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Low water pressure in house
Posted on 12/4/21 at 4:59 am
Posted on 12/4/21 at 4:59 am
We are on a well. Have a pretty beefy pump, yet have low pressure in the house.
Off the pump, the PVC Tee's going to the house, and going to the yard where there are a few hosepipes throughout. The yard has 1.5" PVC while the house is PEX.
I did a flow test using a 5 gallon bucket. Hosepipes in the yard yielded approximately 30 gal/min. While a hose run from the house yielded a measly 3.3 gal/min.
I'm thinking the pex pipe in my house is undersized. Any thoughts about this from the resident plumbing experts?
Off the pump, the PVC Tee's going to the house, and going to the yard where there are a few hosepipes throughout. The yard has 1.5" PVC while the house is PEX.
I did a flow test using a 5 gallon bucket. Hosepipes in the yard yielded approximately 30 gal/min. While a hose run from the house yielded a measly 3.3 gal/min.
I'm thinking the pex pipe in my house is undersized. Any thoughts about this from the resident plumbing experts?
6
Posted on 12/4/21 at 5:53 am to indytiger
Do you have a pressure regulator somewhere that you can adjust. Most houses have one that are on city water. My current house (city water) did not have one and I had to install one myself.
Also if you have one and decide to adjust it then only adjust it a quarter turn at a time. A plumber told me that the pipes can’t handle a sudden big surge in water pressure. 1/4 turn wait a couple days then another quarter turn
Also if you have one and decide to adjust it then only adjust it a quarter turn at a time. A plumber told me that the pipes can’t handle a sudden big surge in water pressure. 1/4 turn wait a couple days then another quarter turn
This post was edited on 12/4/21 at 6:03 am
Posted on 12/4/21 at 7:27 am to indytiger
Do you have a filter at any point after the pump? When I was on a well, we would lose water pressure as the filter got clogged every few months
Posted on 12/5/21 at 8:24 am to PSU2LSU
quote:
Do you have a pressure regulator somewhere that you can adjust
Did some investigating. No regulator or filter that I could find.
What I did discover is that the main header inside the house is I'm pretty sure 3/4" pex, which should be big enough. The problem is, the PVC piping coming off the pump is 1.5", but swedges down to 1/2" before connecting to the pex right at the wall. I'm thinking the 1/2" connection isn't allowing enough water through.
Posted on 12/5/21 at 8:54 am to indytiger
Sounds like there is a leak somewhere.
Posted on 12/5/21 at 12:08 pm to TBoy
quote:
Sounds like there is a leak somewhere.
Sure hope you're wrong on that
*After thinking about it, I've spent plenty of time for long stretches near the water pump, with no water running at the house, and the pump never kicks on, so I'm doubtful its a leak.
This post was edited on 12/5/21 at 12:39 pm
Posted on 12/5/21 at 12:45 pm to indytiger
Is it possible that you have sediment build-up restricting flow?
Posted on 12/5/21 at 1:16 pm to SEC. 593
quote:
Is it possible that you have sediment build-up restricting flow?
Thats a definite possibility since I'm on well water with no filter. How would I remedy this though?
Posted on 12/5/21 at 6:10 pm to indytiger
quote:
What I did discover is that the main header inside the house is I'm pretty sure 3/4" pex, which should be big enough. The problem is, the PVC piping coming off the pump is 1.5", but swedges down to 1/2" before connecting to the pex right at the wall. I'm thinking the 1/2" connection isn't allowing enough water through.
This shouldn't knock you down to 3-4 gallons/minute, but it could be contributing.
Posted on 12/9/21 at 11:27 pm to BiggerBear
Welp. Turns out its got to be a leak. Blocked in the incoming water to the house, put a pressure gauge on a hosepipe, pressure dropped with a quickness. frick me.
Posted on 12/10/21 at 7:19 am to indytiger
A leak doesn’t explain that massive of a drop though, that’s more than a leak that’s like having a massive pipe completely open and flowing.
You need to measure it where it comes into the house OP and go from there moving further away.
1/2” pex is plenty big enough to supply good water pressure to one fixture as long as it’s not a long run.
Which is another factor OP, how long is your pipe runs? If you have a long narrow house and the water comes in on one side while you use it on the other that could be part of the issue also.
You need to measure it where it comes into the house OP and go from there moving further away.
1/2” pex is plenty big enough to supply good water pressure to one fixture as long as it’s not a long run.
Which is another factor OP, how long is your pipe runs? If you have a long narrow house and the water comes in on one side while you use it on the other that could be part of the issue also.
Posted on 12/10/21 at 1:17 pm to baldona
What could be causing the drop in addition to the leak?
I rechecked, and the header pipe going into the house and attic is 3/4 pex, and the drops going everywhere are 1/2”. The hose pipe I did my flow test on is the closest to where the water enters the house, so I don’t think the length of the pipe runs are a big factor.
I rechecked, and the header pipe going into the house and attic is 3/4 pex, and the drops going everywhere are 1/2”. The hose pipe I did my flow test on is the closest to where the water enters the house, so I don’t think the length of the pipe runs are a big factor.
