How to Diagnose & Repair Poor Water Pressure or Lost Water Pressure at Buildings InspectAPedia® -
How to diagnose loss of water pressure or loss of water in a building - both municipal water supply and private well systems are addressed
How to decide if water pump pressure control switch or water pump replacement is needed
How to decide if water tank replacement is necessary
Typical cost of various well, pump, and water tank repairs.
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This article describes how and why to distinguish among intermittent water pressure loss, total water pressure loss, and poor water pressure or flow in a building. We give diagnostic and repair procedures for both municipal water supply problems and well water supply problems. Our discussion of bad water pressure or flow begins at WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR and continues, divided into water pressure loss symptoms and diagnostic steps for BAD MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE or FLOW and separately, BAD WELL WATER PRESSURE or FLOW.
Separately we provide a WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE in table format listing nearly every cause of water pressure loss or well pump problem identification, diagnosis, and repair.
The process of diagnosis and the costs of the repair are explained. Consumer advice on saving money on water supply repair costs includes a review of the parts and labor costs of a typical well pump and pressure tank replacement case. The page top sketch, courtesy of Carson Dunlop, shows five factors that affect the water pressure and flow in a building. What the sketch has not included are water pressure, quantity, or flow problems that originate at the well, well pump, or water pressure tank. We discuss all of these here.
If your water pressure is intermittent, starts and stops, or varies in pressure, see Water Pressure Intermittent and see the other water pressure diagnostic articles listed just below.
If there is some water pressure but the pressure and/or flow or water quantity are poor see these diagnostic articles:
Keep in mind that if water is running elsewhere in the building (another shower, sink, dishwasher, clothes washer, garden hose, etc) then the water pressure you will observe at your location will usually be reduced.
If you have good cold water pressure but not enough hot water pressure or hot water quantity, see HOT WATER IMPROVEMENTS
If you have good water pressure at some fixtures but not at others, you probably have a clog in building piping (such as due to mineral deposits, rust, or even excessive solder in new work), or mineral and debris clogged strainers at faucets and shower heads (check these first). Also see Water pipe clog diagnosis and Water pipe clog repair guide.
Quick Guide to Diagnosing Poor Municipal Water Supply Pressure
For our full article on diagnosing poor municipal water pressure see BAD MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE or FLOW. A summary giving excerpts of some bad city water pressure or flow diagnostic steps is just below.
Double check that there is no burst pipe or leaks in the building interior water piping
Check to see if there are leaks or crimps in the water supply pipe between the building and the city water main in the street, and that there and no water running elsewhere before going on to more complicated water pressure diagnosis steps.
Listen for water supply service entry piping or water main leaks: If your water is from a municipal supply and if you can turn off water right at the entry to your building, you can then listen to the piping - you may discover that there is an underground water main supply leak outside!
Check municipal water supply main pressure and flow: Ask your plumber to measure the incoming water pressure and flow before the water pressure regulator,or with the pressure regulator set wide open. Since bad water pressure or flow can be a piping problem rather than a supply quantity problem, also see PIPING IN BUILDINGS, Clogs Leaks Types and PLASTIC PIPE LEAK CAUSES.
Water supply piping buried outdoors must be bedded in clean sand. Where copper water supply pipes have been buried in gravel, contractors find that over time the gravel, perhaps moving by frost or water passage through the soil, actually works against the metal water piping to create multiple holes and leaks in the water main.
Poor incoming city water pressure from a community or municipal water supply? How to boost water pressure in a building by installing a pressure booster pump and pressure tank for buildings whose incoming water pressure is too low or intermittent is discussed in detail at PUMP, WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER
Poor city water pressure due to building height? How to boost water pressure in a building by installing a pressure booster pump and pressure tank for tall buildings is discussed in detail at PUMP, WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER
Poor water pressure just at certain plumbing fixtures? poor cold water pressure, hot water pressure, or both hot and cold water pressure or flow that is observed just at some plumbing fixtures in a building while flow and quantity are good at others suggests that the water flow or pressure problems are local to certain runs of supply piping or to the specific fixtures. Details are at BAD MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE or FLOW.
Poor hot water pressure: if hot water pressure is noticeably worse than cold water pressure and flow, the problem may be due to sludge in the water heater or mineral-clogged piping or tankless coil (TANKLESS COILS). A water softener (WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS) won't fix mineral-clogged piping, but once that problem has been taken care of, it can prevent future clogs. See CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPING / Tankless Coil & Hot Water.
Take These Extra Steps to Boost City Water Pressure & Flow at a Building: after first diagnosing the problem and ruling out the leaks, crimps, or repairs needed by the steps we have described above, you can adjust the water pressure regulator, install a water pressure booster pump in the building, or install larger diameter water service or in building water supply piping. Details are at MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE IMPROVEMENTS.
Quick Guide to Diagnosing Poor Well Water or Pump Water Pressure or Flow
Our full diagnostic article for private well water pressure and flow problem diagnosis is at BAD WELL WATER PRESSURE or FLOW. Separately we also provide a WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE in table format listing nearly every cause of water pressure loss or well pump problem identification, diagnosis, and repair.
