Water Pressure

[angelbaby021602]

I live in an '86 trailer and I barely have any cold water pressure and almost no hot water pressure. Can I fix this myself? If so, how do I fix it, if not how much does it usually cost to have a plumber come out and fix it?[8)]

Sherri

[LazyPup]

Before we can adequately solve your problem we really need a bit more information? Has this problem existed for the life of the trailer, or is it something that has happened recently? If the problem is recent you might begin by checking the areator screens on the faucett outlets, There could have been some recent maintenance on a water main in your area which could have loosened scale and debris in the lines, consequently clogging up your screens or flow restrictors. Begin by unscrewing the aerators and cleaning the screens, You may also have to dissasemble the shower head and clean it. If you find debris in the screens it might be best to allow the water to flow for a few minutes at a moderate flow to flush the lines out before re-assembling the aerators.

If that does not solve the problem you will have to begin checking the water supply lines. Given that the problem effects both the hot and cold water lines we can then assume the problem to be in the main supply lines before they branch to the water heater.

Begin by looking under the trailer and locate where the main line comes from the ground and attaches to the trailer. There should be a shutoff valve somewhere near the ground. Make sure the valve is all the way open. Next, look carefully to see if you see any evidence of a water leak. The line could be leaking under the trailer and you are not aware of it.

Examine the diameter of the water supply line. It should be a minimum of 3/4 inch although many manufactured homes are often connect with 1/2 inch lines. The capacity of a line is determined by the total cross sectional area. A 3/4 inch line can carry twice as much water as a 1/2 inch line at the same pressure.

Next we have to consider the source of water pressure. If this mobile home is on a private lot and connected to a municipal water main there should be no problem with supply pressure, However, There could be a sediment screen in the vicinity of the water meter that is clogged with sediment, or perhaps a backflow preventer that is not functioning properly.

If you are on a private well, there may be a problem with the well or the well pump.

If the mobile home is in a mobile home park, have they made any recent additions that would increase the number of houses attached to the main?

Somewhere in the near vicinity of the main shut off valve there should be a union on the line. I would turn the water off at the main, then attach a guage at the union, turn the water on and test the line pressure. While the absolute code minimum for a residential structure is only 7.5 lbs that is not nearly enough. You should have somewhere between 30 and 80 PSI. (if a main has 80 psi or more it is required to have a pressure regulator.)

In many ways mobile homes, campers and boats are a whole different breed of cat so to speak. Many states permit manufactured homes a lot of lattitude in their construction, providing that they meet all applicable codes at the point of manufacture. No doubt you have seen a small plastic plaque near the main entrance doorway or on the front of the unit that says it meets all applicable codes at the point of manufacture. The problem is, many manufactures elect to locate there production facilities in areas where there are no codes, thus they traditionally get away with many things that are not truely up to code or sound state of the art technology. In response to this many states are now altering their codes to include manufactured homes.

If the above testing did not resolve your problem perhaps you can update us on what you found and we can further study your problem.
r.rinard ,,journeyman plumber.