Water pressure question

[clevere]

Just recently moved into a 60's or 70's place. The cold water pressure is great. But the hot water pressure sucks. That is very little water pressure for the hot water, anywhere in the place. It is most noticeable in the shower (of course). What are some things I should look at to fix this problem? Unfortunately, I can't tell what type of water heater is being used because it is covered by a thermal blanket. Do you think that sediment (sp) at the bottom of the tank could be causing this problem?

[Charles Spitzer]

check that the showerhead isn't clogged first.

[Toller]

Sediment shouldn't have any effect. First thing to do is to make sure that all valves (such as the shut off to the heater) are open.

My pressure was really bad at a few places and I thought the pipes must have deposits. Then I took a bunch of gravel out of the fixtures and all was fine. So, remove your shower head and look for debris.

[Speedy Jim]

Sediment at the bottom won't cause this as water is pulled out at the top (although the dip tube does introduce Cold water near the bottom).

If the heater drain c*ck isn't clogged, open it and see what the flow is like. (You could even measure the time to fill a bucket.)

Long shot, but it is possible that the nipples connecting right at the top of the heater are corroded and blocked.

Don't overlook a supply valve partway closed (like at the heater).

If the Hot supply pipes are old galv iron (they were still used in 60's) suspect blockage due to rust/scale. Only fix is replacement.

There are so many possibilities that you have to do some methodical detective work. Start by finding out the pipe material.

Jim

[Harry K]

Yep, that's the first thing to do when you have a pressure problem on one side only. Remove the strainer on the faucet and clean it. do the same at every fixture in the house. Only after doing that should you go looking for problems elsewhere as just cleaning those screens will usually fix the problem.

Harry K

[clevere]

Thanks for the reply guys. But the shower heads are clean and clear .. Could the galvanized pipes be the problem?

[Speedy Jim]

Yes, as I indicated earlier. If you have Galv supply piping, the Hot side is first to clog with rust/scale.

While there could be a localized major blockage (like a fitting at the heater), more often the entire length of piping is to blame.

Jim

[clevere]

[Speedy Jim]

You can use chemicals in the tank to dissolve calcium sediments, but that is an entirely different problem. It is not practical to chemical flush lengths of galv pipe.

I would start putting cash in the piggy bank for a re-pipe, unless you can identify a single component which is obstructing the flow. Jim

[clevere]