How to diagnose & fix intermittent or periodic loss of water pressure:
This article explains how to diagnose periodic or intermittent loss of water pressure either from municipal water supply piping or periodic or intermittent loss of water pressure from a private well.
The process of diagnosis and the procedure for repair are explained.
If the building water supply stops and takes minutes to hours to recover, the municipal water system may have work going on outside of your building, or if your water is supplied by a private well, you may have problem with the well flow rate.
But the problem of lost water supply and pressure could be more mechanical and may be due to a problem right in your building itself, as we will explain..
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Readers whose water pressure recovers when the pump cycles on, but find water pressure dropping without explanation when the well pump stops should
See WATER PRESSURE FALLS SLOWLY, ERRATIC PUMP.
Also see WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR and
also WATER PRESSURE STOPS, RETURNS - more details about intermittent water pressure and what to do about it.
If your water is provided by a private well and the pressure or flow seem to vary or start and stop
When you lose water pressure or lose all water supply for some time period but water pressure later returns or improves, check the possible explanations outlined just below.
On the other hand, if you lose and do not recover water pressure in the building see this article for diagnosis of NO WATER PRESSURE
The following unusual water pressure case traced to a pressure regulating valve was described by Timothy Pearson, a senior plumbing designer in Charlotte, NC:
This poor hot water pressure problem had three senior level designers stumped as to a reasonable cause.
A young architect ... had a problem that we could only guess at: when he turned on the shower, lav, or kitchen sink hot water (both two handle and single handle arrangements) he got a steady stream of water from the spout/head. But after a brief interval water pressure slowed to a trickle.
When any other plumbing fixture valve, either hot or cold, was then opened, water pressure returned to a strong stream (pressure).
As this happened at every plumbing faucet this pretty much eliminated a clogged pipe possibility.
We wondered if there might be a large piece of debris in the water heater itself. This would explain that when any valve is turned on it equalizes the pressure and whatever debris (lighter than water) is moved thus allowing the pressure to increase?
I have had a plumbing contractors’ license for 23 years and had my own firm for 10 years before I went back to college and graduated with a mechanical engineering degree (Thanks PM magazine and Julius Ballanco)
[We also speculated about another intermittent water flow blockage, a possible water tank bladder problem as we have seen odd water pressure behavior traced to that failure. - Ed.]
The young architect brought in pictures (see the photo above), what a difference when you actually see some of the system.
The previous owner had installed or had someone install a PRV [pressure regulating valve] in the cold water inlet to the water heater after the shut-off valve to the heater. We advised him to adjust the PRV to the point where it actually was not regulating the pressure through the valve at all. Problem solved.
I plan to go on a free Saturday at some point to verify that the inlet PRV is functioning correctly , and remove the PRV on the cold water inlet to the heater. I also intend to replace the gate valve with a ball valve and remove the 5 or 6 couplings on the hot water outlet piping.
Also its not being the smartest plumber, it is getting as much input to each problem or design issue from as many other people as possible that makes you a better designer, plumber, installer, etc. I am old enough to realize that anyone may make a suggestion that either will be better or different one from the one you had thought of regardless of the suggesting person’s experience.
Sometimes someone else’s input triggers your realization of another solution.
- - Thanks, Tim Pearson
This sequence of reader questions, moderator replies, and reader follow-up illustrate how we tracked down an "intermittent water pressure problem" to a problem with sediment, debris, and clogging water filters.
Okay, I have read everything I can find but am not seeing my exact scenario.
Water pressure starts off great and stays great for the first fifteen minutes of sprinkler time. Then it starts slowing down. It will get very slow. The pump cycles normally, kicks in at 40psi and out at 60psi. The pressure in the tank is not related to the pressure at the sprinkler.
The sprinkler has shown good flow through the whole range of pressure and had poor flow when the tank shows 60psi. Shutting off the water and waiting awhile will give another 10-15 minutes of good flow.
I should mention that flow is compromised in the entire system when it falls off 6/22/2014 Tom Evans
Most likely you are exceeding the sustainable well flow rate. Less likely could be a motor overheat or low voltage problem.
I wondered about that. assumed that that is what it had to be until today. The preassure in the tank will build when the pump is working even while the sprinkler runs. The pump does not shut off until the cutout pressure is reached. If the tank pressure is building then there must be water right? - Tom Evans
Sure
But if the flow rate in the well is reduced and if a well pump protection device is installed then the pump-delivery rate is also reduced until the well recovers.
Well flow rate is made up of a complex of flow numbers at different depths, differing rates, and for different sustainable intervals. When you draw a lot of water you may see water delivered at full pump capacity until the static head is exhausted, then a slower flow rate that may slow even further after local water close to the well bore has become exhausted - DF
I think I understand what you are saying. If I understand correctly, if the flow rate in the well is reduced then the flow into the pressure tank would be reduced and so the flow rate to the hose is reduced.
