[Lightfoot]

This is also evident at my bathroom sink.

When I turn one valve (either hot or cold, doesn't matter) all the way open, the water flow is what I would estimate about 30% what it should be.
And here is the part that irritates me: When I open the second valve wide open, it doesn't increase water volume the slightest bit.
It isn't the airiater. It's just lousy water volume. When I try the rinse hose, it seems to have halfway decent pressure, but I don't know if it is because of the restricted opening. Like putting your thumb over the end of a garden hose.

It seems like a restriction in the supply pipe would cause the same effect. A small amount of water at a high pressure. Not so, if the pipe is clogged farther down? (upstream)? I am on the second floor, a half storie above ground level.
I will add that my toilet takes a long time to refill the tank. Over three minutes.
But my shower seems to have good pressure & volume. So I don't think it could be a weak well pump. Actually, I think we are on city water anyway.

I live in an apartment complex with 17 units in the building. I need to tell management about this, but I would like to know what I'm talking about before I bring it to their attention, so if they try to blow me off, I can have an argument ready.
The volume was low when I first moved in (and I put up with it), but it seems to have gotten considerably worse in the the last six months.

Any plumbers out there?

[Pontiacmuscle]

Light....I'm no plumber BUT I have the same problem with the bathroom sink but not in the kitchen. The kitchen faucet works great. It seems like a flow restriction to me but its pure speculation on my part.

[Txbobcat]

Filter is cloggng up remove and clean usually in the end of the faucett where the water exits. Unscrew it and look for debris

[Pontiacmuscle]

Thanks TX...I'll try that too.

[Pontiacmuscle]

Tex...Thanks...I took the screen off and there was platic restrictor with tiny holes in it that was plugged with sediment. I left that out; reinstalled the gasket and screen and have 100% flow now...THANKS!!

[sleepy]

The owner probably put low flow (restricted) fixtures in. Most apartment dwellers don't have to pay sewer and water(the owner of the building does) and he is trying to keep the bill down.

[PLAY400]

Can't buy them without restricters in my neck of the woods. Shame when the vegtable sprayer has more output then the taps

[69goatboy]

They usually get clogged with sediment when there has been some plumbing work done somewhere upstream, either in the house itself or from the water supply from the street. Even when the fire department tests the hydrants can cause it.

There is sediment in every pipe system, shutting off valves and turning them back on will disturb the sediment, and some will eventually make its way to an egress.

[Bjorn]

I have a "whole house" filter in my Utility room , that I change out 2 to 3 times a year...lots of sediment....
old rusty pipes and sediment....

glad you found the problem.....
usually I can tell when our filter gets to the change time...if we run both showers , "normally" its ok , when second shower trickles if first is on , time to change filter out.

[Lightfoot]

Guys, it's not the screen/airiator in the end of the faucet! As I stated in my first post. If it was, I would not have needed to start this thread, as I am used to cleaning those a couple times a year, from a previous apartment that had really high iron content in the water.

I tried it with the screen removed and it made no difference. Same piddly amount of water. It should not take 15-20 seconds to fill a six ounce glass with the both valves WIDE OPEN.

And I asked my neighbor across the hall; he said his runs normal.
I will ceck under the sink tonight to see if the rinse hose is tapped in much lower than the spigot. Maybe there is a section of pipe between the hose connection and spigot that could be clogged.

[Txbobcat]

Sometimes there is a filter right at the bottom that you hook the water line to. Or even clogged wher the line connects from the real plumbing and sometimes not.

[fiedlerh]

Is yours an older building with galvanized iron pipes? They tend to clog up with corrosion over time. That's a big repair. Other things to check: The shutoff valves under the sink might have junk in them. Be careful, they are notorious for being seized up or having the handle break off in your hands. Unlikely, but the main shutoff valve for the apartment may be partially closed. This is really a job for the apartment management's plumber to take care of.

[69goatboy]

Originally Posted by Lightfoot

Guys, it's not the screen/airiator in the end of the faucet! As I stated in my first post. If it was, I would not have needed to start this thread, as I am used to cleaning those a couple times a year, from a previous apartment that had really high iron content in the water.

I tried it with the screen removed and it made no difference. Same piddly amount of water. It should not take 15-20 seconds to fill a six ounce glass with the both valves WIDE OPEN.

And I asked my neighbor across the hall; he said his runs normal.
I will ceck under the sink tonight to see if the rinse hose is tapped in much lower than the spigot. Maybe there is a section of pipe between the hose connection and spigot that could be clogged.

Check your vent stack through the roof. Sounds like you have air trapped in the system somewhere.

Squirrels storing walnuts for the winter?

Don't laugh. I pulled a extra large walnut from the exhaust vent pump on my furnace last year. It was so large, it was preventing the furnace from operating.

I now have a new furnace, and the tree that the squirrels were using is in fireplace pieces now.

[Jagtec1]

Did you pay the bill?




























Sorry, I had to.

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by 69goatboy

Check your vent stack through the roof. Sounds like you have air trapped in the system somewhere.

Squirrels storing walnuts for the winter?

Don't laugh. I pulled a extra large walnut from the exhaust vent pump on my furnace last year. It was so large, it was preventing the furnace from operating.

I now have a new furnace, and the tree that the squirrels were using is in fireplace pieces now.

HUH?

The vent through the roof has nothing to do with the H/C supply lines - if his shower wasn't draining, you might be on to something.

[Bjorn]

incoming water is clogged somewhere...if theres no filter , its in the line...since its an apt and the other(s) tenant has flowing water...
its a apt owner repair or maintenance , call the mgr or owner.

[69goatboy]

Originally Posted by The Boss

HUH?

The vent through the roof has nothing to do with the H/C supply lines - if his shower wasn't draining, you might be on to something.

I had drain lines on the brain from a different project.

If it's not a clog, it still sounds as though air is either trapped in there or there is a leak somewhere robbing the pressure.

[Stuckinda60s]

Does the water flow start at a higher rate and quickly reduce to a trickle? That would signify a restriction in the line before it gets to the faucet.

Look at it this way. The flow is restricted, but it will still, over time, build up to the pressure in the main line. When you open the tap, the high pressure pushes the water out quickly but reduces the flow because of the restriction.

Does the rinse hose produce more volume than the faucet, or does it take a similar amount of time to fill a glass? The rubber hose, like a garden hose, will act like a bladder, stretching a little and storing a little more water at the higher pressure, but the final result would be the same.

A couple of possibilities. There may be a valve off the main line which is throttled or there's a restriction in the common line between the main and the faucets in your apartment.

[Lightfoot]

Rich, the pressure/volume is low right off the get go.
Last evening I did some testing with a second hand, to get a better description, and to prove to myself that the volume is better through the rinse hose, etc.

Filling a 6 cup sauce pan, It took 79 seconds from the faucet. With the rinse hose, only 24 seconds.
Looking under the sink, I found that the rinse hose 'connects' directly underneath the base of the faucet. Both feed lines go directly to the underside of the valves.
I also came to the realization that the rinse hose is always pressurized, at any time the valves are open. No brainer, but I never thought about that before.
Thought there was some kind of diverter valve under the faucet, that closed when you squeeze the hose trigger.
Anyway, I have figured out that there is (must be) restriction in the short section between the sprayer takeoff & faucet, or in the faucet passageway itself.
Bottom line: the whole faucet fixture needs replaced.
At least I know what to tell managment now. They don't have to tear open walls, or dig to replace pipe sections.

Thanks everybody, for all the input.