Drop in water pressure

[fishnof]

About one month ago, we started having water pressure problems in our house. We had never had any problems previously (you could be taking a shower & someone else flushes the toilet or turns on the washing machine & you'd never notice). Now, if you use two sinks simultaneously, there's a noticeable decrease in the water flow. Even worse if someone flushes the toilet, the shower trickles down to almost nothing.

This problem is all throughout the house -- not just one sink/shower/toilet/etc. I admittedly have little knowledge about household plumbing, so am not sure where to start. Could someone please point me in the right direction of how to start troubleshooting this problem?

Thanks!

 

[waterwelldude]

Are you on a well or city water?

 

[fishnof]

City water.

 

[Mr_David]

Find your water service valve where it comes into you home. It may have a presure reducing valve just after it that may need to be checked or replaced

 

[speedbump]

Have you added anything to your plumbing or changed anything out? Any filtration or those useless whole house filters?

 

[fishnof]

Nothing has changed (at least that we know of) in the plumbing. There are no filters installed.
Thanks for the suggestion about the pressure reducing valve. I'll go get a pressure gauge and check that out.

 

[LiQuId]

Any new construction around ?? have you noticed a large condo being built nearby ??

Prv. like Mr. david has suggested is a good start for trouble shooting, It may only need an adjustment.

 

[fishnof]

Yes, in fact there is a new development being built a few blocks away. Could that be lowering the city water pressure input to the house? What is the pressure supposed to be (i.e., what's a "reasonable" range for a two story house)?

 

[LiQuId]

you want an absolute minimum of 50 kpa on the top level, farthest fixture. more if possiblle.

the new development is likely responsiblle for the drop as there would be added demand on the line and more open points. this should be a very simple fix by simply adjusting the Pressure reducing valve on your houses supply line. Code pressures ( here in canada anyways ) are 50 kpa minimum 550 kpa MAx
7.25 psi min - 79.77 psi max


increase pressure by screwing the screw in decrease by counterclockwise, out.

hope this helps

 

[LiQuId]

i suppose its wrth mentioning that if you adjust the PRV then trial run anything that has a solonoid in it in your house, run the dishwasher and the laundry and make sure the valves ( automatic solonoids ) operate properly, ie \, they close..

 

[baltimoresewerservice]

is the well actually coming on, has it lost electricity? if there is power to the well then the other thing is maybe you bladder int the tank has ruptured and its water logged. If this is the case you have to turn the power to the well off and drain the tank and restart, then buy a new tank as soon as possible because it will continue to be water logged.

Baltimore Sewer Service

 

[phishfood]

We already established that the poster was on city water.

 

[Another-Plumber]

these are my theorys, find your pressure regulator if you have one, it looks like a bell, check the pressure at a bib after the reg, pressure should be between 55-65 psi, however open a fixture in the house and see if the pressure drops alot, if so, 2 things, Pressure Reg is not working anymore, 2nd water valve is NOT open all the way... the idea of new construction is BULL.... so in other words, you have to live with this from now on... THAT WONT HAPPEN.. to verify what im sayin, ask a neighbor if he is having the same problem... he wont be... GL

 

[LiQuId]

You seem quick to dicount established things AP. You do not have to live with this problem, there is always a solution.

and AP does not seem to understand that water pressure decreases as you add pipe ( pipe friction ) and fittings and that a Pump, Like the one that provides pressure on the municipal Main is sized to overcome head and will have more to overcome when these things are added and thus supply lower pressure at the domestic water feed of the house.

Pressure is only required to get water To where you want it ..

In laymans terms... ask yourself, if you were taking a shower would you reather have 60 Glallons per minute of water coming out of the head at 1 PSI. or would you rather 1 GPM at 60 PSI. ?

IF you were to check the pressure at the stop and drain on a regulator it would already have been regulated already ( see that the Drain is on the Down stream, or "regulated" side ) SOooooo opening a fixture would have little to no effect.