Water pressure

[steventheplumber]

What is the best technique to raise the water pressure of a plumbing system via PEX tubing?

 

[Matt30]

The pressure tank / pressure switch

 

[steventheplumber]

What about running a smaller sized tubing through a higher output tubing of PEX?

 

[frodo]

you are confusing volume with pressure.

pressure is determined by the pump and water head the city has in their system.
if you have 60 psi at the meter. your system is 60 psi.

by changing the size of pipe. you change the volume of water delivered at 60 psi , not the psi

all that said
what exactly are you trying to do?

 

[steventheplumber]

trying to get pex tubing from my basement to the 2nd floor shower.

 

[Matt30]

Cut a series of small holes in drywall and fish the pipe like you would a wire. It's flexible enough. If you are coming from the basement, you are going to want to use 3/4", not 1/2"

 

[steventheplumber]

so your saying to start with a 3/4 from the basement? should I change it at some point to a 1/2 or 3/8 to increase volume?

 

[frodo]

you increase volume by making the pipe bigger not smaller

run 3/4 from basement to the fixture, reduce at the fixture,

 

[Chris]

Exactly what frodo said. Bigger pipe means more water which means more volume which will give the illusion of more pressure.

 

[frodo]

so your saying to start with a 3/4 from the basement? should I change it at some point to a 1/2 or 3/8 to increase volume?

<<<<<<<<NEVER>>>>>>>

use 3/8'' pex

you would be wise to pull 3/4 to everything.

steve, you can not change the pressure at a house, inless you instal a pump

if your psi at the meter is 50. it will be 50psi thru out the house.

no mater what size pipe you install.

volume.

the bigger the pipe, the more volume.


if you run a 1/2'' line to a sink and tub
if the sink is running, all is fine, plenty of water
when you turn on the tub. the sink will decrease in volume
by half. it will APPEAR you have lost pressure. but what you have lost is volume.

now,,,if you ran 3/4 to the sink and the tub..then turned them both on.
you will have full flow at both fixtures. because the 3/4 has enough volume
to run both fixtures.

you should never. run 1/2'' to 2 fixtures, only run 1/2'' to 1 fixture

see my illustration

 

[phishfood]

On the cold side, run as large a pipe as you like to the fixtures. Won't give you any problems.

On a small home with all of the fixtures close to the water heater, it won't matter too much if you run 3/4" to all of the fixtures.

But if you have a bathroom 60' of pipe length away from the water heater, do yourself a huge favor and run 1/2" over to it. It takes a long time to clear out the cold water from a such a long run of pipe, running the hot line in 3/4" will cause it to take roughly twice as long to get hot water to the bathroom, and you will waste more energy as well.

 

[frodo]

if it is 60' to another bathroom, it needs another water heater

one on one side of a big house and one on the other or a circ system

60' is to long a run, whether its 1/2 or 3/4. imo

 

[steventheplumber]

<<<<<<<<NEVER>>>>>>>

use 3/8'' pex

you would be wise to pull 3/4 to everything.

steve, you can not change the pressure at a house, inless you instal a pump

if your psi at the meter is 50. it will be 50psi thru out the house.

no mater what size pipe you install.

volume.

the bigger the pipe, the more volume.


if you run a 1/2'' line to a sink and tub
if the sink is running, all is fine, plenty of water
when you turn on the tub. the sink will decrease in volume
by half. it will APPEAR you have lost pressure. but what you have lost is volume.

now,,,if you ran 3/4 to the sink and the tub..then turned them both on.
you will have full flow at both fixtures. because the 3/4 has enough volume
to run both fixtures.

you should never. run 1/2'' to 2 fixtures, only run 1/2'' to 1 fixture

see my illustration

Thanks a lot for your help man, your really helping me out here. i was just a bit confused, but you've definitely cleared that up for me. So i would need a pump like this one to help me add pressure? http://www.canarsee.com/plumbing/pumps/booster-pumps/booster-pump-1hp-115v

 

[frodo]

before you get your ck book out.

answer a couple of ?

what is the psi at your meter?
at your house?

if, the psi is different from the meter to the house, you might not need a pump

but need a new service water line from meter to house

what is the water service pipe made out of
old galvinised pipe? copper? pvc ?

get this http://screencast.com/t/VLz2I8TSkSFw

 

[steventheplumber]

Sure man, I appreciate the help again. The Psi is at 60 for the house and meter and the pipe is PVC.

 

[frodo]

60 psi is good pressure...why do you want a pump?

60 outta do what ever you want it to do.

you do know that going up over 70--80 psi..youe pipes are going to start leaking and **** gonna pop loose

you open a faucet with high pressure you are liable to have the washers blow out

might want to ck your washer, fridge, dishwaeher for max psi


the pump you have the link to

............quote your link.....
Water pressure boosting (max. inlet pressure 40 psi (2.8 bar)

your 20 psi over max for the pump

 

[steventheplumber]

I want to add pressure to the shower, i feel as if its not getting enough on the 2nd floor....

 

[frodo]

take the shower head off. and put a gauge on the down spout..

 

[steventheplumber]

Didn't even think of that, that should work out I hope. Ill Let you know if it does or doesn't.

 

[Mr_David]

Try a different head. Even take out the flow restrictor.
A head with less jetted orifices will give the fell of more pressure than another with many.