up’ing water pressure

[Chris Slayabugh]

i see a lot of ppl trying to get water pressure for their showers but i’m trying to get more for my yard. i have a faucet for the outside in my backyard that was run by the previous owner. it is tapped off the toilets supply (i believe) and i’m wonder what the best way to increase pressure for my outside supply would be?

thanks

[Retired plbg1Participant]

What size pipe going to faucet 1/2″—3/4″. Did he connect into the 3/8″ tube going to toilet, if he did you have same pressure but no volume, you will have to connect into a bigger pipe.

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Art retired plbg

[jabamonParticipant]

i went and checked..it appears its 1/2 coming in and then split into two 3/4, one going to the toilet and one to the outside faucet.

is this bad news?

thanks
jay

[nicktheplumberParticipant]

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In reply to message posted by jabamon:
it appears its 1/2 coming in and then split into two 3/4, one going to the toilet and one to the outside faucet.
is this bad news?

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Yes. This is just the opposite of the way it should be. Your supply lines should start out large and become smaller (e.g. 3/4″ going to 1/2″ branches). You will need to replace the 1/2″ line with 3/4″. This will probably benefit the water flow to other fixtures in your house. BTW, how large is the water main coming into your house? It ought to be larger than 1/2″…if not, you should have that replaced as well.

NtP

[jabamonParticipant]

wonderful…that is exactly what i thought..

i dont know how large the water main is…where does the water main in the house usually come in? i bought the home depot plumbing 1-2-3 book last night for reference..so maybe it’ll help.

typically, does water supply lines get run through the framing in the house or is it probably in the concrete foundation?

i read that the main and lines can run under the slab….is that all of them or just some of them.

i’m new to home ownership and improvement…so i dont know any of this stuff..

thanks
jay

» This message has been edited by jabamon on 23 August 2003

[jabamonParticipant]

heres an image just for your visual reference

you can see its a 1/2 inch all the way to the top where it L’s…then it goes to 3/4 inch…likewise at the T towards the bottom..it converts to 3/4 on the supply to the toilet..

any recommendations??

» This message has been edited by jabamon on 23 August 2003

[DUNBARParticipant]

According to your picture,,,which is extremely helpful, tells a story that galvanized piping if I am correct is your problem how that copper water line connects to outside spigot.

The problem is the threaded ninety (shower lug ell) and all that piping joining to outside line. That brass fitting if tied to galvanized will probably be clogged up and so will the pipe connected to it. Replace all of this with copper along with a new spigot outside; either frost-free or standard sillcock.

If you replace that, that is probably where all the restrictions lie causing low pressure.

Just replace it with 1/2″ since that little bit of 3/4″ will not make a difference not unless you replace that line all the way back to the main.

Water services usually come into front wall of building through the lower section of wall.

If the grade surrounding the foundation in front of home is inadequate to provide ground coverage for frost line, which is usually 36″ deep in my area, they will install water line either through footer by sleeve or under it and pass water line up through floor around footer.

The norm is 3/4″ for the main with a shut-off valve right at entry of building. Pressure reducing valves are also located at this point above shut-off valve to protect home from high-pressure. Check to see if you have one.

Sometimes the integral strainers will get clogged and slow down water pressure to entire house or to fixtures that demand the most volume of water.

» This message has been edited by DUNBAR on 23 August 2003

» This message has been edited by DUNBAR on 23 August 2003

[nicktheplumberParticipant]

As Dundbar said, the picture clarifies a lot. Wonderful idea, to post the picture. You may start a trend.

It also seems to me that your whole set up is in 1/2″ pipe…i.e. 1/2″ copper and 1/2″ galvanized iron pipe, the outside diameter of which is about 3/4″… God knows what you’ve got under the floor. The guy who plumbed what you show in the picture was not following SOP. Those drop-eared cast brass elbows should not have galvanized pipe screwed firectly into them; as Dunbar said, they (including the one to the toilet angle stop) are certainly plugged with corrosion. I’ll bet from the picture that what you’ve got is galvanized pipe throughout most of the house, with patches of copper spliced in here and there, probably not done any better than what you show in the picture. I’m also sure that what you show is a remodel job, as the timbers in the wall framing look likeold growth Doug Fir, and that hub and spigot waste stack to the right looks like it comes from the days when copper tubing was not used in new construction. Was this toilet an add-on to the original house?

NtP

[jabamonParticipant]

thank you both for your input

i’m pretty sure this toilet is original to the house, though I can’t confirm it. I’m assuming that the plumbing was reworked at some point in this bathroom because you’re right, it is a mess and appears far beyond SOP.

Side note, you should see the faucet outside..just dangling through the hole..not even spray foam insulated or caulked.

Dunbar, I understand about the freeze line but what I’m trying to figure out as far as the water main is concerned, is where it actually is coming into the house. I scoured the area around the hot water heater and furnace and couldnt find it. if i have a PRV I cant find it..nor can I find where the water main is being distributed. is it likely this is all being done in or below the foundation??

so its safe to assume at this point that this whole assembly needs to be cut out and replaced (along with the shower’s pipes as well i imagine).

if i cant find the water main how can i shut the water off to cut this pipe and put on something else?

what should i replace it with pvc? copper? whats best used where?

thanks
jay

[jabamonParticipant]

by popular demand…more pictures

heres my meter. can anyone tell me what the ????? is and if that is the shutoff valve, and whether i have the inflow and outflow right?

thanks

[Robert Stephen MortonParticipant]

Sh** that looks very much like a “GAS” meter to me!
Bob

[jabamonParticipant]

haha….

awesome..hell i dont know these things..thats why i’m trying to figure it all out. well if thats my gas meter where the hell is my water meter….i cant see anywhere else in the yard it might be…it has to be buried in some brush or something.

