So ive got city water and it comes into the house with 1/2 pipe from the street. The house has always had pressure problems so a couple of months ago I redid all the plumbing in the basement and 1st floor with pex and a nice pex manifold. The pressure is good (not great) when im only using one thing. The second I turn on a second fixture the water practically comes to a drizzle.
I bought a pressure gauge to test the pressure at the outside spigot. Regardless of how many fixtures are on it stays in the 90-100 psi range.(im not totally convinced im getting an accurate reading from it)
I want to install a pressure booster pump to help keep the pressure when multiple fixtures are used. But the pump website is saying the highest my pressure can be is around 20 for the pressure switch to work correctly.
Can someone guide me in the right direction?

 

You may have 90 psi but you are not getting the volume you need through that 1/2" line. Most likely galvanized...

Whats the water pressure with several fixtures in the home running???

 

Thats the problem im facing right now. The water spigot is on its own 1/2 pex straight from the manifold so I dont think its seeing the change it pressure. I had two sinks and a toilet running and it barely changed.

 

Run water at fixtures. Then run water out hose bib. While continuing to run fixtures hook up gauge to hose bib and test..

 

Ok I tested it that way amd with two fixtures running it shows about 65 psi.

 

does not make sense then...?? I have to think about it..

Put the gauge at the HWH drain and test..

 

Ok at the hwh its about 60psi with nothing on. One sink on 50 psi. Two sinks 40 psi. Two sinks and tub 20psi. I noticed some black water coming out of the drain on the heater. Is that normal?

 

how low is the flow really with two sinks running at 40 psi????? Unmanageable????

 

When theres two sinks running it really is only a trickle of water.

 

Can anybody tell me if a pressure booster pump will solve my problem?

 

Your problem is one of flow, not pressure, so no, a pressure booster pump is not the answer.

Your problem is either a restriction in the piping, a partially closed valve or the like, or simply a result of using pipe too small for the required flow rate. That old pipe from the street is highly suspect. There may also be a pressure reducing valve in the system that has become stuck and not opening during a downstream pressure reduction.

 

I know theres no pressure reducing valves or partially close valves in the house and I dont think they would be buried in the street or my yard. I also think that the problem is the 1/2" feed from the street. I was hoping there would be another solution. But it sounds like the only way to truly solve the problem would be to rip up the yard and street and replace it with a bigger size pipe. Are there any other solutions that wouldnt require ripping up the yard and street?

 

1/2" from the street.

That is a problem and there is not much you can do other than up-sizing.

 

Thats a bummer. Ive seen a commercial for the showerhead that kinda vibrates to spread the water around and make less water seem like more. Do they make faucets like that? Im thinking I can install some of those and at least make the problem seem better?

 

A home I replaced the 1/2 sevice line had a booster pump. They as a small tank attached to it...

I would say it would help at maintaining a higher psi once the pump kicked on...

Low flow shower heads will make it seem like you have great pressure.. I have and use 1.25 gpm head...

Eco-Friendly Water Efficient Earth Showerheads by Niagara Conservation

The needle type spray aerators will make it seem like you have lots of water..

Pressure Compensating Dual-Thread Needle Spray Aerator 1.0 GPM

 

The money spent for a booster pump , around 1500 bucks without install, would be better spent on replacing the service...

This can be done with trench less technology....

 

I just took a closer look at the water meter and main from the street. It looks like I do actually have 3/4" coming from the street. At the end of that 3/4 pipe there is a weird looking bubble (not sure what it is). Its not sweated on. Seems like part of the pipe. But it comes in at 3/4. Reduces to 1/2 into a 1/2 water meter and then back up to 3/4

 

Do you know what pipe material is coming from the street?

Sounds like a faulty PRV valve...

Replace that and you should be good to go.. If they go bad your pressure/flow is reduced...

Still I would like to know what pipe material coming from the street... copper? Steel?

PRV valve...

 

It looks like copper to me. There isnt a prv valve anywhere inside the house.
From the street its a 3/4" copper then some weird bubble thing(not any type of fitting thats sweated on. Almost looks like a defect in the pipe). Then a ball valve then to the meter (1/2") then out to another ball valve to the rest of the house

 

Hav the water company come out and check the meter...

You need to take pics for us to help as I cant see what you have.

If copper there is no reason you should have reduced flow..

As furd suggested a partial closed valve or some type of restriction...

You have this bubble on the pipe???? This is a check valve. It may or may not be your issue..

 

That could be what I have there. I couldnt see any sweat joints but I couldve missed them. I think I have reduced flow because of the meter downsizing to 1/2 and being the bottleneck in rhe system

 

And im positive that the bubble I was seeing is the check valve.

 

Call the water company .... they are most likely responsible for check valve... have them check you out.... Tell them your issue, and post back the outcome....

 

Around here calcium in the water builds up in the galvanized and copper pipes reducing a 1/2" pipe to 1/4" or even less.

Here, it's not unusual to have a 3/4" meter feeding a 1/2" pipe to the house (a dumb attempt to save money on pipe from the 50's and 60's), but most people replace that pipe with PVC once they discover why they have no pressure or volume. Doing that requires a permit from the city.

 

5/8 inch water meters are common in single-family residential settings, even when the connecting piping is 3/4 or even 1 inch size. While the "downsized" meter IS a slight restriction it is rarely a problem.

I agree that your first call should be to the water utility as there could be a problem with their service piping or the meter.

 

Its not a single fanily house though. Its a two family house. And the water meter is the only bottleneck I see. Either that or the check valve. I plan on having the water company check out the meter and check valve.