Premature failure of faucet flowing hot water

[Leo 'Gus' Gustafsson]

Hi gang,
When we first moved into this home 7 years ago our kitchen faucet was flowing fine, but after a couple of years and after replacing the water heater, the hot water flow diminished. Fearing the worst, after shutting off the water,I removed the Supply Line an turned the valve back on to check if the impediment was in the main line. It made a mess, but the problem seemed to be down line. The Supply Hoses checked out fine, no kinks or blockages. I replaced the faucet (quite a sticker shock) and it turned out the stoppage was in the faucet itself. We were happy.
Now it's happening again, and replaced with another budget faucet ($90) I'm a rank novice when it comes to plumbing, but I can say that the pipes in this 1968 house are galvanized. we did have flow problems in the bathroom as well but replacing the fixtures seemed to clear that up as well. A 5 year life span seems way to short for such elemental plumbing, am I missing something here?
Thanks and a lift of the lynch lid for your responses.

Gus

 

[Riickk]

>>...and it turned out the stoppage was in the faucet itself.
Did you ever figure out where the blockage was in that faucet, or just put the problem down to "the faucet" ?
BTW, you're certain the water pipes are galvanized iron pipes?

 

[Jeff Handy]

There are screens, or flow restrictors, or check valves in your faucet.

All of these areas can plug up and reduce the faucet flow rate.
And they can all be cleaned or replaced, to restore good flow.

 

[Leo 'Gus' Gustafsson]

Thanks you guys for your quick responses, Riickk we pitched the old faucet (Moen) but was able to retrieve it, I reckon I could take a grinder to it and dissected it, indeed the pipes are not copper or PEX , so I think that just leaves galvanized.
Hiya Jeff, I had no idea that these lower end faucets could be disassembled. I do like tinkering though.

 

[Leo 'Gus' Gustafsson]

The replacement faucet is an Auqalife mfd. for Waxman Consumer Products in China, of course.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Sometimes the restriction of flow is inside the shutoff valves under the sink.

When you turn the shutoffs off and on while replacing the faucet, that can sometimes release and clear a mineral or rust clog that had been building up in there.

So the old faucet might have been fine.

 

[Leo 'Gus' Gustafsson]

Yes indeed, that is one trick I now and tried. The handle turned easily so I'm doubtful that there was buildup in the shutoff valve, and of course I checked the aerator first.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Remove and swap out the shutoff valves.
Attach flex supplies to them, and run several gallons into a bucket, to get any crud out of the new valves and nearby pipes.

That might fix your flow rate problems.

 

[breplum]

Galvanized pipe is OBSOLETE, terminal, rusty and worthless. You must consider replacement of that crap pipe.
You will continually get clogging in fixtures until that piping is replaced.
You can put wye strainers on every angle stop to protect fixtures but that won't stop angle stop nipples and other clogs from occuring in random locations in the pipe, causing potential flow issues.
We have often used wye strainers as protection if a faucet needs to be replaced prior to a future repipe job.

 

[Leo 'Gus' Gustafsson]

Thanks guys for your input, we have an odd Water Dept. in this burg, From what I've heard from my best friend whom is a longtime resident here, along about a decade ago the city invested in a new pump at the pumping station. Being government they went with the low bid, which was from one of the asia pacific countries. Apparently something with tolerances went wrong at the foundry and upon startup the pump seized. From what I've heard the city had to scramble and put the old pump back in operation, at great expense. Guess whom picked up the bill on this? Therefore my better half and I are very restrictive about water usage. I'm hip about galvanized and in this burg it's the standard excect for a lucky few that can afford copper, repipe is way out of our budget. I may introduce these Wye strainers as a temporary measure until such time as my finances would allow. Thanks again for putting me on the right track

 

[Leo 'Gus' Gustafsson]

Noting a restriction on the hot water side of the faucet in the photo above (by blowing on it) with nearly absolute blockage I disassembled/destroyed the faucet (in haste and with the new faucet installed) it was after watching some Youtube that I could've used an allen wrench to begin disassembly and although there was no conclusive evidence of particulate material causing the blockage once the faucet shutoff was removed the hot water supply line regained function in this Moen.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Hurray!

 

[Leo 'Gus' Gustafsson]

I don't know if this particular Moen Adler was a "cartridge" type was it? After cartridge kitchen faucets standarized? If so, it looks like I could've gone to Moen and got a new cartridge under warranty. Dang! I gotta remember to research this plumbing stuff like I do automotive so I don't make such goofs.

 

[FishScreener]

Gus, unless you have private water district, the story on the pump is probably bull pucky.

Public works contracting is required to be performance based, and requires performance bonds. The contractor has to build a project, which has to perform as specified, or the bonding company has to take over and complete the work.

 

[Leo 'Gus' Gustafsson]

It would seem so if it were an American Co. but litigation doesn't seem to work USA vs China apparently, but them, I'm no expert.

 

[Jeff Handy]

This whole thread seems fake and made up.
Just my opinion.

 

[Leo 'Gus' Gustafsson]

Sorry you feel that way Jeff, granted the story of the local water board seems fantastic, I went so far as to search out local paper history (what little there is of it) and there was no mention of it, but then some of the stories therein were less than accurate in the past.
No hard feelings though.

insofar as the slowdown of the hot water is concerned it is neither fake nor made up.

 

[Leo 'Gus' Gustafsson]

Searching through the local paper archives I could find no evidence of the incident my friend mentioned

Albany water rates among state’s highest

Cost of rules may kill Albany hydro

Although this article post dates the period my best friend moved here, we do have high rates +/- $100/month