difference in pressure

[slycat]

WG, I am putting this here since it concerns the plumbing. We have had to battle frozen pipes the last two weekends and now have that problem fixed. **crossing fingers** :) Here is the problem. The pressure for the bathroom sink has dropped considerably. The kitchen sink(comes off before the bathroom sink) and the tub/commode(come off after bathroom sink) all seem to work fine with no reduction in pressure. I can open the valves up all the way and that still will not increase the pressure. Any suggestions.

[Wgoodrich]

If you have older plumbing that has calcium build up in those pipes and these pipes froze then chances are the freezing broke loose some particles from inside the pipes that will flow with the water until they are filtered. You may have the same problem in all faucets but most likely will find it worse in one faucet if my thoughts are correct. These particles will flow with the water inside the pipes until it hits a screen or filter. YOu should have an aerator on your faucet. Take that aerator off and turn on the water and see if you get you flow back on that faucet. If so clean the aerator and you should be good as new.

Now as for your freezing of pipes look how the pipes have been installed. Depending on the low temperature your area has remember dead air space seldom freezes. If your pipes are in a crawl space I suspect you had a high wind and air flowed through your crawl space thus freezing your pipes. If you have a crawl space go to your lumber store and buy blue styrofoam insalation board, commonly in 4 x 8 sheets. Then using a box knife cut them to fit against your crawl space foundation. Stuf them in at the top first then bend them and slide the bottom against the foundation. Then scoop dirt against the bottom. This will hold that blue board in place. Then buy a roll of paper back insulation and tear it in pieces that will fit tight between your floor joists against the band board where your floor joists are nailed to. This should seal your crawl space and stop your freezing of pipes.

If you have pipes that freeze coming up an outside wall reroute your pipes in a piece in a chase framed in a corner and insulate between the outside wall and the plumbing to stop all air flow around those pipes. Building a false wall and moving those pipes in away from outside walls should solve your freezing and you can sit back watch TV around a roaring fire and GRIN in cold weather instead of freezing to death in a crawl space. About a 1/2 day investment can save much misery later in cold weather.

Hope this helps

Wg

[slycat]

We have put heat tapes on the pipes and insulated them, but you did hit on part of our problem. Actually, the plumbing is all new pvc that we had to put in after the water was turned on. (They had that cheap, yellow stuff in there and when they turned the water on, it busted several of the pipes.

Our spaces are more of a cross between a basement and crawlspace. We have two places under two additions that you can pretty much stand up in. The part under the main house runs from stand up to squatting down room. There are a number of areas where we are getting air in from. I had already though about putting some of the board insulation on the walls so I'm glad you recommended that. I will try the screen or filter thing and see if that does anything.

[Wgoodrich]

Good Luck and let us know what you find.

Wg