Low hot water pressure and pipe size

[wlaukaitis]

Good Morning,

My hot water is fed from the oil fired burner. I have awfully low hot water pressure. Probably less than half of the Cold water pressure. The Water feed comes in in 3/4 pipe then there is a branch to 1/2 inch pipe to the hot water coil. This leaves the hot water coil as 1/2 inch pipe and then about 20 feet (I didn't measure) from the coil outlet it goes back to 3/4 inch. Meanwhile the cold water is always 3/4

Is this step down to from 3/4 to 1/2 and then back up to 3/4 normal??? I realize that the coil could be clogged, if so is this something i can clean?? I think that going from 1/2 to 3/4 could cause a drop in pressure as well. Mayvbe I should invest in a 3/4 hot water coil? Does such an animal exsist?

Thank you for your help!
Bill

[KField]

If you have a well, or a water supply that is high in hardness, your coil is probably clogged. Sometines it can be a clogged flow restrictor (if you have one) in line to the coil. You won't find a bigger coil and wouldn't want to see the price if you did find one. The best way to remedy the problem would be to use the existing coil as an external coil and add a storage tank as an indirect heater. It requires a little ingenuity but what it gives you is a full size inlet and outlet and no pressure drop (at the faucets) through the coil. Either way, if your coil is clogged, you should get it flushed before it gets clogged solid.

Ken

[wlaukaitis]

hi

Thanks for the reply! Is the clogginess something I can check or should I call my boiler people and complain of low hot water pressure?

Bill

[KField]

Before you pay for a service call perhaps you could take a water sample and have it tested for hardness. Many places do it for free and if it shows as hard, then you could be fairly certain that it is a mineral restriction and call for an acid flush.

Ken

[Ed Imeduc]

Like Ken said hard water will get you everytime. If you feel up to it you can do the acid flush yourself. on that hot water coil.

ED ;)