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Plumbing question (apolitical content)

Marti

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Jul 17, 2005
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Make sure that you really have enough presure on the main line, at least 70lbs for residential. If you do,then it is the service line going to the kitchen. If you don't have 70 then there is not enough WP in the houise line to service the kitchen line. Sometimes old galvanized pipes get calcium built up and have to be replaced . When was the house built? Try tapping on the pipes and take the filter off the faucet and let the water run. Good luck!
 

Ham_Fist

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My kitchen faucet has been doing the exact same thing for a while now. The sprayer works fine. So any time I need to do anything with the kitchen sink, I just use the sprayer. Ah, the joys of renting.
 

juniorspecial

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So how do I test the water pressure? I've got a tire gauge, but I doubt that will do the trick.

The place is less than 15 years old. It has copper pipes.
 

J T

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Oct 20, 2005
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10,501
What kind of faucet is it? If it' a Delta single handle you can replace the little rubber washer and springs under the handle. I have replaced those a couple of times. They just wear out. Replacement kits are about 9 bucks at Home Dope or some other hardware store.
 

frank thomson

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are u alone?
did someone turn back the shut-off valve on each pipe?

what kind of faucet is it? the single lever, or does it have a seperate knob/handle for hot AND cold seperately?

if it's a single handle jobbie, then my guess would be there's some clog in the (washerless?) hub/knuckle section.

by the time u change (and maybe pay a plumber) to do so, it might be easier to go buy a $30 chumpy at homedepot and just install a new complete faucet.
 

lpnv59

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Did you buy the faucet at Home Depot? My buddy is a plumber. I'm at his house having coffee right now. He said there been a run of bad faucets coming out of HD. What make is the fixture? Home Depot stocks the worst junk. They buy at such a low rate because of quantity. But also the manufacturers make cheaper, inferior product runs because the quantities they order make it worth their while.
 

lpnv59

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We called another plumber that had this problem recently. He suggests taking the spout off. Look down and you will see a diverter valve for the sprayer. Take the diverter valve out and reattach the spout. This should restore full pressure to to the spout. The sprayer will still work, but water will come from spout as well.
 

frank thomson

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Oct 1, 2003
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old joke:short version

-lady has bad leak
-water filling the basement
-she tries everything she knows how-to to try to fix it, which is basically just banging it w/ a hammer
-2 feet high
-3'
-4'
-she finally calls a plumber
-he comes down the steps, walkes over to the offending pipe/leak, takes out a big hammer and strikes the pipe
-the water stops immediately
-he turns and says, "that'll be $300"
-lady says, "what?? u were here for 5 mins and just hit the pipe!"
-plumber says, "...yea....but i knew where to hit it!"
:biggrin:
 

looikoa

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May 13, 2021
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Hello all, had a quick question about plumbing tools. I wanted to know what tool is used to measure for the 1/4" drop per foot on a drain line? Do they make a level specifically for this purpose or do you just take a 2 foot level and and stick a 1/2" piece of wood under one end to check for 1/4" drop over a 2' span? Any info offered will be appreciated.
 

gibsonjunkie

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Sep 2, 2003
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Hello all, had a quick question about plumbing tools. I wanted to know what tool is used to measure for the 1/4" drop per foot on a drain line? Do they make a level specifically for this purpose or do you just take a 2 foot level and and stick a 1/2" piece of wood under one end to check for 1/4" drop over a 2' span? Any info offered will be appreciated.
Use a tape measure and do the math. A level can approximate it - but to be sure you should measure in several spots and look for the correct drop (former licensed plumber talkin'). As far as the OP - knowing the brand would help. It also would help to know if you are on a well of if it is domestic water. Another common issue in older houses is the service stop under the sink could be a problem. The rubber washers get hard with age and sometimes break apart, clogging the aerator (which would have shown up when you pulled it apart to check the screen.
 

stxrus

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Mar 21, 2015
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24
Disconnect the supply lines from the angle stops. Use a bucket to catch and control the water. Turn on each angle stop to check the pressure. If good then reattach the supply lines and repeat the process. If the pressure is still good and the screen in the head is clean then it may be the cartridge. Is it ceramic or plastic

I'm assuming this is a single handle faucet. Are both hot and cold acting up?

Worst case scenario call in a pro. Preferably someone you know and trust

Good luck
 

Triburst

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Feb 12, 2006
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4,353
Some of the newer kitchen faucets (Delta, Kohler, etc) can actually have more than one place where the nanny government mandated water flow reducers are. For instance, on the Delta "touch" faucets in our kitchen, there's one at the screen by the aerator, but another that must actually be drilled out (it's plastic) to get to a decent water flow. Don't ask me how I know. (I rip the tags off our matresses, too.)
If you've had any sort of debris get into your line (do you get an occasional granule or two of sand in your aerators?) these can plug up, causing the additional loss of water pressure like you describe for both hot and cold.
 

57StratSpanker

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Oct 29, 2021
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Hello all, had a quick question about plumbing tools. I wanted to know what tool is used to measure for the 1/4" drop per foot on a drain line? Do they make a level specifically for this purpose or do you just take a 2 foot level and and stick a 1/2" piece of wood under one end to check for 1/4" drop over a 2' span? Any info offered will be appreciated.
Use a grade level, if you can find one. Those have a threaded stud to set your needed drop. But most plumbers use lasers now.
 

Wilko

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i just use a regular level. Easy to eyeball the grade. More is better than minimum anyway.
 

jrgtr42

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Mar 24, 2005
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2,308
Any of those methods work, but you also do need to make sure the slope is consistant - you don't want a low spot halfway down that stuff collects in - llike someone else mentioned - measure in several spots, not just one reading.

And anyone mentioning the OP - that was 13 years ago. |I think they've either gotten it taken care of or died of thirst from that tap by now.
 
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