Ask Me Help Desk - Low HOT water pressure

My son just bought his first home about 2 years ago ~ his HOT water only - has low water pressure throughout his entire house. The shower is where it really gets frustrating. Does anyone have any thoughts about low HOT water pressure? This just began. It had fine pressure just a couple of weeks ago. (Cold water pressure is fine)

Hello Sandy,

If you don't flush, (Not drain) your heater on a regular maintenance schedule you may have mineral build up that's clogging the pipes. Let me show you how to flush out your heater. 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 aerators and the shower head. If the 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. If, after flushing out the heater you still have low pressure in the hot side then you will have to open up the faucet and flush out the supplies, cartridge and valve body. Good Luck.

John

You didn't say what kind of water heater you have. But the fact that the pressure was fine 2 weeks ago tells me that something changed, and it's not mineral build up or calcium. Has he done any work on the plumbing? Has he turned to main water off and back on? Check all valves, especially the 2 at the top side of the water heater. Also check the "pop-off" valve on the water heater. Trapped air in the tank will drop your water pressure. Use the pop-off valve to release air from the system.

I'm sorry ~ It's a State Select water heater - probably about 8 years old.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ShowerGuru

You didn't say what kind of water heater you have. But the fact that the pressure was fine 2 weeks ago tells me that something changed, and it's not mineral build up or calcium. Has he done any work on the plumbing? Has he turned to main water off and back on? Check all valves, especially the 2 at the top side of the water heater. Also check the "pop-off" valve on the water heater. Trapped air in the tank will drop your water pressure. Use the pop-off valve to release air from the system.