low pressure

[MasterPlumbers]

I live on a street that suffers from chronic low water pressure. It’s so bad that it takes forever for hot water to travel to the upstair bathrooms. Also, showers are very week and there is no way to use the massage feature of my HansGrohe shower head. I even removed the pressure limiters from all the shower heads. I looked at the pressure limiting valve on my water main, and it’s set to wide open. I actually disassembled it and cleaned it out – no difference. What do you think about removing the valve all together and just bypassing it with a straigh pipe? It may be a code violation, but even a Home Depot employee suggested that. Any prons and cons? I just want to have a decent pressure for my showers…

Thanks,
Rob

[Retired plbg1]

Its not going to help that much, I heard of some people putting a well tank with a blatter in it to boost up pres. might look into that.

[jomeister]

Tired plbg,how do you know that it wont help that much?Call your water dept and tell them the problem with the pressure,maybe they can jack up the pressure some.

[rooster]

First things first install a laing autocirc recirculating pump in the up stairs bathroom under the lav sink in the cabnite. If you dont have a plugin under the cabnite you will need a sparky. The pump will maintaine a 98deg temp. second if local code permits i would install a small expansion tank along booster pump fed through a check valve and if not equiped with internal pressure switch than install a seperate one Don’t forget a safty pressure relief valve vented to your drain system. Strongly recommend this all be professonially installed.

[nicktheplumber]

I assume that you have measured the actual water pressure at the supply mains…Acceptable pressures range from 30-80 psi. If the water company is supplying less than 30 psi, you have a cause for complaint, and you and your neighbors should demand a fix.

If the pressure supplied to your house is acceptable and you still have low pressure problems in your house, then the problem is in your own pipes. Most often this is do to inadequately sized pipes or occluded pipes. If you (and your neighbors) have adequately sized but greater than 40-year-old galvanized pipes, the most likely problem is sludge and scale in your pipes. The only good way to fix that problem is to replace the old pipes with copper.

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