Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?
Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.
It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.
Thanks, Andy
Is there a way to increase the water pressure in an older home ?
Home was built in 1955 using galvanized pipes.
It also has 2 water heaters, one supplies just the washing machine.
Thanks, Andy
The pressure is not the issue. The problem is delivery of VOLUME at the faucet. By now, most 50 year old pipes have been replaced when a substantial volume deficit is apparent.
City water? There is no practical way to increase the pressure beyond what is fed to the house. It can be done with tanks and pumps though. Expensive and may not solve the real problem.
Given that you have old galvanized pipe, there could be a lot of flow restriction from corrosion buildup. My first thought is to replace it with Pex. I'd also check on the condition of the feed from the street. No matter what you do in the house if that line is partly closed from buildup, nothing inside will improve.
You really need an inspection by someone that knows what to look for and that can put a pressure gauge on the line.
its probably past time to replace all the water lines......
PEX is excellent and cheap too, the incoming water line may be clogged too espically if its lead..
the thing about galvanized, it will leak. fix one leak get 2 more later.
Booster pump and tank. Shouldn't run more than about $200.
Harry K
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Wouldn't that be a rather large major job ?
Tearing out sheetrock to replace the pipes, etc.
Andy
Thanks.
Your idea brought up an idea.
The pressure is only an issue with one shower.
Maybe a booster pump and tank for it?
You can put a booster pump on it and a bladder tank just as if you had a well supply. You'll need a check valve as well. Have you put a guage on it to see what the current presure is now? As other point out if the pipes have a lot of scale built up inside them you can have a volume issue. Increasing the pressure can overcome that to a degree but also puts a bigger load on the system. Increases your chances of leaks. First step is to get a pressure guage and see. You can get ones that screw on to your outdoor faucet.
An analogy: You have four worn out flat tires on your car, it just doesn't perform as well as it used to. You could likely find a solution such as fitting a much bigger engine or even something more complicated and still never get a good result or you could replace the tires.
There isn't any real fix for old galvanized piping except to replace it.
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Again a bunch of you jump to conclusions without enough facts to support them. Are the galvanized pipes really his problem? We don't know because he did not report the actual pressure he has. Instead suggest he do pressure and flow tests just like a plumber would do if called out to the house with this problem. All it takes is a pressure guage and a 5 gallon bucket. Who knows, he might just have a reglator in the system. somewhere
all depends on the house. I have no pipes covered by sheetrock. A two story? Yes, it probably would. But pex is pretty workable. If you can pull romex through a given area, you can probably pull pex through the same place. If a single level with a basement or crawl space, then it ain't nothing but a thing to do.
increasing the pressure will no doubt increase the risks for leaks....
since the problem is just one shower.
does the shower head have a flow restrictor in it?
is poor flow just hot or just cold?
could be a clogged shower head, galvanized generates particles of rust that can clog things.
bad shower valve somehow?
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some jobs just must be done, once you get enough leaks you will understand:(
PEX is DIY friendly, just do a run or two at a time
Hey Andy, have you checked to see if that showerhead is clogged?
Or is the flow slow from faucets around the house too?
Jeff
The OP obviously doesn't have a clue, he should call a real plumber.
No, if you have only an isolated problem, you find what the problem is and fix that.
Harry K
a home full of old galvanized is not a isolated problem.
in such cases your better off replacing the lines on your schedule, than waiting for the flood that will certinally come.
my best friend said I am a patient person, i dont care how long it takes to fill the tub, a trickle doesnt bother me in the least:)
but after his 8 or 9th leak he began the all copper project:(
meanwhile the repeated water leaks did a good bit of damage to his home.
PEX is great, cheap, easy to work with, no tees in walls etc. less chance for leaks freeze tolerant..
flexible around obstructions.....
try it its great
At least spend a LITTLE time educating yourself instead of diving in wide-eyed and excited on the first person who says what you want to hear.
The fact that it's limited to one shower is even MORE proof that it's an issue with your pipes, not the pressure. Assuming that there is no flow restrictor on the shower.
A booster pump and tank is NOT a solution for old clogged pipes, unless the plan involves flooding the house and then using the insurance money to hire a plumber to redo all the pipes.
Most likely, the shower head is an old-fashioned high-flow unit, and the pipes or valve to that shower have partially clogged, and it cannot get enough water to maintain pressure.
Here's a quick bandaid workaround that'll make your showers more pleasant: Walmart has a small, simple metal low-flow shower head. It looks like a garden hose nozzle, except chrome. While it cuts down on the amount of water, it brings the pressure back up so it FEELS like you're getting a full-force 5-star hotel shower.
Back at the folks' house, the water barely dribbled out the shower head. Low pressure due to the well and a long pipe run to the shower. After they put one of these Walmart heads on, it was like showering under a pressure washer! With normal water pressure and no flow issues, these heads give the best back massages.
My shower has been slow, because of a deteriorated washer in the hot water valve. Bits of rubber would break off and got stuck in the shower head.
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I have never seen galvanized pipe that has been in service for > 50 years (and often a lot less) that wasn't almost completely obstructed so I think it is a pretty safe conclusion.
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