Toilets, Sinks, Showers, Tubs and Disposals - low water pressure tub/shower cold water only
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khonermeadows
09-13-07, 09:00 AM
Just a dribble comes out of the tub/shower faucet - if you put hot only, it comes out fine as soon as you add the cold it goes to a dribble. we had a new well pump installed, but it didn't seem to make a differnce ( it improved somewhat at first, now it's back to a dribble again? do we need a plumbrer to attend? any suggestions? thanks.
ecman51`
09-13-07, 05:42 PM
What is really in order is to trace cold water lines in the basement and check out pressure at the fixture that is UPSTREAM form the shower. If that is good, carefully look at how many elbows you may have in the line from there to your shower, to assess any likeliness that one of these may be the culprit.
Also see if you have shutoff valves under the tub/shower up at the ceiling in the basement or behind an access cover panel in the room behind the headwall of the tub/shower. If so, that valve would have to be taken apart and investigated, with the water shut off to the whole house, of course.
Other than that, you really need to take out the cold water valvestem or cartridge and check the condition of those. See if the rubber washers are totally intact and tight, or if some is gone or loose. If so, chunks of it could have got hungup inside the mixer.
I just worked on a real problem tub/shower yesterday that entailed removing the hot and cold valvestems and back blowing with an air compressor to backflush out washer remnants that broke off and went up in the mixer valve and got hung up. That did the trick. But pressure has been slow at this fixture for years, and when I get time I will further find out if there is either more broken rubber or rust chunks in that mixer, or if the line in the basement where they screwed copper into galvanized is the real cause. But at least I have pressure back to how it has been in recent times.
I told you this to illustrate what you too coud be in for. It's simply observing, then using your head, and coming up with ways of solving. Not rocket science.
Also see if you have shutoff valves under the tub/shower up at the ceiling in the basement or behind an access cover panel in the room behind the headwall of the tub/shower. If so, that valve would have to be taken apart and investigated, with the water shut off to the whole house, of course.
Other than that, you really need to take out the cold water valvestem or cartridge and check the condition of those. See if the rubber washers are totally intact and tight, or if some is gone or loose. If so, chunks of it could have got hungup inside the mixer.
I just worked on a real problem tub/shower yesterday that entailed removing the hot and cold valvestems and back blowing with an air compressor to backflush out washer remnants that broke off and went up in the mixer valve and got hung up. That did the trick. But pressure has been slow at this fixture for years, and when I get time I will further find out if there is either more broken rubber or rust chunks in that mixer, or if the line in the basement where they screwed copper into galvanized is the real cause. But at least I have pressure back to how it has been in recent times.
I told you this to illustrate what you too coud be in for. It's simply observing, then using your head, and coming up with ways of solving. Not rocket science.
grancpe
09-14-07, 03:47 AM
If you have a single handle shower valve the pressure balance spool (anti-scold) inside the valve could be sticking. If you know the age and maker of the valve it would help.
MoenMan
09-14-07, 11:21 AM
If you have a single handle shower valve the pressure balance spool (anti-scold) inside the valve could be sticking. If you know the age and maker of the valve it would help.
Correct ^^ You either need to remove and clean the spool of the cartridge or replace it entirely, a brand would definatly help.
Correct ^^ You either need to remove and clean the spool of the cartridge or replace it entirely, a brand would definatly help.