Tub Water Pressure Help...

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Jay101

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I've attached a photo of my problem, this isn't the only place it's like this in the house but the other places I can say it's due to calcium build up in the screen of the faucet ect, at the tub with both faucets wide open, this is my water pressure... not even enough to start the shower. I've replaced both hot & cold filter cartridges as I thought that was the problem but that's not it either. If I put a pressure gauge on my taps outside I get 55~psi, I think the city guarantees 60 so I could complain but I get good flow out of some taps in my house, what else could be the issue here?

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Reach4

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When you look at the outside pressure, you want to do that while you are drawing water indoors. Probably there will be little difference, but it is worth checking.

You can screw your pressure gauge to your laundry taps and to your water heater drain to get some more data as to where the pressure drop is.

If you think your pipes are being closed by hardness deposits, I suggest a water softener. It will not remove your existing deposits, except maybe very slowly. But it would stop new deposits from forming.

Also, is there much difference in flow at your tub when you turn on hot-only, cold-only, or both? Normally you would get significantly more flow for both on if deposits in the house piping was the problem.

I seriously doubt that your city guarantees 60 PSI to your house.
 

Gary Swart

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I think you're equating pressure with flow. If your pipes are constricted like with a valve not fully open or old galvanized pipes corroded, your pressure would not be reduced, but the flow would be.
 

Jay101

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When you look at the outside pressure, you want to do that while you are drawing water indoors. Probably there will be little difference, but it is worth checking.

You can screw your pressure gauge to your laundry taps and to your water heater drain to get some more data as to where the pressure drop is.

If you think your pipes are being closed by hardness deposits, I suggest a water softener. It will not remove your existing deposits, except maybe very slowly. But it would stop new deposits from forming.

Also, is there much difference in flow at your tub when you turn on hot-only, cold-only, or both? Normally you would get significantly more flow for both on if deposits in the house piping was the problem.

I seriously doubt that your city guarantees 60 PSI to your house.

I had a plumber here that had the gauge all rigged up as I was curious, I didn't know that you had to run the taps inside at the same time as outside.. Never thought about getting it at the other two spots, I'm sure I can rig up my own pressure gauge pretty easily.

Is there a way to clean the deposits out?

Hot & Cold both were on there, I've tried running just one or the other and it's the same thing.

I'm sure I read that the city of Red Deer has their town pressure set to 60psi but I can't seem to find it so I may be wrong.

I think you're equating pressure with flow. If your pipes are constricted like with a valve not fully open or old galvanized pipes corroded, your pressure would not be reduced, but the flow would be.

That's true, I am equating pressure with flow... I guess I didn't think about calcium build up/corrossion as something that would reduce the flow... I know your faucets can get gummed up but I didn't think about the pipes... Is there a way to clean them up/out?
 

Reach4

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There are pressure gauges readily available that have garden hose thread. No rigging needed. Some have a "lazy"/"tattletale" hand that records a max. Often you can wrap that around and have it record a low. These are usually under $20.
Hot & Cold both were on there, I've tried running just one or the other and it's the same thing.
Whoa... that implies a restriction before the pipe to the water heater splits off.

I now suspect you might have a whole-house filter that need a new cartridge, or somebody closed your house shut-off valve partially.
 

Jay101

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There are pressure gauges readily available that have garden hose thread. No rigging needed. Some have a "lazy"/"tattletale" hand that records a max. Often you can wrap that around and have it record a low. These are usually under $20.

So to isolate the problem, I'd be best to try the other places I can use it first? The other places I have issues I've cleaned the heads and it works but this is from the source. If I could show you my house... My hot water heater branches off and every faucet has its own hose/section that goes off on its own.
 

Reach4

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Note I added the bit about a possible restriction to something in common to my previous post. Also click Inbox above.

I am not sure if you are describing a manifold system in reply #6. If the flow stays nearly equally low regardless of whether you have hot, cold, or both, the problem is not in a hot water pipe. It is probably something before the teeing off to the water heater. The filter cartridge is my hope.

There is a minuscule (verry small) chance the problem is in the plumbing at the tub spout since that is where hot and cold rejoin.
 

Jay101

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Note I added the bit about a possible restriction to something in common to my previous post. Also click Inbox above.

I am not sure if you are describing a manifold system in reply #6. If the flow stays nearly equally low regardless of whether you have hot, cold, or both, the problem is not in a hot water pipe. It is probably something before the teeing off to the water heater. The filter cartridge is my hope.

There is a minuscule (verry small) chance the problem is in the plumbing at the tub spout since that is where hot and cold rejoin.

I've uploaded a video!

I don't believe I have any kind of filter other than the hot water heater, the tub is the only thing that does this as shown by my video.

Edit : I've actually tested turning on the hot/cold on a few other taps and some of them don't change pressure when opening both, some of them do.
 

Reach4

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That lavatory is a gusher. After that, something in the tub spout area seems like more of a potential culprit.

Is there anyplace else that suffers from low flow other than that tub?
 

Jay101

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That lavatory is a gusher. After that, something in the tub spout area seems like more of a potential culprit.

Is there anyplace else that suffers from low flow other than that tub?

Yeah, I took off the filters so it just goes crazy, I have to clean the filters and hope that will resolve the gushing problem... I've uploaded another video to demonstrate several taps in my place, I apologize for the bare floors and mattresses, just moved in, still doing a lot of reno's! :D
 
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