What I seem to be observing is that the flow rate to the hose and the house is reduced but the pressure tank is refilling in good order. Even when the pressure tank is at 60psi the flow to the house and hose is compromised after the hose has been running for ~15 minutes.
New data from this evening:
There are 2 filters between the T where the well and the pressure tank join and the pipe to the house. The first is one of those sediment spin down filters, the next is one of those canister types with the drop in cartridge. I have flushed the first and replaced the cartridge in the second.
While my wife was noticing reduced flow in the hose I opened the stop cock on the spin down and there was enormous pressure there (pressure gadge between the well and tank said 60psi and I believe it). It seems like there must be something going on in the vicinity of the cartridge filter that is dropping the pressure but I can't see any obvious obstructions.
Try removing the filter cartridges to flush the system, then install new filter cartridges and flush further. - DF
[Flushing from a point downstream from the water pump & filters & tank and onwads to outdoors avoids further clogging of filter screens at indoor sinks & showers, though those too may need to be cleaned. ]
Can I flush to the nearest hose bib? I don't have to flush thru the house, right?
Okay, test is ongoing but seems ot be woking more as you would expect it to. For the first ten minutes or so well and pump were maintaining tank pressure but not recouping to 60psi.
The last 10 minutes pressure has been dropping while the pump runs. I think this is an indication that "the static head is exhausted"? I am tempted to run the water till the pump shuts off (heat protection shutoff- if that is what you call it) it has happened in the past when we were clueless. This would show for sure tha we are simply running out of water in the well- correct?
Ran water thru near hose bib for 1hr 25min w/o spin down filter or solid canister filter in place. Very little loss of flow. Installed a "bubbler" to diffuse water stream after 1hrl flow was approx. 7 gpm vs 10 gpm when we began (w/o bubbler).
Tank pressure had recouped to 55psi and was hanging there. As far as I can tell pump never shut off. When the pump was producing the least; the spin down filter (w/o filter installed) was still collecting alot of sediment. When the tank pressure increased the sediment was much less.
I have been using a solid filter that was supposed to be good for six months rather than a pleated filter that would need replacing every 3. I am wondering if this is a false economy and that the increased surface area of the pleated filter would address the flow slow down.
...
Put things back together and after 1/2 hr flow was back to its bad ol used to be. I shut off supply from the tank/pump and opened the spin down flush valve. Pressure restored. I am amazed that it could clog so quickly.
I guess I need more filtering options- seems like I need something for those bigger particles.
Any suggestions?
and thanks, I needed to prodding to take the filters out of the line.
Tom
Indeed if the water supply system is picking up lots of sediment filters can clog quickly. For severe cases we need to install much larger-capacity filtration equipment, sometimes a settlement tank, or a cascade of filters handling particles of varying sizes (larger first).
Also check that the pick-up height of the foot valve in the well is not too close to the well bottom. This can happen if well casing damage permits soil to leak into the well, filling the bottom end of the well bore - something to discover by camera inspection of the well casing interior.
Finally, check and clean filter screens at indoor faucets and check for clogging at shower heads or other flow restrictors.
(Less common we've even seen debris clogging at stop valves in the piping system - moreso at some gate valve and globe valve designs than others.}
Daniel
(June 22, 2014) tomEvans said:
Put things back together and after 1/2 hr flow was back to its bad ol used to be. I shut off supply from the tank/pump and opened the spin down flush valve. Pressure restored. I am amazed that it could clog so quickly.
I guess I need more filtering options- seems like I need something for those bigger particles.
Any suggestions?
and thanks, I needed to prodding to take the filters out of the line.
(June 23, 2014) TomEvans said:
Daniel,
Thanks for your help. Glad to think our disscussion will be helpful to others.
With the 100 mesh screen removed from the spin down, the canister filter seems to be handling everything. We will see how soon it clogs. I am thinking a 60 or 40 mesh in the spin down may not clog so easily yet extend the life of the canister filter. Sort of a mini cascade. If that is not exceptible I will be looking at one of those higher end sediment filters. It was such a relief to be able to water for a couple of hours straight.
Thanks again,
Tom
Reply:
Tom we are in agreement. A cascade system will often do what's needed and given that we have to change just the front end filter most often, it may be more economical to operate than some alternatives. This will probably ONLY work well if the clogging sediment includes a lot of large particles.
If the clogging sediment is mostly very fine particulates you could still try a filter cascade but may find you need to go to a larger higher capacity filter to do the job.
...
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