The following articles pertain if you have a private well, pump, and tank system for your building or if your incoming community water supply pressure and flow are just too low to start with:
Water Tank Problems? See Water Pressure Tank Problems. Examples of water tank problems include poor water pressure or the well pump rapidly turning on and off (short cycling).
Water pump problems? Examples of water pump problems include poor water pressure or no water pressure at all, or water pump won't start, won't stop, or fails to develop adequate water pressure. See
WATER PUMP RELAY SWITCH - submersible pump has stopped working, or won't start - for pumps that use a separate heavy duty relay switch in addition to the pressure control switch
Poor water pressure or no water pressure after an electrical power loss, lightning strike, or storm? Water pressure may be lost entirely following a power loss or electrical storm or lightning strike. Check first for a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker. A lightning strike can also damage electrical wiring supplying a submersible pump, or it may damage the pump itself.
Water piping or well piping problems? If your water pump keeps losing prime, a shallow well jet pump well line could have a bad foot valve (in the well WELL PIPING FOOT VALVES) or there may be a bad check valve on well piping at or near the water tank or near the above-ground water pump (CHECK VALVES) and so be losing prime. A leak in the well line piping itself (WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS) can also lead to loss of prime.
Well Problems? Do you run out of water or after running water for some interval water pressure and flow are poor? Well problem diagnosis starts at WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS. Other indications of a well that is running dry include reduced water flow rather than complete stoppage of water flow, or the water may be dirty. Before assuming that there is no water in the well, check to see if the water pump is working properly, including loss of pump prime (WATER PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE) and a bad or leaky well piping foot valve (WELL PIPING FOOT VALVES).
Bad water pump or water tank pressure regulator control? See WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST (not usually installed on private well and pump systems, often present on municipal water supply systems that use an in-building local water pump and pressure tank to boost pressure). Before adjusting a well pump pressure control switch (WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL), changing building piping, or considering installing a water pressure booster pump (PUMP, WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER), it is essential to understand what the incoming water pressure is and exactly why the building water pressure is not satisfactory. Start at the beginning of this article: WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR. Water pump pressure regulator switch diagnosis and repair steps include these:
How to Adjust Water Pump Pressure: The detailed, step by step procedure for inspecting and adjusting the water pressure control switch is
discussed in detail at ADJUST PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL.
Diagnosing Water Pump Short Cycling on and off: If your water pump is clicking on and off too often or quite rapidly see SHORT CYCLING.
Diagnosing Water Pressure Drops without explanation when the pump stops, see Water Pressure Falls Slowly, Erratic Pumping: bad pressure control switch, building water running or leak, bad pressure gauge, bad check valve, bad foot valve.
Diagnosing & Repairing Lost Air in the Water Tank: The problem of lost air in the water pressure tank along with how to correct that condition are discussed
beginning at SIGNS OF AIR LOSS.
Diagnosing & Repairing a Water Pressure Control or Water Pump Control Switch: We discuss diagnosing and repairing a water pressure control switch that sticks "on" or "off" or simply won't operate, at water pump Pressure Switch Repairs.
Bad Hot Water Pressure? See HOT WATER IMPROVEMENT especially if the building cold water pressure is acceptable but hot water pressure and flow are poor. Accumulated debris in a water heater, and debris from a corroded or disintegrating hot water tank dip tube or hot water tank sacrificial anode can also block the hot water outlet opening, resulting in low hot water pressure in a building.
Problems with water treatment equipment can cause loss of water pressure or no water flow: a clogged water filter, or a malfunction in water disinfection or other water treatment equipment can cause a reduction in water pressure or even a complete stop in water flow in a building.
Our full diagnostic article for private well water pressure and flow problem diagnosis is at BAD WELL WATER PRESSURE or FLOW.
Separately we also provide a WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE in table format listing nearly every cause of water pressure loss or well pump problem identification, diagnosis, and repair.
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Thanks to Jeneral Sewer Service - George - 845-297-2285, a New York Hudson Valley drain and sewer cleaning and de-clogging expert for technical details and consulting on drain clog diagnosis and repair, including proper use of the Kinetic Water Ram for drain clearing - 3/14/2009
Thanks to our reader, Carole Cimitile, 2/17/2009, for reminding us that small problems like faucet o-rings, clogged faucet strainers and similar local plumbing fixture defects can have a big impact on hot water flow, cold water flow, or both hot and cold water flow and pressure problems.
Thanks to reader EK Woodard, Boise State University, Boise ID, for assistance in diagnosing poor water pressure following an electrical power loss.
3/14/2010
Betta-Flo Jet Pump Installation Manual, National Pump Co., LLC., includes helpful well pump troubleshooting tips as well as basic jet pump installation details. Web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://www.nationalpumpcompany.com/Documents/OIM/Betta%20Flo%20IOM%20Jet%20Pump.pdf
Plumbing Diagnosis & Repair: Water supply, drainage, septic systems, water testing, water contamination, defective plumbing materials & products.
