Low water pressure in home troubleshooting

[hoosierdoc]

We've been in the home since 2011 and recently noticed a drop in water pressure when using multiple faucets. Now if my wife is filling our bath tub I can barely get water out of our shower.

We had a plumber out who says he can't find an issue indoor and believes we have an exterior water leak. I don't believe we do and cancelled the "leak detection service", but that was during all of our health issues and probably should have just let him do his thing.

We have hard water and I don't use our softener. Could we just have progressive build up of solids in the lines causing flow restriction? The house is only 11 years old and has PEX for water lines. It's an issue with hot and cold. We have a water shut-off it seems in our basement that is fully open and I think one in the garage that is fully open. Inlet valve to hot water heater is wide open.

I'm at a loss. Should I have another plumber out to check lines themselves somehow or just go with the leak detection company first? I checked and ensured the valve at our meter was wide open. Neighbors are not having issues.

 

[churchmouse]

Shut off all the water use in the house. Ice maker etc.....everything.
Take a sharpie out to the meter. Snap a pic of the readings and mark the sweep hand. Go out for a few hours and check the meter when you return. If you have a leak it will register on the readings. That is all a plumber will do. It aint magic.

 

[hoosierdoc]

We have a digital wireless thingy, I can't see the numbers on it

 

[churchmouse]

We have a digital wireless thingy, I can't see the numbers on it

Well that sucks.
If you had a significant leak to drop pressure the way you describe it would be obvious out in the yard. If you can see the line where it enters the house repeat the shut off process as to usage in the house. Everything.
Get a long flat blade screw driver and put it on the pipe and put your ear on the handle. Old school listening device. If there is a significant leak you will hear it. I have used this method more than a few times tracking leaks.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Edit, I can flip half of that plastic thing up. No idea what I'm looking at though.

the pipe is completely covered in drywall, all I have sticking out is a pinwheel valve handle thing

 

[Wolfhound]

Since your not using it make sure your water softener is bypassed. If water is flowing through it that could cause pressure loss due to build up. My home has a whole house filter in addition to a water softener. It can cause pressure loss when it get really dirty. YMMV

 

[churchmouse]

Edit, I can flip half of that plastic thing up. No idea what I'm looking at though.

the pipe is completely covered in drywall, all I have sticking out is a pinwheel valve handle thing

Use the valve as your listening point. Solid contact on the retaining screw on the pinwheel should be enough.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Thanks, I'll do these things in a bit

Since your not using it make sure your water softener is bypassed. If water is flowing through it that could cause pressure loss due to build up. My home has a whole house filter in addition to a water softener. It can cause pressure loss when it get really dirty. YMMV

Use the valve as your listening point. Solid contact on the retaining screw on the pinwheel should be enough.

 

[91FXRS]

You should be able to shine a light on the meter to make reading show.

 

[HubertGummer]

Is it hot water only running slow or cold as well?

A few years ago I had a copper pipe clogged with calcium right as it exited the water heater. Cold water ran fine but when taking a shower there was almost no water pressure.

 

[halfmileharry]

I had a feed line stop up a couple of years back. I started at the pump disassembling the lines. The first elbow I got to was blocked probably 90%.
When I saw the blockage I was amazed I had as much pressure as I did.
I removed all the old feed line from the pump and started over. I have good pressure now.
EDIT:
My home is an older home built in the late 30s originally and the water system has evolved over time away from the Goldberg engineering patches and repairs.

 

[1911ly]

I had the same issue. It slowly dropped over 5-6 years. I have a softener on the hot water side. I though it was in bypass. I stopped using it years ago. To make a long story short, I want the thing out of the garage since it was taking up space. Turns out it was not in bypass. My water pressure increased dramatically.

 

[junk]

if you have a leak, your water bill would show it.

 

[PGRChaplain]

Is it the Municipal Water Pressure? Check with your neighbors. We had a Pressure drop years ago, took the City 4 days to figure out all their Water was running into the River..........

 

[Dirtebiker]

Well that sucks.
If you had a significant leak to drop pressure the way you describe it would be obvious out in the yard. If you can see the line where it enters the house repeat the shut off process as to usage in the house. Everything.
Get a long flat blade screw driver and put it on the pipe and put your ear on the handle. Old school listening device. If there is a significant leak you will hear it. I have used this method more than a few times tracking leaks.

or, I have a stethoscope you can use. It has a long probe on it.
how is your water bill?
maybe start with exterior faucets, turn on one at a time and see how much pressure you have . Narrow it down to where the reduction starts.
pex shouldn’t get built up corrosion.

 

[Dirtebiker]

Let me know if you’d like a second set of eyes on it, I’d be interested in seeing what it might be. Check the softener bypass

 

[Tactically Fat]

I have essentially 100% new plumbing in my house. New interior plumbing done 7-ish years ago (including Water Softener), new water heater 1.5 years ago, and a new supply line from the meter to my house last summer.

Still don't have great pressure back to our bathrooms. I don't THINK I have the restrictors in place in the shower heads. I just want higher pressure water at my shower, dang it!

 

[churchmouse]

I have essentially 100% new plumbing in my house. New interior plumbing done 7-ish years ago (including Water Softener), new water heater 1.5 years ago, and a new supply line from the meter to my house last summer.

Still don't have great pressure back to our bathrooms. I don't THINK I have the restrictors in place in the shower heads. I just want higher pressure water at my shower, dang it!

We have great pressure at the shower head unless someone uses a sink elsewhere. Pressure drops noticeably.

 

[JollyMon]

Ant-man

 

[jamil]

Tagging. I have a similar problem.