Utility Problem need advice.

[wander2039]

I've lived in our house over 2 years now, my wife has lived here I think about 3 years before that. For the last two years we've had low water pressure problems off and on and the last couple weeks remained constant. The water pressure is so low that the shower barely works and if the stool is running it won't at all. I don't know if my neighbors have had problems don't get along with either. But with my basic understanding of plumbing this doesn't sound like a problem on my end. I've checked the meter when the pressure's low and it's not spinning so no usage on my end.

I've called BPU here in Kansas City, Kansas four times to come out and check it. Every appointment they've never showed and never heard from either. They had the gull to tell me if I'm not home they're going to charge me $25 to come back out. I guess a good and nasty letter is next but I don't know what else I could do. If our water bill was separate from the others I would stop paying it till I get the service i'm paying for but it's not. We are going to try to sell the house in the next couple months which doesn't help. Any advice on how to handle this?

I've lived on farms and in rv's and I tell you never had water pressure this low. I really enjoyed the motels on the honeymoon was those showers ever so nice.

 

[Shannow]

Check the water pressure by turning on a tap and trying to block the flow with your thumb.

If you can easily stop the flow, then it's certainly their problem.

If you can't "dead head" the tap, then there's a restriction somewhere choking the flow.

 

[Louie's gone fishing]

Maybe they are worried that if they spend all that money to fix your problem, that you'll switch to another unility company for your water. Tell them you will sign an exclusive use contract that will prohibit you from switching.

 

[Al]

Get a small gauge with an adaptor to screw onto a faucet. Have all your water off in the house and check the pressure.

 

[TheLoneRanger]

The problem might be a clogged or faulty pressure regulator. You will have two of them, one at the meter and one on the inside of the house where the water supply enters.

The utility is responsible for the one at the meter, but the other one is yours. Maybe it's clogged with scale or minerals that's restricting the flow.....? Most are adjustable, but be careful when adjusting them; high pressure can damage shut-off valves in washers, ice makers, etc.

 

[wander2039]

Well they finally showed up.. at 9pm!! They didn't hear anything on the lines so their going to come back during the day and pressure check houses around mine. At night it's better, figures, so according to him it's around 40lbs. It's a 8" line for the street..I would think it would be higher. We do have galvanized from the meter to the house, copper in the house. Could be part of the problem.

After he shutoff both shutoff's blue stuff came out of the tub facet. He also said their was air coming out of the outside faucet but I think that's from the check valve/freeze protection. I've never seen one of the pressure checkers I'll have to get one of those.

 

[TheTanSedan]

Year-round average in this part of Dallas is 80-90 lbs in the last three houses (depending partly on season and local momentary usage). I have the plumber check when he is out (or borrow his gauge).

 

[wander2039]

80-90lbs sounds so nice. A man can't do without a good shower.. maybe that's why i'm so cranky lately.

 

[TheTanSedan]

Sorry, didn't mean to to sound the wrong way, just as context for a major metro area. Also, an old area (originally 1920's). I can't imagine the street branches have been replaced, but the main trunks may have been in the 1960's-70's. (And, maybe not).

 

[brianl703]

I have the same exact problem here, except that the local utility, the city, has more or less stated that these problems are caused by inadequate infrastructure and they have just started a major project to fix it (which involves new pipelines, among other things).

 

[brian fix]

Have the water dept pull the meter,at theinlet and sometimes the discharge ,there is a fine screen,and is probably full of scale,while meter is off,get a 5gal bucket,open isolation valve on street side and flush,good pressure/flow line to house is fine,no,the line is bad and can be reemed out at curbstop to meter,or replaced,,good flow to meter its in the house,look for a reducing bushing,remove all aireators on fawcetts,open everything up ,take two hammers and tap soundly around the reducing bushing,or sometimes elbows,this may help,it your home has a pressure reducer and known pressure is under say 80 get rid of it..BL

 

[Shannow]

Is it true that all houses over there have preesure reducers ?

I've never seen one in Oz (not that they mightn't be somewhere).

Our pressure is maintained by tanks on hills, or vertical standing large bore pipes.

 

[brianl703]

No, it is not true.

It depends on the utility.

A little story:

I bought a house in Fredericksburg, VA, built in 1973. I noticed right away that the water pressure is really high.

I called the utility and here is what they said:

"We made some changes to our system, you can get a water pressure regulator installed to lower the water pressure".

Apparently, in 1973, the water pressure wasn't as high, otherwise it would have had a regulator installed.

It just amazes me that the utility would make a change like that without telling anyone (I asked--nobody else in the neighborhood knew about the water pressure increase). But that's Spotsylvania County, Virginia for you.

I had a regulator installed, along with an expansion tank on the water heater.

 

[Matt_S]

I'd be willing to bet that galvanized pipe feeding your house is what's causing the problem. I've seen galvanized pipes get severely restricted due to corrosion.

 

[doitmyself]

I've experienced exactly what Matt describes with galvanized pipe - encrusted with scale, iron, etc., it does give off a bluish/black color to the water when disturbed.

And Eric, please don't tell your wife that your best honeymoon memories are:

"those showers ever so nice"

 

[Bret Chase]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Shannow:
Is it true that all houses over there have preesure reducers ?

I've never seen one in Oz (not that they mightn't be somewhere).

Our pressure is maintained by tanks on hills, or vertical standing large bore pipes.

---

nope.. but alot of houses have them. water systems here use towers to keep the pressure as gravity is a bunch cheaper than pump. anywho, the water system here in town runs at about 125psi, so everybody's got one here (for domestic water anyway). on a jobsite here in town we once left a garden hose hooked to a sillcock overnight with a fire hose type sprayer on the end of it. came back the next morning and the hose went from 1/2 ID to about 2" ID. it was crazy.

 

[Shannow]

At work, the water pressure is around 145psi, so I can see the need for a regulator under high pressures.

It can be embarrassing washing your hands, when the tap starts hammering, and throws water all over the front of your trousers.

 

[wander2039]

quote:

---

Originally posted by doitmyself:
I've experienced exactly what Matt describes with galvanized pipe - encrusted with scale, iron, etc., it does give off a bluish/black color to the water when disturbed.

And Eric, please don't tell your wife that your best honeymoon memories are:

"those showers ever so nice"

---

Oh that wasn't the best memory.. but she did agree with me.

No pressure reducers as far as I know. If the galvanized pipe is the problem why was it just doing it off and on? I'm starting to think it's in the meter valves. I don't how they'd handle that, my cost or theirs. Calcuim is high in our water so if that is the problem wouldn't surprise me.

I think they use pumps because he said they could of been refilling the tower but they do that once a year.. which wasn't recently. It was low again today as usual. I'm going to talk to a couple neighbors. The one on the left side said theirs was fine but their a bunch of dimwits.