We recently went on a vacation and I turned off the main water valve as a precaution while we were away. When we returned home, we noticed that the hot water in the shower has very little pressure. The cold water in the shower has sufficient pressure and the rest of the faucets throughout the house have plenty of hot water pressure.

The shower faucet is a single lever Delta, and I just rebuilt the inners using the recommended kit, but we still have very little hot water pressure. :confused:

Our house was built in 1942 and has galvanized pluming throughout the house. I have never replaced pipes before and before I attempt to tackle that task, I would like to know if there is anything else I can do to regain the water pressure?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DrewKrew1

We recently went on a vacation and I turned off the main water valve as a precaution while we were away. When we returned home, we noticed that the hot water in the shower has very little pressure. The cold water in the shower has sufficient pressure and the rest of the faucets throughout the house have plenty of hot water pressure.

The shower faucet is a single lever Delta, and I just rebuilt the inners using the recommended kit, but we still have very little hot water pressure. :confused:

Our house was built in 1942 and has galvanized pluming throughout the house. I have never replaced pipes before and before I attempt to tackle that task, I would like to know if there is anything else I can do to regain the water pressure?

---

Did you happen to notice this over time or did it just happen since you were gone?

If overtime, most likely the galvanized pipe is corroding from the inside and is cutting off the water. I just got done replacing a shut off valve and a piece of galvanized pipe, both were 3/4 but were badly corroded down to a 1/4 to an 1/8 of an inch, as the water just dripped out of the spigot.

Thank you for the response.

The hot water pressure in the shower has always been low, but when we returned home, it was just a trickle.

I just got it back to the original water pressure level that we had before our trip. I removed the shower head, turned on the hot water and used a small hammer to lightly tap on the pipes. The water turned rusty and several chunks of debris were flushed out.

Issue resolved. Thanks for the help.

Quote:

---

I removed the shower head, turned on the hot water and used a small hammer to lightly tap on the pipes. The water turned rusty and several chunks of debris were flushed out.

---

You have just informed us that you do not flush your water heater out on a regular maintenance schedule and now the crud sand mineral build up has entered the hot water system where it got sucked up into the shower and is now clogging the inlet ports.
The solution comes in two parts.
1) Let get to the source of your problem and flush out your heater. For long life and fewer troubles you should keep your heater clear of mineral build-up by flushing on a regular schedule. 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) followed by white or yellow grains,(lime or calcium carbonate). This shouldn't take more then a few minutes. Do this monthly to keep it clear. Now flush out your hot water lines on ALL fixtures that are affected . Now pull each aerator and clean the screens. Be sure you put them back togather the same way you took them out. Don't forget to flush it out every month. Your heater will thank you for it.
2) Turn the water off to the shower valve and remove the seats and springs. Now turn the water back on to flush out the hot water supply and the valve body. Reassemble and test. Better now? Good luck, Tom