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Plumbing pressure problem

Len | Posted in General Discussion on August 8, 2008 06:21am

Hello all,

Maybe someone can give me a an idea what might be the problem.

My girlfriend’s house is all of a sudden having a intermittent pressure drop. The house is about 12 years old and has PVC/CPVC plumbing. We checked with the neighbors and none of them are having the same problem.

For example when we turn on the water at one of the lavatories, the pressure is fine if we turn on another the pressure drops at both. I expect some pressure drop when the toilet is flushed but not when another faucet is turned on. What is even more puzzling is sometimes there is no pressure when only one faucet is on. This has only started about a couple of weeks ago.

No one has touched the back flow preventer or the pressure regulator to the house. I have been tempted to up the pressure but I don’t want a pipe bursting. Although that would at least locate the problem.

Thanks for any advice.

Len

“You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. ” J. S. Knox

Reply

Replies

  1. pickings | Aug 08, 2008 06:55am | #1

    No one has touched the back flow preventer or the pressure regulator to the house.

    You can have your water co do a pressure check at your house. The problem could be a partially clogged main at the water meter, the back flow preventer, or the pressure regulator. This can happen sometimes if rust etc gets knocked loose from them working on the main recently.

    You can also do a pressure check yourself. Most municipal water seems to be around 65 PSI, but gets higher in hilly areas.

    In the interim.......

    All main shut-offs (esp before and after the water meter) fully open?

    Check for a leak by looking at the little red spinner on the water meter when everything is OFF. There should be NO movement of anything on the meter's face.

    Good luck

     

     

     

    1. Len | Aug 08, 2008 08:50am | #3

      I have a pressure gauge. I'll take it over tomorrow and check.  Thanks for the tips.Len

      "You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox

  2. User avater
    BillHartmann | Aug 08, 2008 07:04am | #2

    Are there any filters, water softeners, or other things that the water flows through for the whole house?

    My first quess is that it is a sticky PRV. Connecting a pressure guage near it will help determine the problem.

    There are a number of different style of back flow preventers. Is this one for the whole house or is this just for sprinkler systems. If it whole houe it might be sticking.

    Might be a problem with the main shutoff valve with some thing broken off and stuck at the valve.

    .
    .
    A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
    1. Len | Aug 08, 2008 08:55am | #4

      I can't remember if there are any water softener on the house. She was running out when I got there. Not from me. lol.

      The backflow preventer is on the whole house. The fact is she had bought the model home. I've found all kind of odd things around the house. I get the impression that the builder rushed the construction to get the model open. Len

      "You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox

      1. DaveRicheson | Aug 08, 2008 01:15pm | #5

        Backflow preventers need to have an annual service  done on them.

        Take it out and replace it with a straight run of pipe and see what your pressure does.

        Or, leave it in place and check the pressure on both side of it.

  3. Hackinatit | Aug 08, 2008 01:28pm | #6

    There should be a filter screen in the pressure regulator. It may be clogged and need cleaning.

    A La Carte Government funding... the real democracy.

    1. Len | Aug 08, 2008 10:31pm | #7

      It turned out to be a bad tank from the water softener company.

      Thanks all for the help.Len

      "You cannot antagonize and influence at the same time. " J. S. Knox

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