Water Supply & Drain Piping, Wells, Pumps, Water Supply Equipment
Access Water Energy, PO Box 2061, Moorabbin, VIC 3189, Australia, Tel: 1300 797 758, email: sales@accesswater.com.au Moorabbin Office: Kingston Trade Centre, 100 Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin, VIC 3189
Australian supplier of: Greywater systems, Solar power to grid packages, Edwards solar systems, Vulcan compact solar systems, water & solar system pumps & controls, and a wide rage of above ground & under ground water storage tanks: concrete, steel, plastic, modular, and bladder storage tanks.
Cheating on water tests: Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - make sure your water test is valid
Smart Tank, Installation Instructions, Flexcon Industries, 300 Pond St., Randolph MA 02368, www.flexconind.com, Tel: 800-527-0030 - web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://www.flexconind.com/pdf/st_install.pdf
Typical Shallow Well One Line Jet Pump Installation, Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf
Typical Deep Well Two Line Jet Pump Installation, Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf
Water Fact Sheet #3, Using Low-Yielding Wells, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Cooperative Extension, School of Forest Resources, web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/XH0002.pdf
Water pressure tanks - how to diagnose the need for air, how to add air, stop water pump short cycling to avoid damage - water storage water pressure tank safety.
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 2010, $69.00 U.S., is available from Carson Dunlop, and from the InspectAPedia bookstore. The 2010 edition of the Home Reference Book is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. InspectAPedia.com ® author/editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume.
Crystal Clear Supply provides portable ceramic water filter purifiers and portable reverse osmosis water treatment equipment - see http://www.crystalclearsupply.com/category_s/7.htm
Handbook of Disinfectants and Antiseptics, Joseph M. Ascenzi (Editor), CRC, 1995, ISBN-10: 0824795245 ISBN-13: 978-0824795245 "The evaluation of chemical germicides predates the golden age of microbiology..." -
This well-focused, up-to-date reference details the current medical uses of antiseptics and disinfectants -- particularly in the control of hospital-acquired infections -- presenting methods for evaluating products to obtain regulatory approval and examining chemical, physical, and microbiological properties as well as the toxicology of the most widely used commercial chemicals.
Potable Aqua® emergency drinking water germicidal tablets are produced by the Wisconsin Pharmacal Co., Jackson WI 53037. 800-558-6614 pharmacalway.com
Principles and Practice of Disinfection, Preservation and Sterilization (Hardcover)
by A. D. Russell (Editor), W. B. Hugo (Editor), G. A. J. Ayliffe (Editor), Blackwell Science, 2004. ISBN-10: 1405101997, ISBN-13: 978-1405101998.
"This superb book is the best of its kind available and one that will undoubtedly be useful, if not essential, to workers in a variety of industries. Thirty-one distinguished specialists deal comprehensively with the subject matter indicated by the title ... The book is produced with care, is very readable with useful selected references at the end of each chapter and an excellent index. It is an essential source book for everyone interested in this field. For pharmacy undergraduates, it will complement the excellent text on pharmaceutical microbiology by two of the present editors."
The Pharmaceutical Journal: "This is an excellent book. It deals comprehensively and authoritatively with its subject with contributions from 31 distinguished specialists. There is a great deal to interest all those involved in hospital infection ... This book is exceptionally well laid out. There are well chosen references for each chapter and an excellent index. It is highly recommended." The Journal of Hospital Infection.: "The editors and authors must be congratulated for this excellent treatise on nonantibiotic antimicrobial measures in hospitals and industry ... The publication is highly recommended to hospital and research personnel, especially to clinical microbiologists, infection-control and environmental-safety specialists, pharmacists, and dieticians."
New England Journal of Medicine: City Hospital, Birmingham, UK. Covers the many methods of the elimination or prevention of microbial growth. Provides an historical overview, descriptions of the types of antimicrobial agents, factors affecting efficacy, evaluation methods, and types of resistance. Features sterilization methods, and more. Previous edition: c1999. DNLM: Sterilization--methods.
U.S. Army Field Manual 21-10, Field Hygiene and Sanitation, 1988, web search 07/02/2010, original source: http://www.enlisted.info/field-manuals/fm-21-10-field-hygiene-and-sanitation.shtml The purpose of this manual is to assist individual soldiers, unit commanders, leaders and field sanitation teams in preventing disease and environmental injuries. The manual provides information on preventive medicine measures (PMM) to the individual soldier as well as essential information for the unit commander, unit leaders, and the unit field sanitation team on applying unit level PMM.
When Technology Fails, Matthew Stein, Chelsea Green Publisher, 2008,493 pages. ISBN-10: 1933392452 ISBN-13: 978-1933392455, "... how to find and sterilize water in the face of utility failure, as well as practical information for dealing with water-quality issues even when the public tap water is still flowing". Mr. Stein's website is www.whentechfails.com/
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