OK smart guys

[skeets]

I am having 2 issues here, first with a loss of water pressure when thing is using water like the washer every thing drops to a trickle,, and then some time when ya flush the fill sounds like it is cycling and you can watch the flow go up and down. Now the static pressure is 50psi, and when like the washer is filling it drops to like 25 psi. So I am thinking, and I could be wrong, there is something amiss with the regulator. I was wondering before I do something stupid,,, again ,,, if I screwed the adjustment screw in and back out would that make a difference ?

 

[D2Cat]

You probably have the water co. doing some service up the line a ways!

 

[Tornado]

are you on a private well or is water being provided from a main?

 

[ctfjr]

a restriction in the line will cause that - well or city water

or your bladder tank could be shot if on well

 

[Geezer3d]

Since you have a regulator, I assume you have a well. If true, then you may have a problem with the regulator but I don't think that is the problem. Adjusting the regulator won't help and overpressure could cause other problems.

You may have a bad pressure tank where the bladder inside has failed and you no longer have the air buffer in the tank. Some tanks don't have a bladder and can be refilled with air, but that won't help if you have a bladder and it has failed. Beyond that, it could be the pump or even the well itself not refreshing fast enough.

 

[lynnmor]

If you have a well, then you have a pressure switch to turn the pump off and on. That pipe nipple to the pressure switch can clog giving erratic results. Also, you do have the symptoms of the pressure tank air being lost.

 

[RCW]

Skeets - - my vote is pressure tank. Sometimes can air them back up. Others, bladder can be shot. Should be about half air/half water.

If waterlogged, as soon as flow starts, pressure drops a lot since water isn't compressible.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Regulator / municipal water? Is there a tap on the input side of the regulator to test the pressure?

 

[NHSleddog]

I grew up in a house with a well and hard water. Every 5 years the line would clog to the point of needing to be replaced. It would be a year long slow down of the flow.

We eventually went to a submersible pump with a 2" line and a spare line right next to the first.

About the time it would have needed working on again, the town came along with a water line. A 500' trench later and we were off the well. We did continue to use the well for watering and washing the cars etc.

 

[Roadworthy]

Do you have a filter on the system? I have had a filter collapse or otherwise restrict flow. Pressure may be up but little flow.

 

[dirtydeed]

agree with several recommendations above. Sounds like you are on a private well with a bladder tank. The issues you are describing could be:

1) In line filter plugged (if you have a whole house filter)
2) bad regulator (could be in the pressure switch ...cut in /cut out adjustment)
3) the orifice leading to the pressure switch may be clogged (typically rust can plug it)
4) collapsed bladder in the pressure tank (these are typically charged to 30-32 PSI)

 

[Tughill Tom]

Either the pressure tank or the foot valve in the well... aka the pump, I'd look at the tank 1st.

 

[lynnmor]

Regulator / municipal water, is there a tap on the input side of the regulator to test the pressure?

Now we know that there is no well, pump or tank.

I have seen some very small bleed screws on either side of a water meter, YMMV.

 

[Henro]

Now we know that there is no well, pump or tank.

I have seen some very small bleed screws on either side of a water meter, YMMV.

I don't think we know. I think Wolfman was asking a question...

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Now we know that there is no well, pump or tank.

I have seen some very small bleed screws on either side of a water meter, YMMV.

Don't know, was asking skeets the question.

 

[Daren Todd]

Gramps had that issue at his place. I replaced the pressure regulator on his tank. Seemed to be the fix. Then about 2 hrs after I left his place it started doing it again. Pressure tank had the prerequisite charge according to the guage.

Ended up being mineral build up on the impeller on his well pump.

Contractor came out and pulled the well pump. Pump was caked full of crud.

 

[Daren Todd]

Regulator / municipal water? Is there a tap on the input side of the regulator to test the pressure?

If city water, then my thought is the pressure reduction valve.

City water around here runs somewhere between 90psi and 140psi. Most of the time the local fire department hooks the truck to a hydrant as a governor

 

[RCW]

PRV’s are somewhat uncommon on the house side in a public water system service in my experience, but certainly could be so other places. Know of several big PRV’s in the water system’s mains in the street.

Like Daren said, we run about 95 psi at my kitchen faucet.

I took skeet’s regulator as the pressure switch on a well system.

Guess we’ll have to wait and see….

 

[Daren Todd]

PRV’s are somewhat uncommon on the house side in a public water system service in my experience, but certainly could be so other places. Know of several big PRV’s in the water system’s mains in the street.

Like Daren said, we run about 95 psi at my kitchen faucet.

I took skeet’s regulator as the pressure switch on a well system.

Guess we’ll have to wait and see….

We had the pressure reducer valve replaced at the shop. Afterwards we had to have the property manager come back in and replace all the guts in the toilets

The valves were so used to the low pressure, they wouldn't seal when they got the pressure back up to 75 psi.

About the norm here is to set a pressure reducer valve down to between 65 and 75 psi.

At the shop in conway, we had 135 psi at the water meter.

We were similar at our house as well.

 

[OrangeKrush]

Sounds like a new pressure tank is in need.. do you recall how long it's been in there? It will certainly ease the pain on your pump if in deed that's your culprit.