Hi there,
I have purchased a relatively new home (7 years old) and have found most recently that the hot water pressure has decreased considerably. The cold water pressure has remained constant but unlike other enquires to this site - all my taps have been affected. I flushed the bottom of the hot water tank as per your instruction and yes it was rather milky white in its appearance.
From there I don't know what to do. I am on city water and my tank is 40gal.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi Shar,

Sounds like some of the mineral buildup has got into the hot water main and now it's been drawn up into all your branch supply lines.
Shut off the water at the angle stops and open up the valve at the fixture nearest the heater. Check the cartridge inlet ports for any trash. Next , while you have the valve open turn on the hot water angle stop. You are flushing the supply line. You should have a strong stream. If so continue on to the next one. If not then you will have to call in a plumber to locate and eliminate the source and flush the hot water main, all the branches and clear any cartridges that are fouled. Good luck, Tom

Thank you very much for responding so quickly Tom. I will try what you say and let me add that you provide a wonderful service to all who put forth questions.

As is the case with this guy, I have no hot water pressure. It has declined since we bought the house (less than three years old) and is now unbearably low at every outlet in the house. I suspect hard water deposits but it seems too early for such a problem. The cold water pressure is fine. We don't have a filtration system and are on the county water supply. There is a pressure reducing valve in-line but I have it at it's highest flow. All of the valves before and after the heater are open. It sounds like I need to flush the system? How do I accomplish that? I don't know what an angle valve is, nor a cartridge for that matter. Thanks for you time,
Brian

As is the case with this guy, I have no hot water pressure. It has declined since we bought the house (less than three years old) and is now unbearably low at every outlet in the house. I suspect hard water deposits but it seems too early for such a problem. The cold water pressure is fine. We don't have a filtration system and are on the county water supply. There is a pressure reducing valve in-line but I have it at it's highest flow. All of the valves before and after the heater are open. It sounds like I need to flush the system? How do I accomplish that? I don't know what an angle valve is, nor a cartridge for that matter. Thanks for you time,
Brian

Good morning Brian,

Before I can help I need to know two things. What's the PSI out in the city water main and what is it after it enters your house. Without that information I can't be of much help. Call your water department for the main pressure, for your house pressure you must shut off the house shut off and cut a tee into the line downstream,( just after) the pressure reducing valve. ( You should already have one installed with a pressure reducing valve.) A angle stop is that little chrome shut off valve located under each fixtutre and a cartridge is the innards to a one handled faucet. What material are your water pipes? Copper? Galvanized? Get back to me with the information I need and I'll answer ASAP. Tom

Wow, that was quick. I have 47 psi at the faucet outside and 52 at the street. My pipes are copper. We actually have a plumber on his way. The pressure dropped to a trickle and my wife can't take it.
"Current area-wide Water Hardness range: 15 - 20 grains per gallon or 256 - 342 mg/L"

Wow, that was quick. I have 47 psi at the faucet outside and 52 at the street. My pipes are copper. We actually have a plumber on his way. The pressure dropped to a trickle and my wife can't take it.
"Current area-wide Water Hardness range: 15 - 20 grains per gallon or 256 - 342 mg/L"


Hey Brian,

Sounds like your water heater has mineral build up and must be flushed out.
Let me show you how. If you do not flush,(not drain) your heater on a regular basis it will build up mineral on the bottom of the tank. Attach a hose to the boiler drain at the bottom of the tank. With the pressure on, open the boiler drain and let it run until the water runs clear. You will see a spurt of red,(rust) and some white grains,(lime or calcium carbonate). The whole thing shouldn't take more then a few minutes. Don't forget to flush it out every month. Your heater will thank you for it. You might want to consider cleaning the screens on your areators if you have a high mineral buildup. If thev problem still persists after you have flushed, you will have to drain the heater, remove the boiler drain and go up in the bottom of the tank with a wood or plastic rod, (not metal) and try to break up the mineral and flush it out. Also if the mineral; has got into your cartridges and clogged the hot water inlet ports you might pull the ones giving you trouble and clean the ports. Good luck and let me know what the plumber says. Tom

Spelling's off, but the message is clear.
Thanks for your help; you were right. The cold water line feeding the tank had mineral deposits clogging it to such an extent that he had to stab at it with a pick. He said it was like lava rock. I will follow your advice and flush the tank too, as I imagine it's not pretty after two and a half years. I was wrong about the psi also, I have 80 at the tap and 80 on the street.
Thanks again, you've been a big help!
Brian