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wrenchwoman · Mar 16, 2007, 07:55 AM

Hi,
I've actually read all the posts I could find in here about low hot water pressue and I have a good idea of where to start now. However, somewhere else in here someone mentioned a regulator. How do I know if I have one, and where would it be? I'm on a well, and I did see a pressure gauge at the pump. That's not the same thing as a regulator, is it?
Another question--I had a plumber out last night for what I thought was a leak. I realized I didn't have the T & P valve in the right position so water was coming out of some sort of relief pipe, I assume--and running down my basement wall. But the plumber noticed that in the hacked up plumbing job of this house (just bought it 2 days ago) that at some point the copper has gone from 3/4" to 1/2". Obviusly bigger is better, but everywhere else I've read that 1/2" going out to the sinks, faucets, etc., is okay and you want 3/4" coming in. Which is best? He wanted $700 to repipe. I know I can do it myself as I worked with my Brother in law for about a month doing copper pipe replacement and learned a lot from watching. Mind you, I can't plumb a brand new house, but I can surely replace old PVC with copper. There is a small section under the hot water heater that the previous owner patched with PVC back to copper which appears to also have a slow leak.
Anyway--any tips or info about any of this would be great--I don't want to spend $700 if I don't have to, but I'd really like some hot water, too.
Last question--what's the difference between flushing and draining the hot water heater, as far as how you do both?
Thanks,
Chris

wrenchwoman · Mar 16, 2007, 12:29 PM

Originally Posted by wrenchwoman

Hi,
I've actually read all the posts I could find in here about low hot water pressue and I have a good idea of where to start now. However, somewhere else in here someone mentioned a regulator. How do I know if I have one, and where would it be? I'm on a well, and I did see a pressure gauge at the pump. That's not the same thing as a regulator, is it?
Another question--I had a plumber out last night for what I thought was a leak. I realized I didn't have the T & P valve in the right position so water was coming out of some sort of relief pipe, I assume--and running down my basement wall. But the plumber noticed that in the hacked up plumbing job of this house (just bought it 2 days ago) that at some point the copper has gone from 3/4" to 1/2". Obviusly bigger is better, but everywhere else I've read that 1/2" going out to the sinks, faucets, etc., is okay and you want 3/4" coming in. Which is best? He wanted $700 to repipe. I know I can do it myself as I worked with my Brother in law for about a month doing copper pipe replacement and learned alot from watching. Mind you, I can't plumb a brand new house, but I can surely replace old PVC with copper. There is a small section under the hot water heater that the previous owner patched with PVC back to copper which appears to also have a slow leak.
Anyway--any tips or info about any of this would be great--I don't want to spend $700 if I don't have to, but I'd really like some hot water, too.
Last question--what's the difference between flushing and draining the hot water heater, as far as how you do both?
Thanks,
Chris

Disregard this post. Today I found a valve that the plumber must have turned off last night. It turned the hot water on to all the spiggots. So I have plenty of hot water, and really good water pressure.
Now I just need to replace some faucets!