Fluctuating Water pressure on the 18th Floor

[kunalv]

Hello, we live on the 18th floor of an apartment building which has 19 floors. The water pressure through all our faucets keeps fluctuating. The most annoying bit is how it affects the shower. Video :

The water pressure varies, at times if the geyser is ON, the water becomes too hot for a few seconds and then slowly returns to normal. As you can see in the video, if I turn on the shower, water sprays out of the shower head for a couple of seconds, and then shuts off i.e water comes out of the faucet underneath instead. I then have to press the shower button for the water to climb up to the shower again.

The building plumbing has a Booster Pump to ensure constant pressure across the top floors. Apparently the building maintenance has checked and found the Booster Pump to be working normally. We've moved in this building a year back, and out of these 12 months, there was a period of maybe a month where they had kept the booster pump shut off after repeated complaints from me and that was the period the water pressure fluctuations had stopped. Now they have resumed operations of the pump citing possibility of pressure drop on the 19th floor.

Any tips on how I can fix it?

 

[Geofd]

You need a company who specializes in pumped water systems, there should be pressure balancing valves at the booster system and possibly other mech spaces
they need to be maintained on a regular basis,that's were they should start

 

[breplum]

YOU can't fix it.
We have installed booster systems on up to 12 story buildings. The all have a large bladder tank in addition to modulating speed pumps.
There would be nothing an individual tenant could do to impact fluctuating pressure, as the pumps settings control it all.
A smart pump expert/facility engineer or specifically experienced plumber it the way to go...not 'building maintenance' necessarily inexperienced in the vagaries of pump systems. For hoots and giggles, take some pictures of the system.

 

[Valveman]

Hello, we live on the 18th floor of an apartment building which has 19 floors. The water pressure through all our faucets keeps fluctuating. The most annoying bit is how it affects the shower. Video :

The water pressure varies, at times if the geyser is ON, the water becomes too hot for a few seconds and then slowly returns to normal. As you can see in the video, if I turn on the shower, water sprays out of the shower head for a couple of seconds, and then shuts off i.e water comes out of the faucet underneath instead. I then have to press the shower button for the water to climb up to the shower again.

The building plumbing has a Booster Pump to ensure constant pressure across the top floors. Apparently the building maintenance has checked and found the Booster Pump to be working normally. We've moved in this building a year back, and out of these 12 months, there was a period of maybe a month where they had kept the booster pump shut off after repeated complaints from me and that was the period the water pressure fluctuations had stopped. Now they have resumed operations of the pump citing possibility of pressure drop on the 19th floor.

Any tips on how I can fix it?

Lol! Sorry for your problem, but I have heard this story a thousand times. Can't see the video, but you described it perfectly. With the booster pump on, the pressure fluctuates because the pumps are cycling on and off. With the booster off, there is no fluctuation, but low pressure because of no booster. Solving the problem could be as easy as installing a Cycle Stop Valve on the booster pump. However, that would be an inexpensive fix, that would show the faults with the expensive modulating speed pumps and/or big bladder tank type systems. The CSV is called a disruptive product because it makes pumps work better and last longer by eliminating the cycling, delivering strong constant pressure to any floor. In the past I have added a couple thousand dollars worth of Cycle Stop Valves to solve the problem of pressure fluctuations. In turn it made the engineers who designed the expensive system and the people maintaining the system look bad. Not only that but it took thousands of dollars out of their pockets. Most will try a million expensive Band Aids before they resort to solving the problem so simply and inexpensively as adding a Cycle Stop Valve.

The system pictured below works at 400 PSI. That puts 50 PSI constant on the top floor of an 800' tall building. No fluctuating pressure.