behind solid walls are a
pain in the ass. And of course, when you are designing, back all wet
walls up to a closet and build in access hatches from the start.

--
aem sends...

--

On Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:05:33 -0500, aemeijers
wrote:

On 2/24/2011 11:30 AM, Harry K wrote:
(snip)

Back to the subject. It is one run. Sensible persons would examine
that run for the problem (probably a clogged shower head). Only if
that inspection showed corroded pipe as the problem would a sensible
person set out to replace all the pipe in the house.


Harry K

Hard to say without seeing it. And while I am no plumber, I have
personally seen multiple instances of galv iron water systems, where
once you disturb it, and stress joints and runs further upstream or
downstream, they start leaking.


You need 2 wrenches to work galvanized.
Got no idea what you mean by "disturbing" or "stressing" it.
I could guess, but why be impolite?
I'm not saying anybody should choose it over copper or PEX,
but for me galvanized is like riding a bicycle.
Never even give a thought to galvanized joints leaking.

--Vic

On Feb 24, 10:47*pm, Vic Smith
wrote:
On Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:05:33 -0500, aemeijers
wrote:





On 2/24/2011 11:30 AM, Harry K wrote:
(snip)

Back to the subject. *It is one run. *Sensible persons would examine
that run for the problem (probably a clogged shower head). Only if
that inspection showed corroded pipe as the problem would a sensible
person set out to replace all the pipe in the house.

Harry K

Hard to say without seeing it. And while I am no plumber, I have
personally seen multiple instances of galv iron water systems, where
once you disturb it, and stress joints and runs further upstream or
downstream, they start leaking.

You need 2 wrenches to work galvanized.
Got no idea what you mean by "disturbing" or "stressing" it.
I could guess, but why be impolite?
I'm not saying anybody should choose it over copper or PEX,
but for me galvanized is like riding a bicycle.
Never even give a thought to galvanized joints leaking.

--Vic- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

old galvanized fittings tend to rust and weld together, no matter how
careful you are its easy to twist a connected line and cause another
leak either immediately or in the future.....

old galavanized is generally packed with rust, making you wonder how
water even managed to get thru the rust

On Feb 24, 4:05*pm, aemeijers wrote:
On 2/24/2011 11:30 AM, Harry K wrote:
(snip)



Back to the subject. *It is one run. *Sensible persons would examine
that run for the problem (probably a clogged shower head). Only if
that inspection showed corroded pipe as the problem would a sensible
person set out to replace all the pipe in the house.

Harry K

Hard to say without seeing it. And while I am no plumber, I have
personally seen multiple instances of galv iron water systems, where
once you disturb it, and stress joints and runs further upstream or
downstream, they start leaking.

I've never used Pex, but have heard good things about it, especially
once it got past the growing pains of the early fittings. I've long been
of the opinion that if you can afford it, dedicated runs are the way to
go, with a labeled shutoff valve manifold to shut off each run as needed
if there are problems. Tees and other joints behind solid walls are a
pain in the ass. And of course, when you are designing, back all wet
walls up to a closet and build in access hatches from the start.

--
aem sends...

--

For sure on Pex but one does not instantly assume a problem like
Halliburton has done and proceed to tear out pipe without _knowing_ it
is a problem.

As for "disturbing" pipe. Two pipe wrenches properly applied will
only disturb tht one fitting. I have worked on...umm...4 houses now
and all of them were galv and all older than 50 years. Never had a
leak develope anywhere in the system..other than a couple on the
joints I worked. In this area 50 year old galv pipe _not buried_ will
be very clean inside.

Harry K

On Feb 24, 8:44*pm, " wrote:
On Feb 24, 10:47*pm, Vic Smith
wrote:





On Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:05:33 -0500, aemeijers
wrote:

On 2/24/2011 11:30 AM, Harry K wrote:
(snip)

Back to the subject. *It is one run. *Sensible persons would examine
that run for the problem (probably a clogged shower head). Only if
that inspection showed corroded pipe as the problem would a sensible
person set out to replace all the pipe in the house.

Harry K

Hard to say without seeing it. And while I am no plumber, I have
personally seen multiple instances of galv iron water systems, where
once you disturb it, and stress joints and runs further upstream or
downstream, they start leaking.

You need 2 wrenches to work galvanized.
Got no idea what you mean by "disturbing" or "stressing" it.
I could guess, but why be impolite?
I'm not saying anybody should choose it over copper or PEX,
but for me galvanized is like riding a bicycle.
Never even give a thought to galvanized joints leaking.

--Vic- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

old galvanized fittings tend to rust and weld together, no matter how
careful you are its easy to twist a connected line and cause another
leak either immediately or in the future.....

old galavanized is generally packed with rust, making you wonder how
water even managed to get thru the rust- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Keep riding that hobby horse!

Harry K

On Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:44:27 -0800 (PST), "
wrote:


old galvanized fittings tend to rust and weld together, no matter how
careful you are its easy to twist a connected line and cause another
leak either immediately or in the future.....

old galavanized is generally packed with rust, making you wonder how
water even managed to get thru the rust

First off, I've only dealt with Lake Michigan water.
That's all I'm talking about.
Probably pretty much the same water as in the other Great Lakes.
Don't know how many millions use that water.
But I'm just talking about Chicago area Lake Michigan water.
It' s not rust restricting the pipes. It's scale.
Deposited minerals.
Some rust, but mostly scale.