Posted on 12/10/21 at 9:47 pm to indytiger
A blockage? Going from 30 to 3.3 is more than a small and I don’t see how you wouldn’t know?
Posted on 12/11/21 at 9:01 pm to baldona
Worth checking to see it’s in the casing. Had a leak last year at the coupling just downstream of the pump. Way to test it at the casing?
Posted on 12/11/21 at 9:24 pm to indytiger
The connectors used with 3/4 inch PEX B effectively drop the size of the fitting to 1/2 inch. If you have 3/4 inch PEX A and use the expansion fittings, the size remains 3/4 inch.
Posted on 12/17/21 at 7:38 am to VABCHTIGER
Could be several issues. What’s your “cut-on/off “ pressures look like on your holding tank? You could be water logged, bad pressure switch, a leak, etc. That gauge reading says a lot. Got a wet spot some where? Watch your holding tank gauge for a while without running water anywhere, then run some water and watch it.
Pressure switches are rated at 30/50 (on/off) or 40/60 normally. So your pump should be cutting on and off at those pressures. And once it cuts off it should hold that pressure unless you have a leak, or someone is pulling water.
Pressure switches are rated at 30/50 (on/off) or 40/60 normally. So your pump should be cutting on and off at those pressures. And once it cuts off it should hold that pressure unless you have a leak, or someone is pulling water.
This post was edited on 12/17/21 at 7:44 am
Posted on 12/17/21 at 11:13 pm to KJS
quote:
What’s your “cut-on/off “ pressures look like on your holding tank? You could be water logged, bad pressure switch, a leak, etc.
My next step is looking at my pressure switch. May need to be adjusted up. The tank gauge sits at 45 psi. I'm thinking now that I have a volume issue rather than a pressure issue. The hosebib gauge I put on showed 45#, but it fills a bucket very slowly.
quote:
Got a wet spot some where?
For the life of me, I can't find a leak anywhere. All water runs through the attic, and there's no signs anywhere of a leak.
Posted on 12/18/21 at 4:46 am to indytiger
Does your tank have a baffle system. Some have a valve stem for you to place a certain smount if air in the top half, that places pressure on the water in the lower section. If so, remove tank drain water then fill with recommended air pressure. Reinstall tank fill with water and then turn pump on. Bleed water lines both cold and hot in house. Drain and refill hot water heater to remove air pockets as well.
Talking about a tank like this one at TSC. Change in weather changes the pressure like in car tires. Have to ait them back up with water emptied from tank.
LINK
Talking about a tank like this one at TSC. Change in weather changes the pressure like in car tires. Have to ait them back up with water emptied from tank.
LINK
This post was edited on 12/18/21 at 4:48 am
Posted on 12/19/21 at 9:09 pm to indytiger
quote:
did a flow test using a 5 gallon bucket. Hosepipes in the yard yielded approximately 30 gal/min. While a hose run from the house yielded a measly 3.3 gal/min.
I kinda glanced over this, as said with 1/2” pex 3.3 gal/ min is not abnormal. I’m not a plumber or pro or engineer, but 3.3 gal/m is actually high for 1/2” pex. A quick Google search shows kitchen sink standard of a maximum of 2.2 gpm. One of my backyard hose spigots comes directly off the line maybe 3ft from my kitchen sink.
So if your hose is off 1/2” pex thats very normal.
Why else are you thinking your water pressure is low?
I’m not so sure you aren’t measuring from a 1” line into your house? I’d bet you are, another quick Google search shows 3/4” is somewhere around 22gpm at high pressure.
So my guess is you may have absolutely nothing wrong and are missing one or 2 small things making you over think this. I bet you have a 1” line into your house that goes to 1/2” to all your faucets and that reduction works out to a normal 3.3 gpm at your hose.
ETA: if this ‘poor water pressure’ is from your faucets many of them have screens now to reduce their flow. You can remove them very easily and this can help quite a bit sometimes.
This post was edited on 12/19/21 at 9:12 pm
Posted on 12/20/21 at 2:01 am to baldona
quote:
I kinda glanced over this, as said with 1/2” pex 3.3 gal/ min is not abnormal. I’m not a plumber or pro or engineer, but 3.3 gal/m is actually high for 1/2” pex. A quick Google search shows kitchen sink standard of a maximum of 2.2 gpm. One of my backyard hose spigots comes directly off the line maybe 3ft from my kitchen sink.
So if your hose is off 1/2” pex thats very normal.
Why else are you thinking your water pressure is low?
I’m not so sure you aren’t measuring from a 1” line into your house? I’d bet you are, another quick Google search shows 3/4” is somewhere around 22gpm at high pressure.
So my guess is you may have absolutely nothing wrong and are missing one or 2 small things making you over think this. I bet you have a 1” line into your house that goes to 1/2” to all your faucets and that reduction works out to a normal 3.3 gpm at your hose.
ETA: if this ‘poor water pressure’ is from your faucets many of them have screens now to reduce their flow. You can remove them very easily and this can help quite a bit sometimes.
Very good post. Turns out I misjudged my pipe size
, it enters the house as 3/4" pex. The main header throughout the house is 3/4", with 1/2" to all faucets. Maybe I'm just spoiled by having city water with larger pipes at my old house.
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