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Loss of Pressure when flush or shower after repipe

8 years ago

Does anyone know what is causing this?.

After we completed a copper repipe, we began experiencing a loss of pressure at "downstream" faucets and shower -- I.e., kitchen, back bathroom, bar sink -- when we flush the toilet or the use the shower in the bathroom closest to the water heater. We did not notice any such loss previously when we had iron pipes (original to this 1956 house).

Does anyone know how to fix this issue?

Featured Answer

randy427

8 years ago

What size pipes were taken out and with what size tubing were they replaced?

Did the routing of the pipes change?

A 1/2" pipe has less than half the cross section of a 3/4", thus there is a significant difference in the flow rates.

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Comments (6)

klem1
8 years ago
"Does anyone know how to fix this issue?"

How to fix? No,there's just too many places where a problem might lie. One kink in new line will effect everything following supplied through that pipe. Get it fixed? Yes. Call the installer back to go back over their work.
Tom Ray thanked klem1
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Okay, then there really may be reason for me to worry. I'm pretty sure the plumber didn't even go into the adjoining bathroom to turn off the valves under the sink, he just turned off the main water supply to the house when he was installing the rough-in shower valves. He spliced into the water supply lines going to the adjoining bathroom sink from within the opened wall on the opposite side of the wall board from the sink, cutting into the supply lines before they reached the shut-off valves for the sink sticking out of the dry wall on the other side. I'm not pulling your leg in any way, I'm seriously confused about why cutting into a pipe in-line and splitting it using a T would affect the volume of available water for the faucet that was originally supplied. The onloy thing I could think of as a possible reason was lots of new pipe that are now attached to those lines but are currently ful of air, not water, because their new valve has never been turned on to purge the air from the pipes. I'll look under the sink and see if the local shutoff valves were adjusted, but I'm pretty sure not since I watched the plumber walk into the water heater closet and turn off the main water supply valve for the whole house before cutting into the supply lines. Thank you for your answers, I'll point out my issue to my GC on Mon., because if it's not an air vacuum issue, there's something else wrong with the plumbing that's now behind a lot of hardibacker, awaiting tile, and I want if fixed before the tile goes up and before they have to rip into the not-being-remodeled bath on the other side of the wall to fix it. Thanks, Orchid
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sambah006
8 years ago
"A 1/2" pipe has less than half the cross section of a 3/4", thus there is a significant difference in the flow rates."

Yes, but a new 1/2" pipe most likely has a lot more flow than a 60 year old corroded galvanized pipe.
Vith
8 years ago
We would need a layout diagram with pipe sizes to tell you what is wrong. I would guess pipe size and branching has been done wrong.
Tom Ray thanked Vith
weedmeister
8 years ago
Are you on a well?
Tom Ray
Original Author
8 years ago
Weedmeister: Good question, but, No. We are not.

ALL:

- We are on "city water," and live up on a hill with a water tank at the top of it so our pipes are always over pressured. And, we have to pay a special fee to the water district for that "pleasure."

- I believe our old pipes were 3/4" since that is what I recall penetrating the walls for the lawn/water spigots. BUT, we now know to ask. THANKS!

- Also, when we bought the house (8 years ago) the old pipes were identified in that inspection as "not very corroded." So we waited until we remodeled the bathrooms. The over pressure, however, has meant frequent cleaning of the spigots/faucets/shower heads and replacement of certain rubber gaskets throughout the house.

- We did not replace the line from the street to the house for several reasons, including: water district charges new hook up and assigns you to a new rate structure, cost of demo & sensitivity/costs of digging the trench, etc..

- Contractor is supposed to come back tomorrow to discuss punch list for work tasks "done" to date, including the copper repipe.

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