[HomeOwnerIdiot]

Hello! I'm a recent first homebuyer (learning 50 gazillion new things a day about the house), and for the life of me, I cannot figure out why the bathroom faucet has perfect water pressure coming from the HOT water knob but the COLD water knob is wimpy with almost NO water pressure.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks,
C

 

[Grumpy]

hehe hehe the name is great.

I have the same problem BUT all my hot faucets are powerful except my shower. It turns out to be a 60+ year old pipe filled with crud. I tried to pour in some CLR and other chemicals. A plumber told me he has a sonic tool that will break the crud apart but... I would have to tear out the wall and it would cost aboutt he same as it would to replace the pipe it's self.

Anyways I am going to remodel the bathroom this winter if I have the funds.

I would say check the pipe sizes because you could be running a small piece of copper tubing that was installed as a quick fix. Also maybe check the main valve going to the room/floor. It may be half on. I'm not a plumber but that just seems like some common sense solutions.

 

[D. Balderston]

Faucet

It sounds as though you could possibly have some material clogging the valve stem of your cold water supply. Try this. First shut off the water supply under the sink. Then remove the handle/knob from the cold water side. Usually there is some sort of cap which can be removed with a small flathead screwdriver or pocket knife blade. Then remove screw, and knob. If the knob will not lift easily, try gently tapping from side to side with handle end of a large screwdriver so as not to damage finish on knob. Next, use a wrench to remove packing nut and extract valve cartridge. My bet is that there is something clogging this cartridge. Rinse the cartridge under warm water in another sink while opening and closing the valve and then reinstall. If this doesn't work then the other possibility would be the shut off under the sink is clogged. Both of these are much more likely than a water pipe being clogged unless your house is very old. The best way to test if your water supply shut off valve is the problem would be to replace the water supply line with the flexible type and then try running some water through it into an empty pail. If the water flow is slow you will have to turn off the water at the main water shut off to your house ( ususally located on an exterior wall of garage or basement). After turning this off, relieve pressure in the pipes by opening coldwater supply at the lowest point in the house. This will allow water to drain back towards it's source rather that into your cabinet when you open up the supply valve. Remove the screw from the center of the handle, then the handle, packing nut then the valve stem itself. Check for debris. It is a good idea to carry the valve stem to your home center and purchase a new washer as these are rubber and wear out with time. Reinstall stem, packing nut and handle and turn on water at main shut off. Try opening the valve under the sink again using the flexable water supply line and bucket. Allow several seconds for the air which has entered the pipe to evacuate before you get a steady stream of water. This will possibly occur with other fixtures as well, but is nothing to become alarmed about. If this still does not solve the problem, I would suggest you call an experienced plumber to evaluate and repair the problem. Hope the info helps. Good Luck!

 

[JeremyM]

I have a related problem.

I live in a single wide mobile home. I am on a cistern and have had problems with crud clogging the cold water side of the faucet. I have cleared those.

Recently, I had a bunch of crud sucked up and had a clog in the cold water supply line. How do I know? Well, the back door is located about 2/3's of the way back on the house and the water supply comes in right there. The hot water heater is over it. The water is heating just fine and I still have good pressure. The kitchen to the front of the house is flowing fine. The washing machine is right next to the hot water heater and seems to be fine.

Now, the second bathroom is right across the hall. The sink works fine and the toilet fills with water. However, the flow in the tub is very, very limited.

From the washing area, there is a door to the master bedroom. Inside we find the master bath. There we have great hot water flow into the tub. But we have been clogged up on the hot water side of the sink(I have to crawl under and yank the faucet) but now NO flow from the cold water. There is also no flow on the cold water side of the sink or the toilet.

What appears to have happened is I have a clog of foreign matter in the cold supply side from the washing area on. I tried taking off the faucet to the master tub and then turning on the water to force flush the line. Hot water rushed out, nothing came out of the cold water.

So, how do I dislodge something in the cold side? Or do I have to crawl underneath, start cutting underbelly and cutting into poly pipe and trying to fix it??

Any suggestions are appreciated. Feel free to contact me at [email protected]

JeremyM