John,
If your water heater is from the mid-late 90's, just replace the dip tube.
They changed dip tube materials during this time and have since corrected
the issue. I had the same issue as you, but it was a few years ago. The
water heater is likely ok.
Jack
-----Original Message-----
From: shop-talk-bounces@autox.team.net
[mailto:shop-talk-bounces@autox.team.net] On Behalf Of John T. Blair
Sent: Friday, January 29, 2010 10:46 AM
To: shop-talk@Autox.Team.Net
Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] faucet water flow low
Gang,
I thought I'd report back about my kitchen faucet. As you may remember I
said
I had used the faucet in the moring and the water flow was normal. Then in
the afternoon, I went to use the faucet, and there was barely any water flow
from the faucet. This faucet is one of the single levers with the
detachable
heads with the sprayer button on the head.
I checked the bathroom faucets, and they had good pressure.
I went back to the kitchen and removed the head to examine it. All I could
do
was to remove the aerator and noticed some small white particles in
it. I cleaned
them out and cleaned the screens, reassembled and tried again. Still
very little
flow.
I removed the head again, and tried to run the water just out of the
hose. Again,
the flow seemed pretty low.
So at the advice of some on the list, I went out to get a new
cylinder yesterday
so I had it on hand.
This moring I decided to tackle tearing the faucet apart. That
proved to be pretty
easy. I removed the cylinder and went to install the new one I
purchased at a big
box store and it was the wrong one. :(
So off I go to another hardware store. They didn't have any of the
cylinders for
my faucet, but suggested that I go to a big plumbing only store down
the street.
These people were fantastic. I told the fellow what I needed, and he
reached up
on the shelf and pulled it down. I then asked how hard it was to
replace the dip
tube, and told him I'd found some white stuff in the head of the faucet.
He asked, "how old is the heater". I told him it was probably about
10 yrs old.
He said, "don't even try. You really need a new hot water heater."
With that he picked up the cylinder he'd just put on the counter and
restocked it.
He said, "you probably don't need this - especially if the faucet
isn't leaking".
So I told him about the low flow. He said, "there a blockage in the
flex line.
Remove the head and blow backwards through it to clear the clog."
So I went and returned the wrong cylinder, and returned home. I
disconnected
the flex hose from the faucet, and tried to blow backwards through
it. I could
hardly get any air through it. So I sat down with a light and looked
in the bottom
end of the flex hose. Sure enough some white crud. So I picked it out, and
reassembled the hoses and the faucet.
Got good flow now!!!!
So it looks like my dip tube is crumbling apart. Which also makes sense as
to
why we ran out of hot water taking 2 showers the other day. Usually we
don't
have any problem with 4 people in the house taking shower, one in each
bathroom at the same time.
So I guess one of my next projects will be replacing the hot water heater.
:(
John
John T. Blair WA4OHZ email: jblair1948@cox.net
Va. Beach, Va
Phone: (757) 495-8229
48 TR1800 48 #4 Midget 65 Morgan 4/4 Series V (B1106)
75 Bricklin SV1 (#0887) 77 Spitfire 71 Saab Sonett III
65 Rambler Classic
Morgan: www.team.net/www/morgan
Bricklin: www.bricklin.org
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