It ain't "easy to twist a connected line" unless you just don't know
how to handle two wrenches at the same time.
Fittings don't "tend to rust and weld together."
I've taken apart plenty of 50 year old fittings and only the first 2-3
threads were rusted.
In the steel mills we would routinely hit an old threaded end with a
wire brush, re-dope, and crank it back in.
When I re-piped the 50 year old galvanized in my last house 30 years
ago I left all the old galvanized pipes in the plumbing wall - they
weren't scaled up - and had no trouble connecting the new feeds to
them. Nothing has leaked since.

Looks like the water is different where you're at.
I can see examples of what you said all over the net, so I don't doubt
that galvanized will rust and scale up faster in some places.
Around here that takes +50 years.

Here's the funny thing I found when I looking around the net.
It looks like copper leaks more than galvanized and doesn't last as
long. Pinhole leaks, different types of corrosion, joints starting to
leak after repairing other leaks, etc.
It doesn't scale up. Looks like if it could scale, leaks and
corrosion would kill it before that would happen anyway.
Didn't do a "scientific" survey, but copper sure doesn't look good.
I was surprised by the copper horror stories.
Kind of thought copper was the cat's meow.

I considered using copper when I re-piped my last house, but since I
cut/threaded a lot of pipe and had the tools I went with galvanized.
Hadn't sweated copper either, and still haven't.
Like I said, galvanized is like riding a bike to me.
Now I wouldn't even consider copper if I have to re-pipe this house.
Galvanized or PEX.. But I don't know if PEX meets code here.

--Vic

Wouldn't that be a rather large major job ?
Tearing out sheetrock to replace the pipes, etc.
Andy

We had our pipes replaced a few months ago using a company called
Repipe Specialists. They knew exactly what walls to open and where.
They tore out the galvanized and installed copper--in one day--in out
split level with 2.5 bathrooms. We had them install all new faucets as
well. After the city inspector checked it out they came back and
patched the walls ready for painting.

My main issue was dealing with ceramic tile. They had to remove tile
in one bathroom and I could not find new tile that exactly matched.
Rather than tear all the walls out I elected to remove about 40 tiles
so they could be reused. Using a Multi-Max and heat gun I was able to
save almost all the tiles for reuse. I bought a few that were a close
match for use behind the toilet. The 60 year old tiles came off rather
easily. Those that had been taken down and replaced 20 years ago for
drywall repair were harder to remove.

On Feb 22, 9:05*pm, Andy wrote:
Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?

Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.

It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.

Thanks,
* * * * * * * Andy

We had our pipes replaced a few months ago using a company called
Repipe Specialists. They knew exactly what walls to open and where.
They tore out the galvanized and installed copper--in one day--in our
split level with 2.5 bathrooms. We had them install all new faucets
as
well. After the city inspector checked it out they came back and
patched the walls ready for painting.

My main issue was dealing with ceramic tile. They had to remove tile
in one bathroom and I could not find new tile that exactly matched.
Rather than tear all the walls out I elected to remove about 40 tiles
so they could be reused. Using a Multi-Max and heat gun I was able to
save almost all the tiles for reuse. I bought a few that were a close
match for use behind the toilet. The 60 year old tiles came off
rather
easily. Those that had been taken down and replaced 20 years ago for
drywall repair were harder to remove.

On Feb 24, 11:47*pm, Vic Smith
wrote:
On Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:44:27 -0800 (PST), "

wrote:

old galvanized fittings tend to rust and weld together, no matter how
careful you are its easy to twist a connected line and cause another
leak either immediately or in the future.....

old galavanized is generally packed with rust, making you wonder how
water even managed to get thru the rust

First off, I've only dealt with Lake Michigan water.
That's all I'm talking about.
Probably pretty much the same water as in the other Great Lakes.
Don't know how many millions use that water.
But I'm just talking about Chicago area Lake Michigan water.
It' s not rust restricting the pipes. *It's scale.
Deposited minerals.
Some rust, but mostly scale.

It ain't "easy to twist a connected line" unless you just don't know
how to handle two wrenches at the same time.
Fittings don't "tend to rust and weld together."
I've taken apart plenty of 50 year old fittings and only the first 2-3
threads were rusted.
In the steel mills we would routinely hit an old threaded end with a
wire brush, re-dope, and crank it back in.
When I re-piped the 50 year old galvanized in my last house 30 years *
ago I left all the old galvanized pipes in the plumbing wall - they
weren't scaled up - and had no trouble connecting the new feeds to
them. *Nothing has leaked since.

Looks like the water is different where you're at.
I can see examples of what you said all over the net, so I don't doubt
that galvanized will rust and scale up faster in some places.
Around here that takes +50 years.

Here's the funny thing I found when I looking around the net.
It looks like copper leaks more than galvanized and doesn't last as
long. *Pinhole leaks, different types of corrosion, joints starting to
leak after repairing other leaks, etc.
It doesn't scale up. *Looks like if it could scale, leaks and
corrosion would kill it before that would happen anyway.
Didn't do a "scientific" survey, but copper sure doesn't look good.
I was surprised by the copper horror stories.
Kind of thought copper was the cat's meow.

I considered using copper when I re-piped my last house, but since I
cut/threaded a lot of pipe and had the tools I went with galvanized.
Hadn't sweated copper either, and still haven't.
Like I said, galvanized is like riding a bike to me.
Now I wouldn't even consider copper if I have to re-pipe this house.
Galvanized or PEX.. *But I don't know if PEX meets code here.

--Vic

I repiped (total remodel right down to the studs) with CPVC/PVC.
Simple, cheap, no special tools, easy to change, patch etc. All that
is needed is a hacksaw, can of glue and a handful of fitting that are
cheap, cheap, cheap. Need to change or add something in middle of
run? 2 minute job of which 30 seconds is waiting for the glue to dry.

Harry K