Help! Any plumbers here?

[RyanbabZ71]

Ok this is my problem. As of a few wks ago my hot water pressure sucks. its at about 60-70% of normal flow. Cold water is fine. I have drained the hot water heater (clean water came out nothing out of the ordinary). The house is almost 4 yrs old. Also if I have the shower on and turn the hot water on in the bathroom sink the pressure on both drops even more. Any ideas?

 

Thanks!

[J45p3r]

I'm no plumber but if I had to guess it might be a bad pressure release valve on the hot water tank. It might be letting off too soon. Is there any water dripping out of it?

[RyanbabZ71]

Dont see any leaks

[Worktruck]

Do you have a water heater or just an on demand coil on the boiler? I would suggest the mixing valve on the boiler. If thats what you have. Are you on a well or town water? Well water tends to muck up fixtures and valves quicker. My water pressure sucked in the kitchen until I remodeled it over the winter and changed the faucet, not it rocks. Just all plugged up with sediment. I now run a filter.

[RyanbabZ71]

Its city water with a water heater (30-40 gallon dont know off the top of my head). Our bathroom faucets and shower head are all about 3-6 months old and I wouldnt think they would get clogged that fast. I could see if they were old.

[Worktruck]

So its just the bathroom that has bad pressure? Is the pressure ok in the kitchen? It has to be a restriction in the bathroom plumbing somewhere. Have you tried running the kitchen faucet and flushing the toilet to see if the kitchen pressure drops? Thats an odd one. Home warranty?????

[Worktruck]

You have checked all the valves on the hot water haeter and such to make sure they are all on all the way right?

[diverlloyd]

Ok this is my problem.  As of a few wks ago my hot water pressure sucks.  its at about 60-70% of normal flow.  Cold water is fine.  I have drained the hot water heater (clean water came out nothing out of the ordinary).  The house is almost 4 yrs old.  Also if I have the shower on and turn the hot water on in the bathroom sink the pressure on both drops even more.  Any ideas?

 

Thanks!

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

disconnect the flex pipe at the water heater outlet and look down the nipple into the heater. Also check the inlet side. You will probably find corrosion or some build-up in one of those nipples. There should be an anode rod in the heater, mounted somewhere

on the heater top and running down into the heater tank. Check it to make sure it's even there and that it also is not corroded. The anode rod is there to prevent electrolysis and corrosion. It sounds to me like there is some kind of corrosive build-up in the heater. Also, sometimes that junk can end up in the filter screens at the faucets and shower heads.

[doverarjim]

Ryan, we need to play 64 questions? 1. Did this just start all of a sudden? 2. Does it happen anywhere else in the house, kitchen, outside facuet? 3. I think you said you are on city water, if so has the city had any broken lines in your area? 4. Do you run out of hot water very fast?

Answers: 1. If it just started could be a couple of different things, bad pressure reducing valve, clogged areator on facuet.

2. If you have same problem in kitchen you run hot water in sink and when you turn on hot water in bathroom it points to some problem in hot water system. But check and see if you have the problem on both hot and cold water sides.

3. If you don't know about broken lines call the utility and ask them what kind of water pressure you should have at you house and then ask if they have had any problems in your area.

4. You could be a luck one! If you seem to run out of hot water very fast at all facuets, you will need to check the dip tube in your water heater, this is a plastic tube that is on the incoming water line when you pull the connector off you can stick your finger down in the line and pull it out, there was a problem a few years ago with these tubes failing and melting away.

Hope this helps if not post again and I will try again.

[RyanbabZ71]

Thanks for your help. It is throughout the whole house (kitchen etc).

 

1. Did this just start all of a sudden? Yes

2. Does it happen anywhere else in the house, kitchen, outside facuet? Every hot water faucet

3. I think you said you are on city water, if so has the city had any broken lines in your area? No

4. Do you run out of hot water very fast? No i can shower and it is all hot. Also the dishwasher ran and it had enough hot water

 

Cold water runs fine if there was a bad city line I would think also affect the cold water.

 

When I get a chance I will check the things you guys highlighted

[Trouttrooper]

Well, here's what I understand from reading the other posts.

 

1. Main water line to the house is fine

2. All cold water lines are fine

3. ALL hot water lines are NOT fine

4. It happened quickly

5. You still seem to have plenty of hot water, just really slow.

 

I'd say There is a plug in the line between the water heater and the first branch to the sinks etc.

[RyanbabZ71]

Update:

 

Well last night I was going to take the inlet and outlet pipes off however the only way to do this is to cut the copper piping. While I was thinking how to tackle this I was hitting the pipe with a pipe wrench (not to hard). I decided to wait until the weekend when i had time and help at home to work on it. Well what do you know last night after the allstar game I went to take a shower and the water pressure was great again. HMM maybe I knocked something loose?

 

Ryan

[Dana_15]

I'm new here (I just joined yesterday) but I am a licensed plumber. If your going to go as far as cutting the pipes, just replace the tank they really don't cost all that much. How old is this tank? You might have hard water and have a calcium (or rust) build up inside the tank. If the pressure seems better now you might be better leaving well enough alone. But it might be a good idea to drain the tank. Shut off the cold water supply open a faucet on hot only and drain it. Be sure to shut off the breaker if it is electric or shut off the gas if it gas.

[RyanbabZ71]

The tank is only 3 yrs old.

[Dana_15]

I'd try draining it if the problem re-arises. It should be drained once a year anyways. Usually the taps that are used are on the top so most of the time hot water is just "skimmed" off the top and the bottom remains stagnant and collects calcium and rust. Good luck.