Our water is from a well. In both my refridgerator and my kitchen faucet I have good water pressure. However, when I put filters in each, the pressure is reduced severely enought that the kitchen sink faucet drips when turned on fully. And, the refridgerator takes about 3 minutes to fill an 8once glass. In addition, when the filter is installed in the fridge, getting good icecubes are rare. Can I fix this problem?

In addition, some mornings I will have good forceful shower water pressure. But, many times its not a good as I would like, and takes much longer to rinse off than other mornings. I change the water filter to the tank about every 2-3 months.

 

Your problem sound to me to be more of a flow problem as opposed to a pressure problem.

Water filters will add significant restriction to flow and as the filter becomes more plugged with whatever you are filtering out of your water the problem will get worse.

Does the problem exist immediately after installing a new filter cartridge? What is the size (pipe size connections) to your filter?

Do you have a main filter and then try to install additional filters on your kitchen sink and refrigerator? Are you trying to install carbon (taste and odor removing) filters on the sink and refrigerator? Is the main filter a particulate filter?

What are the cut-in (pump starting) and cut-out (pump stopping) pressures of your system?

 

I am experiencing a similar problem to the earlier posting and hoping you can offer some suggestions. I recently purchased a house w/ a well. Shortly after we moved in, we started having (what I thought) was a pressure problem.

Prior to having the pressure problem about a week after we moved in, I replaced the water filter, which was extremely dirty. The filter is a GE model (Heavy Duty Household Water Filtration System). I'm not sure what the exact model number is. Then about a week or so later, I started having problems w/ my water pressure. I replace the pressure switch (Flowtec 40/60) and pre-charged my pressure tank to 38 psi (per the instructions) but it didn't have any effect.

In a last ditch effort, I decided to bypass my filter to see what happened and the pressure/flow increased dramatically.

So I'm not sure how to resolve this problem because we have a lot of minerals in the water and not having the filter is really not an option.

Could using the carbon fiber filter instead of the lower end filter decrease the water pressure/flow?

The original filter I replaced was NOT carbon fiber.

 

Mike,

We need more details in order to help.

Is your GE a single filter element or two filter element device?
Sounds like you have a sediment filter then a carbon filter.
Is the filter housing about 10" long?

Many filters offered as "whole house" are too small and do not have a service flow rate capable of handling a whole house and become even more restrictive as the filter collects more junk.

If bypassing the filter restores your flow and pressure you've found the problem so ...

Have your water tested to see what you need to filter and if you need a filter at all.

If you do need a filter then find the correct filter element(s) and the correct size filter and housing to accomodate the SFR at your house.

 

Mike,

We need more details in order to help.

Is your GE a single filter element or two filter element device?

Single
Looks like the GE GXWH35F but could be a slightly different model.

Sounds like you have a sediment filter then a carbon filter.
Is the filter housing about 10" long?

Not sure what the difference is between a sediment filter and carbon fiber. I purchased the filter at Home Depot and they only offered (2) choices that fit my system. One that looked like the one I pulled out (paper - in a fan style) and the one I purchased (twice as expensive) that they referred to as carbon fiber (has more of a smooth surface). Seems like it can be cleaned and re-used.

Yes, about 10" long and a diameter of approx. 6".


Many filters offered as "whole house" are too small and do not have a service flow rate capable of handling a whole house and become even more restrictive as the filter collects more junk.

If bypassing the filter restores your flow and pressure you've found the problem so ...

Have your water tested to see what you need to filter and if you need a filter at all.

I don't think there is anything in the water that is harmful. Appears to have a lot of iron (red color). clouds up in the toilets and the wife complains that it make her hair do (something).

If you do need a filter then find the correct filter element(s) and the correct size filter and housing to accommodate the SFR at your house.

The thing that I can't understand is that the pressure seemed fine or at least OK (with the extremely dirty filter installed) and got worse when I replaced it with a new one.

Thanks,
Mike

 

Mike,

Single Looks like the GE GXWH35F but could be a slightly different model.

OK, single filter element 6x10" is small for a whole house. If you need a whole house filter it should be one of the 20" big blue filter housings.

"The thing that I can't understand is that the pressure seemed fine or at least OK (with the extremely dirty filter installed) and got worse when I replaced it with a new one".

You might have replaced the filter with one that filters smaller particulates (good word ). The filter you took out might have been say, a 20 micron and you put in a 10 or 5 micron element.

Filter elements come in all different configurations and filtering sizes (sized by # of microns of filtering) ... sediment, carbon block, GAC, and many others.

I don't think there is anything in the water that is harmful. Appears to have a lot of iron (red color). clouds up in the toilets and the wife complains that it make her hair do (something).

You have a problem with your water. Iron is a problem and usually is acompanied by other problems such as hardness, manganese. PH, sediment (or TDS), and possibly bacteria.

If you purchased a house with a well and didn't have a complete water test you should have. You need to have a complete water test done SOON by an independent lab. You may want to call a couple local water treatment companies and have them come out, test your water, and make recommendations. They'll do it for free. Check the results of their water tests against your test from the independent lab.

Your water quality is important and not to be fooled around with or taken lightly. Poor quality water can get you sick, shorten the life of your appliances, harm your plumbing, and if it's messin' up the wife's hair put your life in jeopardy

And, you ought to start a new thread

 

The pressure problems are the same regardless of installing a new filter or not. What baffles me is that it can be strong pressure one time, weak an hour later or vice versa. Very strange. The pipes are 3/4" going in and out of the tank. However, the one exiting the water heater is 1/2"

I only have 1 filter from the tank. As far as the fridge and the faucet goes, those have filters of their own. I had to remove the filter from the fridge to get descent ice cubes. There's times I've changed the main filter due to ice cube smells, but thats about it on that. Of course I change it about every 2 months. Before I'm recommended to change it.

You kinda worried me on your reply to the other Mike about water quality. The house we just bought is in a community in the country. There are about 30 houses out here, all running on wells. So, is it safe to say we are all getting our water from the same place? Would all the homes be affected if the water was bad?

My wife says the water oder and taste is natural because she lived in the country growing up. I think it tastes and smells like crap (she does too, she had to have got used to city water after 10yrs in our old place).

We dont have a problem with rust. At least I dont think so because our sinks, toilets, and showers dont discolor at all (or shes just that good at housekeeping).

 

michaeleast1,

The only thing the 30 houses have in common is that they are on wells. Wells differ greatly and you can have really nice water at one well and awful water at another well only 100 yards away.

The best advice I can offer is what I told the other Mike ...

If you purchased a house with a well and didn't have a complete water test you should have. You need to have a complete water test done SOON by an independent lab. You may want to call a couple local water treatment companies and have them come out, test your water, and make recommendations. They'll do it for free. Check the results of their water tests against your test from the independent lab.

Your water quality is important and not to be fooled around with or taken lightly. Poor quality water can get you sick, shorten the life of your appliances, and harm your plumbing.

Rather than try to learn as you go I'd want the test results so I could research the water problems and get help to formulate a solution.

Living in the city on a city water system makes life EZ and can be taken for granted. In a rural setting and on a well you have to take care of this stuff by yourself. It's nice livin' in the country but it IS more work.

 

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