Home Water Pressure Reduced After Changing Pipes

[splatty2000]

Hello,

I have recently replaced the pipes in my VERY small home. I cut the line just after the water meter and line that runs to the yard(outside, i needed this to have atleast some water while i did this project. As soon as it was cut I capped it was going to be a slow project (water to house is off). Immediately i noticed the water pressure to the outdoor hose was reduce to maybe 1/4 of original strength. FIRST I checked to make sure i did not bust a line under the foundation, i did not.

A few days later i got back to continuing the project, next I connected a copper line to the kitchen sink (maybe 10ft worth total). This went smooth, i turned on the line and everything worked. First thing I noticed was the kitchen sink was not flowing a full strength. Second I noticed that full pressure was back to the garden house, sprayed like a champ.

A few weeks later I finally finished the lines to the one bathroom (about 10feet from the kitchen). I capped all my lines and connected the shower, I only have the cold water connected currently, i noticed there was almost no pressure coming out of the shower nozzle. It just dripped. I'll admit this could be for all sorts of reasons as it is used. My biggest concern is the water pressure to the hose dropped again, back to about 1/4 of original pressure. Currently kitchen sink runs at about 1 gallon 40 seconds.

Question, is the water pressure to the sink / shower affected by not having the hot water connected?
Question 2, I have no pressure reducer valve installed, can this not being in stalled actually reduce my water pressure? Like maybe the meter can sense it and reduces the output?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Diehard]

Question 1 - Not having the hot water connected would not cause the cold water pressure to be reduced.
Question 2 - No!

I would suggest you get a hold of a water pressure gauge with a 2nd pointer that shows the highest pressure reading recorded. Connect it to a point as far upstream as you can get.

Suggest you sketch out exactly what you have for a water service arrangement.
For example: water meter location?
Size of upstream and downstream pipe lines?
Material of pipe lines? Existing and new.
Types and location of all valves at meter?
Location of where you were able to connect pressure gauge?
Location of connection of pipe line that runs to the yard?

 

[SHR]

Previous response was incorrect. Not having the hot connected to shower faucet is SUPPOSED to reduce the cold flow to little or nothing. Hook up the hot water and you should be fine. When only hot OR cold is connected to shower valve little or no water is supposed to come out. Faucet pressure balancer appears to be working correctly.

 

[Diehard]

Previous response was incorrect. Not having the hot connected to shower faucet is SUPPOSED to reduce the cold flow to little or nothing. Hook up the hot water and you should be fine. When only hot OR cold is connected to shower valve little or no water is supposed to come out. Faucet pressure balancer appears to be working correctly.

The pressure problem was not limited to pressure balanced valves.
I have to assume when you said, "Previous response was incorrect.", you were merely referring to a pressure balanced valve. What would you expect the symptoms would be if it was a service pressure reduction?

OP did say, "My biggest concern is the water pressure to the(outdoor) hose dropped again, back to about 1/4 of original pressure."
It may not be their service water pressure but without further detail as to what the arrangement is and what the changes were, it's pretty hard to speculate.