Low Water Pressure in Faucets
Question: Several weeks ago, our whirlpool faucet water pressure and volume dropped to half while I was filling the whirlpool with water. The pressure and volume slowly returned to normal. At the same time, our kitchen faucet pressure and volume dropped even more than 50 percent. It has not returned back to normal and it is getting even worse after every passing day. All other faucets seem to work fine and the toilets fill up quickly. Can you tell me what exactly has happened? What is wrong and is it expensive to get it fixed?
Answer: The problem of low water pressure in the household faucets is one of the main reasons why you see many frowning faces of the house owners today. Good looking faucets cheat them for their quality with undesirable parts used to make these faucets. Sometimes, the supply of water is purposefully reduced in order to balance the tremendous loss of the precious resources. The reasons are countless for the hissing and pissing of the faucets.
Traditional faucets had a specially designed structure that brought in gallons of water in to the sink at a stretch. Those actually had rubber and plastic washers that contacted a circular valve seat located inside the faucet; moreover, the mechanism was also quite simple. As soon as the washer was pulled from the seat, water could flow out of it in plenty. The washer size and the size of the valve contributed to the free flow of water to a larger extent.
The faucets used today simply lack this washer and the structure inside have become more and more complex. Do not get confused after reading this section. The modern cartridges used act as flow controllers. There is an aerator, which in turn, contains a plastic disc having uncountable small holes. The water has to pass through these holes. Now you can easily imagine the narrow path through which the water travels in today’s faucets.
New plumbing codes have been formulated and these have resulted in the use of flow restrictors that contains these micro holes. These flow restrictors limit the flow of water that can pass through a faucet at a given time.
If the lines are not flushed before the faucet is installed, the rapid flow of water will carry a mixture of water and debris into the shower head. As a result, the extremely small holes in the flow restrictor can become clogged or partially clogged instantly. Moreover, pieces of sediment or debris from the city water system or your well can then clog the restrictor. This is a very common case, especially if you live in an area with older city water mains. If a city water main is serviced, pieces of sediment are often dislodged in the main water main as the water flows through the giant mains toward your house. As water supply lines are installed, small pieces of solder, copper shavings, wood dust, wood chips, globs of soldering flux, pieces of plastic, etc. can get into the water lines. It is the responsibility of the plumber to flush out the water supply lines before any fixtures are installed. Flushing the water lines can happen at most fixtures, just after the water shut-off valves have been installed but it should be installed before the flexible supply lines have been connected from these valves to the faucets or fixtures.
Look inside the end of the faucet head where the water line is connected to. You should be able to see a small plastic disk. Use a very thin pointed piece of metal to get a purchase under one edge of the disk. Try to pry the disk out of the shower head. Work slowly and pay attention to which side of the small disk faces out towards the water supply pipe. When you go to reinstall the disk, it must be installed the same way it was at the factory.
Once the small disk is out of the faucet, use a small straight pin or other object to clean out the small holes. Use plenty of fresh water to help rinse away any debris. Place the disk near a bright light so you can ensure that each hole has been perfectly cleaned. Make sure that you rinse the shower head at the same time to ensure that no debris can pass the flow restrictor. If it is caked with hard water deposits, let the disk soak in some warm white vinegar for several hours. The vinegar will often remove or soften the hard water deposits. After soaking, use a toothbrush to remove any residual deposits and rinse with clear water. Install the small plastic flow restrictor disk and reattach the faucet to the water pipe
After all repair works, it would be a good idea if you turn on any hose faucet of your garden. In this way, you can divert the dirty water before the faucet is put into normal use. These are often the traditional types with rubber washers that flush out the dirty water from the whole system. Also remove aerators and use the faucet at least once before its normal usage.
Our next move would be to completely remove the water; full of dirt out of the drain lines after the repair work. For this purpose, the main water supply should be slowly turned on and all the water should be transported to the garden without disturbing the other lines.
If the water main breaks near your home and you notice that there is no water in your home, repeat the same procedure. While the water is off, turn on one or two outside hose faucets after removing all faucet aerators. Since the water work employees will often turn the water on without notifying each homeowner; you might not get a warning.
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December 30, 2008 | Plumbing
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