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jay1pizza · Oct 17, 2006, 03:42 PM

Hello,I will like to know can a tub valve stem get restricted with sediment and block
Water flow till you get hardly nothing or just a stream?It has been leaking for
Quite a while now and has gotten worser.I already have an existing sediment
Build up from galvanized pipes.I been tapping the lines to keep the water flowing.
The hot water side is mostly affected.In the kitchen it runs well over time then
Starts to gradually lessen.When I go under the crawlspace and tap the(kit) lines where the
Elbows meet the strangest thing happens,almost full water pressure.I am thinking
To repipe a section(hot) with galvanized since it is a small run.what size wrenches do I
Use and in what manner when losing or unscrewing? Back to the bathtub,I have been
Able to get enough water flow by taking off the stem trim and spout and tapping
Cautiously but now my time is limited.I only get a stream that is slowing up daily
And no amount of tapping produces any increase.The cold is fine.Again,is it in
The valve stem and do I need to flush it out or is it time to take off a line or section
And repipe? Thanks for help
Bob and Sherry Dusable

speedball1 · Oct 17, 2006, 04:16 PM

Hey Bob,

I hate to tell you this but it's time to give some serious thought to repiping your house. I would repipe in PVC and CPVC. The only "fix" for old galvanized pipe is to tear it out and run new pipes. Good luck, Tom,

jay1pizza · Oct 17, 2006, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by jay1pizza

Hello,I will like to know can a tub valve stem get restricted with sediment and block
water flow till you get hardly nothing or just a stream?It has been leaking for
quite a while now and has gotten worser.I already have an existing sediment
build up from galvanized pipes.I been tapping the lines to keep the water flowing.
The hot water side is mostly affected.In the kitchen it runs well over time period then
starts to gradually lessen.When I go under the crawlspace and tap the(kit) lines where the
elbows meet the strangest thing happens,almost full water pressure.I am thinking
to repipe a section(hot) with galvanized since it is a small run.what size wrenches do I
use and in what manner when loosing or unscrewing? Back to the bathtub,I have been
able to get enough water flow by taking off the stem trim and spout and tapping
cautiously but now my time is limited.I only get a stream that is slowing up daily
and no amount of tapping produces any increase.The cold is fine.Again,is it in
the valve stem and do I need to flush it out or is it time to take off a line or section
and repipe? Thanks for help
Bob and Sherry Dusable

Thanks for the reply.But would I be able to recover some of the water pressure
Without repiping all of it?

labman · Oct 17, 2006, 08:21 PM

Long term, Tom is right. I wouldn't put any new galvanized in. It might help some to replace the more accessible sections, but as Tom said, with PVC/CPVC. You can easily connect CPVC and galvanized using either CPVC threaded adapters, or CPVC compression unions, or Shark Tooth couplings. PVC is larger. You can bush down with a CPVC/PVC adapter, a short length of CPVC, and then the connection to the galvanized.

If you tap on galvanized to knock the rust and lime off, it is going to collect and plug your tub faucets.

jay1pizza · Oct 18, 2006, 09:02 PM

I thank the both of you for advice and will like to ask this question.I did a little work
On the piping undeneath the kitchen sink.I took the pipe loose and to my surprise
It seem that the elbow was doing a lot of the restiction.I cleaned it out and flushed
The line a little bit befoe I reconnected.When I tuned on the water to check
The hot side it is flowing almost nearly to the cold water pressue but very adequate.
The lav is running fine but that leave me with the bathtub.It is accessible but kind of tight
Space to work in.My question is,do I take loose a section and possibly
Rod it/replace or will it just be more of the restiction coming fom the supply line running
Up in the wall? Secondly,would not much change doing this and if not,should
I start looking at the (hot line) running or connected to the water heater? All this
Began when we replaced an old water heater with a new one(year ago).It was
So trapped with sediment had to rod it for a while to get all the water to drain out.
Please give me a few more clues before I do the complete repiping or what will
Stall time.. Thanks you guys!

Bob and Sherry Dusable

labman · Oct 18, 2006, 09:35 PM

It will take less time and money to rip everything out now, and go plastic. You may luck in and find a few more specific problems like that elbow. Even adding a piece here and there, it is easy to cut off a threaded adapter and add a coupling, and even the CPVC pipe and fittings are fairly cheap. I found for a couple of projects this summer, that Lowe's has a better selection of pipe fittings and lower prices than Home Depot. I also found out my local Ace hardware has Shark Tooth fittings. Expensive, but slick, slick, slick. 10 second secure, undoable connection of copper, galvanized, PEX, CPVC, etc. I blew $9 on a 3/4'' tee, but worth it. Fastest pipe connection I ever made, and no leaks.

jay1pizza · Oct 18, 2006, 09:47 PM

Labman,you are the best! I will repipe soon with the plastic..

speedball1 · Oct 19, 2006, 04:50 PM

Don't let Lab man kid you, The regular experts on this page, labman, growler, MP3 and Darrell to name a few are all top notch men and this page would be lost and a sorry mess without them. Tom