Pipe/Water Pressure Question

[bentonguy]

I have a question I was hoping someone might shed some light on. I live in a 1982 model trailer with plastic piping. There is a hot water heater. Intermittently, the water pressure on all the hot water faucets (kitchen sink, bathroom sink, and shower) disappears to a trickle. The pressure seems to go down to a trickle randomly. By process of elimination, it would seem that if there was a leak in a pipe, the water pressure would be off consistently. If it was an issue with the pressure in the city water line, why would it only affect the hot water faucet and not the cold. Our only nearby neighbor does not have this issue. I've been here 3 years and this has only been happening for the past month. It's not fun when it happens in the middle of a shower. Before I go crawling under the trailer to look at the piping, calling a professional on a tight budget, or calling the water company, does anyone have any ideas. Thanks to anyone who replies.

 

[Jadnashua]

Could be several things, a couple I can think of are the dip tube is falling apart (easy to fix if you know how), a shutoff valve's washer is deteriorating, and plugging the line, or there's a steel pipe somewhere (probably at the top of the WH) that is plugged up.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Redwood]

We could also throw in a possibility of a washer in a valve that is loose and moves to block the flow...

Many times a loose washer can make a jackhammer noise...

 

[bentonguy]

I've done a bit of research, and it looks like if the dip tube has come apart in pieces, pieces of plastic from it may be stopping up the water flow at different junctures of piping. It would be a matter of tracing the plumbing throughout the trailer and taking it apart at each juncture to knock out any loose pieces of plastic from the dip tube that might have gotten caught. Or, if it is a loose washer, determining where throughout the plumbing each washer would be and checking/replacing any loose washer.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[hj]

hot water

I think your diagnosis is faulty. If that were so it would not happen intermittently. And if it is the dip tube, then it has to be restored. But you do not say how long you have to wait for the hot water to regenerate. If it were the dip tube, the hot water would turn cold, but would not stop flowing.