Low water pressure in bathroom

[Lisa Rae]

So I think I have fixed 99.9% of my issues.  After cleaning the flow restrictors/pressure regulators that helped a lot but I decided to replace them with a hollow pipe (got it at Home Depot, I'm sure there were other ways to do this but this was simplest for me) so there is no restriction.  I purchased an external pressure regulator and have that set to 55psi and will use that going forward.  I also replaced the faucet head in the bathroom and I have great flow/pressure almost everywhere now.

 

The one place I think the flow/pressure could be better still is the toile.  I did try cleaning the filter/screen as was suggested in an earlier post, but I couldn't figure out how to get the filter/screen out so I poured vinegar down the tube and let it sit for a few hours but it didn't seem to help.  It's good enough though.  The bowl doesn't hold water for very long so have to look into that.

 

The last thing I found which I am sure contributed to a lot of my problems was the anode rod was way overdue to be replaced and water heater was full of scale/buildup.  I flushed out the hot water heater, which took a while for stuff to stop coming out and the water to be clear then put in the new anode rod and tested the system and everything is working like new again.

 

 

So what I have learned from all of this is it's very important to use a water softener and/or flush the lines regularly to avoid buildup.  As I said earlier, I do think the cleaning the  flow restrictors/pressure regulators made the most difference, when on city water, but I think its best to just replace them.  That's probably why they don't have them in the 2018 and newer units.  Be sure to use an adjustable external regulator just to be sure.  When using the internal water pump cleaning/replacing the screens on the faucets or the faucet head itself made the difference.    I did start with the faucets before moving onto anything else and that's what you need to do when diagnosing this kind of problem and remember to confirm you have the same problem on city water and you do with the water pump.  I hope this helps someone who finds themselves in a similar situation.  

 

[topgun2]

27 minutes ago, Lisa Rae said:

The bowl doesn't hold water for very long so have to look into that.

When you look into the toilet bowl you should see a black "ring/gasket" around the outside of the rounded part that moves when you step down on the pedal to flush.  This gasket can get "stuff" stuck to it.  "Stuff" can be all sorts of things to include mineral buildup.

After cleaning the toilet you should gently wipe that gasket feeling for any deposits.  If you can't get those deposits off and/or if the gasket is brittle then it can be replaced.  On the other hand - if it seems to come clean you can then put a small amount of plumber's grease on it to keep it mineral free.

Bill

[Mike and Carol]

1 minute ago, topgun2 said:

When you look into the toilet bowl you should see a black "ring/gasket" around the outside of the rounded part that moves when you step down on the pedal to flush.  This gasket can get "stuff" stuck to it.  "Stuff" can be all sorts of things to include mineral buildup.

After cleaning the toilet you should gently wipe that gasket feeling for any deposits.  If you can't get those deposits off and/or if the gasket is brittle then it can be replaced.  On the other hand - if it seems to come clean you can then put a small amount of plumber's grease on it to keep it mineral free.

The ring in the toilet is easy to replace and is available on Amazon.  We use a little Vaseline on both sides of it after we dump and clean.  Keeps it operating smoothly and helps it from drying out.  I’ve only replaced it once.  Mike