Ask Me Help Desk

Ask Me Help Desk (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forum.php)
-   Plumbing (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=259)
-   -   Low pressure at kitchen sink after turning the angle stops back on (https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/showthread.php?t=642469)

  • Mar 10, 2012, 03:09 PM
    dgw666
    Low pressure at kitchen sink after turning the angle stops back on
    I shut the angle stops under the kitchen sink and let the faucet drain. This seems to have drained the air chamber and solved the water hammer problem but now the pressure is very low. I took off the faucet head and checked the flow, the pressure is still low. Any suggestions?
  • Mar 10, 2012, 03:45 PM
    ballengerb1
    Letting the faucet drain will not recharge an air chamber but your main issue now is volume. Remove the aerator first to see if it caught some debris, this would cause low volume for both hot and cold, ist that what you have?
  • Mar 10, 2012, 05:22 PM
    dgw666
    Yes low flow both hot and cold. Turnung off the angle stops and letting the water run out solved the water hammer problem, not sure why. The flow was fine prior to that. I took off and cleaned the aerator but that did not help. Why would shuting the angle tops, letting the fuacet run dry and then turning them back on result iint the change in flow pressure?
  • Mar 10, 2012, 05:24 PM
    dgw666
    Sorry for the typos, sticky keyboard, spilled a protein shake on it.
  • Mar 10, 2012, 06:35 PM
    ballengerb1
    You can repair a keyboard like this for about $15. You can also buy new for about $15. There are a few things that can happen when you get this low volume. Stops can let loose with crude or not fully open when you reset them, try to twist counterclockwise further. You no longer have water hammer because you don't have enough volume to create the hammer effect when the faucet closes. Does you main shut off work really well, 100%? Reason I am asking is we can remove the stops and check the flow from the supply pipes if that main works well.
  • Mar 10, 2012, 06:43 PM
    dgw666
    I'll try that. Thanks for your help. My gut says the flow problem is at the stops. How do I recharge the air chambers? When I shut off the main, if I turn on most of the fitures and let them drain will that help?
  • Mar 10, 2012, 06:51 PM
    ballengerb1
    When we remove the stops then all the pipe drains and that recharges the arrester so we are killing two birds with one stone. You problem may not be at the stops it might actually be the stop itself, they can fail. Yes, once you main is closed open several fixtures to blow off pressure and drain the pipes. The toilet fill stop is likely the lowest fixture but don't mess with that. When we remove your stpos have a bowl ready because you may collect about a pint or two of water from each stop. Now for the stops, they are connect one of several way. Can you tell if yours are compression, sweated or threaded on the supply?
  • Mar 10, 2012, 07:01 PM
    dgw666
    My wife is about to take a shower so I guess I'll wait until morning to mess with this. The stops are threaded. I'll replace them tomorrow. I really appreciate you help. You are very generous with your time. Thank you.
  • Mar 10, 2012, 07:29 PM
    ballengerb1
    We can wait, or we can really play a little game on her. Since you will likey not want to play a game on her you will have time to buy 2 new stops, I like the quarter trun stops myself. Brasscraft is big at my box store. They come in at least 2 pipe sizes so try to measure your pipe and get the right one. I am only 4 blocks from Home Depot so I could buy one of everything and return what I don't use.

  • All times are GMT -7. The time now is 08:56 PM.