Today I inspected a home that my wife & I are buying.
When I turned on the faucet to fill the whirlpool tub everything looked fine with lots of pressure, but with the tub faucet still running, I turned on both of the lav faucets and they only trickled!! I then went to the kitchen & only a trickle. Then I turned on the shower valve in the lower level shower & there was absolutely NO water pressure.
I don’t get it. The house is plumbed with copper & its not that old. 1991 I am attaching some pictures of some weird stub outs in the copper that don’t seem to serve a purpose unless its for water hammering. Could these stub outs rob pressure? This is city water, no well.
Maybe that filter is clogged.
Is this a REO?
Was whirlpool plumbed through filter? Was filter plugged?
Try bypassing the water softener and cartridge filter.
Both can reduce flow.
Also, what is the size of the water service.
Is it at least 1"
Is this municipal or well water sourced?
Sorry for all the questions.
Just trying to help you think it through.
Service is 1" copper & its municipal.
The sloppy sweating and stubs may be from repairs after frozen pipes. There may be additional obstructions in the pipes because of repairs but the filter and softener are good starting places.
I was about to say the same thing about the sloppy solder joints Larry.
Very amateurish and not done by a professional plumber.
Check pressures at the first source outlet. Work from there. If there are strainer in the lines, they could be clogged with lead and restricting flow.
Also check aerators - sediment is most likely an issue, considering the filter.
You don’t need a whole house filter on municipal water.
If the home was empty for any length of time, check the shut off valves at the various fixtures as well. I find this all the time. Pressure will be fine in one area and poor in another. First thing I check now is the stop valves (people turn these down or off). Then like someone else said, very often the aerators are clogged with old sediment. What was the pressure at the hose bibbs? I have also found huge disparities from one bibb to another on the opposite ends of the house. This allows you to paint a better word picture of what the system is doing and performing. When I saw the pics of the sweat joints I too thought, “amateur” or a very lazy plumber.
I guess it depends on where you live. This is one of my clients filters. He changes them every 10 weeks.
Can I Do Anything In My House To Improve The Safety Of My Drinking Water?
Most people do not need to treat drinking water in their home to make it safe. However, a home water treatment unit can improve water’s taste, or provide a factor of safety for those people more vulnerable to waterborne disease.
Source: http://water.epa.gov/drink/guide/upload/book_waterontap_full.pdf
*Public Water Systems When you turn on the tap, where does the water come from? *
If you pay a water bill, you are purchasing water from a public water system, where your water is monitored, tested and the results reported to the federal, state or tribal drinking water agencies responsible for making sure it meets the National Primary Drinking Water Standards. Your water company must notify you when contaminants are in the water they provide that may cause illness or other problems. Most people in the United States receive water from a community water system that provides its customers with an annual water quality report, also known as a consumer Confidence Report. Normally, you will receive it with your water bill once a year in July. The report contains information on contaminants found, possible health effects, and the water’s source. If you do not receive a report, contact your water company for this information.
Source: http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/upload/2005_09_14_faq_fs_homewatertesting.pdf
Often the pressure can be so high that a faucet running with fast water will by-pass a t-fitting to another faucet. Suggest turning down the tub faucet half way and checking the other faucets and see what happens. I do not like to see pressure over 80#. Clogged areators, faucet stems can also contribute.
Water filters are great, but most people do not realize is that most all of them need to be changed out every month, and that can be expensive. Some may need to be changed every week.
I agree. The manufacturer of the filter I posted recommends changing every 3 months. My client was able to find an online provider of the same filters, so he buys them in bulk for cheaper, that is why he decided to change them more frequently.
I guess for people who want/need cleaner water, whole house filters are cheaper than buying bottled water
True. I inspected a home one time that had filtered water for the sink faucets only; all of the other water items were plumbed on city water.