Plumbing: How can you increase the Water Pressure ?

Forum: Plumbing Replies: 5, Views: 49 Print -

Author Content rikson December 5, 2007 1:33 AM Post #4263104 How can you increase the Water Pressure ? JasperDale Long Beach, CA (Zone 10a) December 5, 2007 2:21 AM Post #4263159 This is usually a question asked by people who have old galvanized plumbing. Is this the case in your situation? If so, the answer is to re-pipe with copper. More often than not, galvanized plumbing becomes corroded on the inside, and sediment builds up and adheres to the walls of the pipes...which, in time, become so clogged with junk, that your water pressure gets reduced to a minimum. The HOT water lines in galvanized systems are usually the first to get clogged with sediment, as are the horizontal lines...where water "sits" when not in use. I know many people who have done "partial re-pipes" (usually due to cost) and have only replaced the horizontal lines and had good luck with it. Eventually though, the remaining galvanized pipes and fittings will go bad and corrode. Sediment won't form on the interior of copper pipe, and thus many people go that route, although copper is currently expensive and has skyrocketed in price the past few years. I've heard that more places are allowing some sort of new PVC type pipe for hot and cold interior plumbing, but I haven't seen it here. I have also seen plumbers use a technique whereby they somehow backflush the galvanized pipe and are able to dislodge some amount of the sediment...which can temporarily increase your pressure. Your main water line usually has to be replaced as well, if it's galvanized. I would get several estimates first before agreeing to any one bid. Prices can vary considerably amongst plumbers. Some specialize solely in re-piping. If you are on a well or something other than a city supplied water source, you probably have some sort of a pumping system which may be the problem, if your plumbing is in otherwise good condition. BackyardZoo Poquoson, VA (Zone 7b) December 5, 2007 11:00 AM Post #4263865 Copper is great - but prohibitively expensive these days. You might also look into PEX and/or PVC. romsia alaska (United States) December 6, 2007 1:18 AM Post #4266768 Often the problem will appear to be a pressure issue when it comes to volume or flow issue. A restriction in a line or just having a long line or under sized line could be the problem. There are many considerations; do you have enough pressure at your mains? Do you have an old furred up pipe work, perhaps lead or galv? Is your main stop open fully? If you install a pressure gauge, you can check pressure. It should be above about 35 PSI. 35 PSI would be on the low side, but should be ok. Look at the [HYPERLINK@www.milwaukeeplumbers123.com] then look at it when the water is on full in the bathtub. If the pressure is ok until you turn on the water than it is a flow problem. rodrik December 12, 2007 5:52 AM Post #4286971 One way to over come this is to install a pressure tank and check valve. The tank will give you the flow and the check valve will keep the flow going only into the tank or house. The in-coming flow will feed your tank and house as the water is used, so the tank should last for a long time before you see a loss of pressure. I have had good results with this set up. One last thing to check is for clogged aerators at the sinks and shower heads. Good luck. Moricky Ballwin, MO February 6, 2008 5:52 PM Post #4503962 As mentioned there is a lot of confusion about water pressure vs. water volume. They both have an effect on the other so it pays to first understand which is the problem. Most of us think of the pressure first and assume that the pressure from a 1/2 inch line is a lot less than the pressure on 4 inch line. The pressure will be the same but what we notice is the volume. You get a whole lot more volume from the larger when the pressure is the same. If Rikson's question was really about changing the pressure, the debate about pipe size and condition is not really important for now. To increase pressure they need to look at some other things, perhaps. Is there a pressure regulator in the system? May be just a matter of adjusting or replacing the regulator. There may be a pressure tank involved needing some attention. The trouble with forums is not that the knowledge is not available but that that knowledge in often not passed from the question side to the answer side. Without knowing really what the person wanted and has now makes getting the correct solution a shot in the dark. It's always a lot more fun to wonder about someone else's troubles than to work on our own though.

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