[racefanoneParticipant]

Nice picture of a gas meter.If I were you ,I would call a plumber.Probably be safer for you and your neighbors in the long run.I can see the headlines now “Man blows himself up while flushing the stool.”

[nicktheplumberParticipant]

OK, Jaba…You are putting us on, right? I mean, you did know that was a gas meter. BTW, it is not safely set up. We usually like to place them closer to the house, but I guess you’ve got a big front yard. If the meter is gonna stand proudly exposed like that, it ought to be protected by four concrete filled 4″ or larger pipes imbedded in a concrete plinth or something similar that will keep a car from knocking it over…at the very least it’s a tripping hazard. The thing attached to the inlet (utility) side of the meter looks like a gas PRV. We usually use those on branch lines to gas appliances, so I’m not sure what it’s doing on the inlet side before the meter…I’m sure Morton or Race knows.

Assuming that your post is serious, I agree with Racefanone that it’s time to call your plumber. While you’re at it, call your gas utility and ask them to fix the meter installation.

NtP

[SelgasParticipant]

OK you lot let me explain about this “Gas Meter” set up you have in the picture.
The Inlet from the street gas main is on the laft hand side and the device fitted above the isolating valve is the Gas Companies governor (pressure reducing device) which breaks down the gas supply pressure from that which is supplied in the street mains to a safe reticulation pressure to supply into a residential/commercial property. Once the outlet pipe (on the right) is connected to appliances inside each of them will have a smaller governor fitted to further reduce the pressure to that which the appliance manufacturer has specified for correct operation.
Simple stuff huh?
Cheers

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Selgas Services Ltd
Craftsman Gasfitters, Plumbers, Electrical Service Technicians

[Robert Stephen MortonParticipant]

jabimon alias Sylvan, we got ya pegged now.
Bob

[racefanoneParticipant]

Where I come from ,we call them pressure regulators.They reduce the gas pressure from pounds down to ounces.Or from high pressure down to low pressure.By the way,how are thjngs in the BIG APPLE? Still doing alot of roof drains?

» This message has been edited by racefanone on 27 August 2003

[jabamonParticipant]

ok guys..ha ha ha.

thanks for making me feel like an idiot. it’s always reassuring to see 6 posts telling you what an ass you are for identifying a gas meter as a water meter.

to answer your questions, yes i thought it could be water related…i thought it might be gas because of its location (back of back yard, not front). the reason i wasn’t sure is because i cannot find the water meter.

so now that you’ve all had your fun and laughs, can someone address the questions prior to the picture????

in case you missed it:
thank you both for your input
i’m pretty sure this toilet is original to the house, though I can’t confirm it. I’m assuming that the plumbing was reworked at some point in this bathroom because you’re right, it is a mess and appears far beyond SOP.

Side note, you should see the faucet outside..just dangling through the hole..not even spray foam insulated or caulked.

Dunbar, I understand about the freeze line but what I’m trying to figure out as far as the water main is concerned, is where it actually is coming into the house. I scoured the area around the hot water heater and furnace and couldnt find it. if i have a PRV I cant find it..nor can I find where the water main is being distributed. is it likely this is all being done in or below the foundation??

so its safe to assume at this point that this whole assembly needs to be cut out and replaced (along with the shower’s pipes as well i imagine).

if i cant find the water main how can i shut the water off to cut this pipe and put on something else?

what should i replace it with pvc? copper? whats best used where?

[DUNBARParticipant]

I got to say, it’s scary if someone took the chance and tried to cut a water line and find out that it’s gas.

With the majority being copper, I would stick with copper.

The water line is generally brought inside of house through the front of house on the front wall facing road.

A good guide on frost line would be to check elevation as entering front door if steps are there, How deep foundation is under the ground, and so on.

It sounds unusual that you cannot find a main shut-off but not unheard of.

If you trace your water lines in every direction possible, this should locate the line. Open up walls where lines go into them.

Definitely, it needs to be located and better yet, replace main valve with a ball valve so that if a water heater blew apart or started leaking, you have a chance to slow down the damage it would cause by doing so.

Most times, the water line passes through the wall.

But your outside grade will better determine this.

» This message has been edited by DUNBAR on 27 August 2003

[racefanoneParticipant]

Depending on where you live ,you might be able to get your local utility company to trace out the line for you.There should be an outside stopbox in the yard where you can also turn off water ,but you will need a street key to do this.

[nicktheplumberParticipant]

If you really want to know where your water meter is, you can call your water company. They have to know where it is, since the send a guy out every once in a while to read it so they can bill you for water usage. That’s assuming you don’t have a private well…but of course you’d know if you did, right?

NtP

[racefanoneParticipant]

Nick, he could have an outside reader for the meter and the utility company would not have to go into the house to rade it .Boy is this getting complicated.A person might have to take a road trip to his house to find it.

[jabamonParticipant]

thats a good idea…i bet the city can tell me where it is – because you’re right they are reading it…unless they are making up those numbers on the bill!!

i think i’ve figured out where my main sewer line is in the backyard..it was pretty easy to spot since the grass is all dead except in one line that runs across the yard. theres a sewer cleanout deal that sticks up near the house out of the ground..

since their is green grass above where the sewer line is – is that a good indication that the line is old and deteriorated underneath the soil or is that just condensation that is feeding the grass?

[racefanoneParticipant]

Jabamon,you didn’t answer my question,how are things in the Big Apple?

[jabamonParticipant]

what question was that?

I don’t live in the Big Apple.

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