Low Water Pressure in Home?
Question:I recently purchased a home. When left idle and not in use, it will take 30 seconds to 2 minutes for water to flow from the kitchen faucet once you open the faucet valve. This only happens in the kitchen. What gives? Is this a systemic low-water-pressure issue or is it isolated and easily fixable?
Answers:
Since you say its only in kitchen ,its isolated. Easy to fix; well that depends on accessibility and what was mis-plumbed to begin with.
We need to know more to help you. Do you have city water, a pump and well, a pressure tank , what?
very weird! I can think of no reason, other than if the kitchen is on the highest level and the pressure is really low.
If you are on a city system, check with your neighbor the see if they are having low pressure issues.
Since you seem to have isolated the problem to the kitchen and the pressure is low there, I have to ask do you have hard water? Hard water may have scaled the inside of the line and have reduced the opening in the pipe to nothing. The kitchen faucet gets quite a bit of use, so if your house is older this could be your problem.
How to tell if you have hard water: Wash your hands. Does the soap rinse away easily and leave your hands squeeky clean or do your hands remain kinda soapy / slippery? If squeeky clean, your water is hard enough to scale.
I have seen examples of pipes used with hard water and the pipe is almost completed occluded.
Repairs....do you have a concrete or pier and beam foundation? If concrete and the line needs service...the cost will be more than pier and beam.
This seems like something that a reputable house inspector would have caught on a purchasing inspection.
Good luck.
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