# inadequate water supply



## jeffreyplumber (Dec 7, 2009)

A job Ill be going on has had some complaints by owner saying they dont get enough water laundry and shower at same time etc.. They are blaming the water co. they have 45 psi a 5/8" meter and 3/4 " from meter to house aproxx. 25 foot run. I have not seen how its piped inside. This dont sound bad to me. I was thinking of an 1 1/4 service and perhaps some 1" inside the house to the first tee. All my work has been in areas where we have any where from 75 psi on up. But 45 # aint that low is it? I appreciate any thoughts on this subject. Thanks


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## Ron (Jun 12, 2008)

A home can work fine on 40 psi, even on PRV valves there set at factory 50 psi, so 45 is not bad.


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

45 psi is going to be pretty low. Nothing you've mentioned is out of the ordinary around here except for the pressure. Adding volume isn't going to do much without the pressure to push it.





Paul


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

Ron The Plumber said:


> A home can work fine on 40 psi, even on PRV valves there set at factory 50 psi, so 45 is not bad.


When was the 45 psi measurement taken? If it was at a time when the neighborhood wasn't using water, that pressure will drop at high use times. We had a development in town that had about 40 psi and nobody was happy. We installed a lot of booster pumps to get the pressure up to 70 psi so people could take showers.








Paul


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## pauliplumber (Feb 9, 2009)

Be sure to check for any obvious problems first, like a defective PRV or an old gate valve that won't open all the way.


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## ironandfire (Oct 9, 2008)

Screen on washer?


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## Bollinger plumber (Apr 3, 2009)

45 sounds low to me for a city water supply. I have 40 lbs on my well and it does the same thing when I run the shower and another fixture. Normal city pressure around here is 65 to 80 lbs.


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## uaplumber (Jun 16, 2008)

60 psi here


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## jeffreyplumber (Dec 7, 2009)

*a little more info*

45 psi was tuesday at 9 am water co changed out meter to a 3/4 at no charge. he also put some kind of a moniter to check the presure continualy for a couple days. Job is right by la canada where its been raining. No one is runing sprinklers. I still havent been to the jobsite. My brothers working there now but not plumbing he is the general contractor.


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## user2090 (Sep 26, 2009)

I would ask if this a recent occurrence. If problem just occurred then what changed? If always a problem then re-pipe baby.


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## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

Funny, my Brother-in-law lives in Highland. He's renting a house from HIS in-laws. The owner installed a gauge to show the water pressure, but not a regulator. So you can clearing see that he's getting 175 psi. The water service and house plumbing are all galvanized and in bad shape.


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## Plumber Jim (Jun 19, 2008)

Maybe they have alot of the inside piping in 1/2" that will choke the volume down when you have multiple this running.


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## jeffreyplumber (Dec 7, 2009)

I got no lack of presure here in highland either ! Job is in Glendale its all copper. I think the homeowners are trying to get the water district to give them some upgrades. From what my Brother tells me they are always trying to get something for nothing. Evedently the calcs arent coming in so good for fire sprinklers that must be installed in the new garage being built.


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## piercekiltoff (Jul 22, 2009)

The problem is inadequate volume, not pressure. 45 PSI is fine.

You said he can't shower and do laundry at the same time - that's a problem with there just not being enough water to meet both needs.

Up the meter/water line size and put new shower/fixture heads in that have some built in flow restriction.

Interestingly enough, if you can up the pressure to 80 PSI without burning a pump up by starving it (www.wellmanager.com - check out the constaboost system), and you change the fixtures to the low flow variety, you'll accomplish the same goal without having to do the meter. But again, you can't starve the pump. For the most part, most HO's won't know the difference between low flow/high pressure and high flow/low pressure.

You might be able to put a gauge after the pressure regulator, then run hoses from everything you can find to a central spot - watch the meter and see how much water you actually have to use to drop the pressure at the gauge down to a low level.


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## Miguel (Aug 10, 2009)

JK949 said:


> . . . .that he's getting *175 psi*. The water service and house plumbing are all galvanized and in bad shape.


Is that a typo? Anything over 80lb is just friggin' dangerous!
The only time I've ever seen problems with inadequate supply at the fixture at 40lb+ is a volume problem (scaled lines, poor piping, crappy faucets, etc).


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## JK949 (Mar 18, 2009)

Miguel said:


> Is that a typo? Anything over 80lb is just friggin' dangerous!
> The only time I've ever seen problems with inadequate supply at the fixture at 40lb+ is a volume problem (scaled lines, poor piping, crappy faucets, etc).



Not a typo, it's the highest pressure I've seen at a home. I told him that if he buys the house from his in-laws, I'll help him make corrections. Otherwise I'm not doing anyone any favors.


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## M5Plumb (Oct 2, 2008)

Go to the neighbors house and check the press. Then you'll know or call the city. I found a house out in the rural parts of Clackamas Cty, ladies PRV was shot, she had 220 PSI in the house...the Sprinkler sys and the WH were the failures which caused the initial call. I called the water district and they said they just ugraded the system and had to boost pressure up to 250 in her area. Hmmm...Just like the Dr when he tells you, "If you don't get this BP under control...You're gonna..."


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## AKdaplumba (Jan 12, 2010)

me thinks the pipe is just undersized.


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## 130 PLUMBER (Oct 22, 2009)

better yet,is their galvanize pipe in the house?here in chicago the avg house may only get 30 to 40lb per house if your lucky


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## 130 PLUMBER (Oct 22, 2009)

whats the chances that he might have a pin hole in the pipe?


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

30 to 40lbs static is just fine. You just have to be generous with your pipe sizing to keep friction losses to almost nothing.



130 PLUMBER said:


> better yet,is their galvanize pipe in the house?here in chicago the avg house may only get 30 to 40lb per house if your lucky


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## 130 PLUMBER (Oct 22, 2009)

Protech said:


> 30 to 40lbs static is just fine. You just have to be generous with your pipe sizing to keep friction losses to almost nothing.


Yup,i do agree


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## jeffreyplumber (Dec 7, 2009)

Thank you, for your opinion. I think this is likely the problem. I still havent been to this job. I think a service of 3/4 should have been ok but Ill recomend bigger and Ill see under the house how its plumbed. I think a new service is going to be need to run anyway, They are building a new garage and though the house dosent require sprinklers the new garage does. The fire sprinkler contractor is saying theres a problem too. Im just kind of waiting for an answer on what is needed by him. The owners seem to be whinning a lot , it seems they think they are going to get the water co. to some how boost pressure so that the owner can get out of spending any moneyon running a bigger water service or whatever is needed.


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