ustmd
Platinum Member
So Mom (going to be 84) has just moved to Brookfield, MO to live across the street from my bachelor brother. We bought her a 90 year old house at a very good price, knowing the place needed work. (I and another son are in Texas, the rest are spread out across the country).
I was just up there for 3 days helping her get settled and do some work on the place. My brother has found a very reliable handy man who is doing much of the work at a good price.
One of the surprise issues we have had with the house is the water pressure/supply volume from the city water. We just replaced all of the plumbing (mix of galvanized and copper) with PEX (3/4" & 1/2") and installed a pressure boost pump (a common installation in that area). The supply line from the city is 1/2" copper (at least that is what is coming through the wall of the basement to the meter). If we run one of the faucets with a flow restrictor (e.g. the sink or shower), you get a decent flow rate/pressure, but you open two at the same time, it drops off dramatically. Try to fill the new washer, you get good pressure/flow initially, but then it drops to an anemic flow. I timed the fill rate on the washer and at 8 minutes, we were only 1/3 full on the washer.
I do not have the pressure reading from the city, but I am speculating that the house has a low supply from the city. The boost pump can charge the lines and keep up an okay pressure at low flows, but at higher flows there is an insufficient volume of water coming in.
In a perfect world, this is a city issue and they should resolve it (everything on our side of the meter is good), but it is a small town and my brother tells me the city manager is reluctant to resolve issues that this if he doesn't have to. My bother, however, is talking to the city to see what they can/will do.
Assuming however that the city stonewalls, what other solutions can we look at? I was wondering about a reservoir with a float switch to hold water to meet high demands (Mom's occasional shower and her 3-4 loads of laundry per week) or would a well pressure tank help?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
I was just up there for 3 days helping her get settled and do some work on the place. My brother has found a very reliable handy man who is doing much of the work at a good price.
One of the surprise issues we have had with the house is the water pressure/supply volume from the city water. We just replaced all of the plumbing (mix of galvanized and copper) with PEX (3/4" & 1/2") and installed a pressure boost pump (a common installation in that area). The supply line from the city is 1/2" copper (at least that is what is coming through the wall of the basement to the meter). If we run one of the faucets with a flow restrictor (e.g. the sink or shower), you get a decent flow rate/pressure, but you open two at the same time, it drops off dramatically. Try to fill the new washer, you get good pressure/flow initially, but then it drops to an anemic flow. I timed the fill rate on the washer and at 8 minutes, we were only 1/3 full on the washer.
I do not have the pressure reading from the city, but I am speculating that the house has a low supply from the city. The boost pump can charge the lines and keep up an okay pressure at low flows, but at higher flows there is an insufficient volume of water coming in.
In a perfect world, this is a city issue and they should resolve it (everything on our side of the meter is good), but it is a small town and my brother tells me the city manager is reluctant to resolve issues that this if he doesn't have to. My bother, however, is talking to the city to see what they can/will do.
Assuming however that the city stonewalls, what other solutions can we look at? I was wondering about a reservoir with a float switch to hold water to meet high demands (Mom's occasional shower and her 3-4 loads of laundry per week) or would a well pressure tank help?
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.