Recent: Fix food processor motor?

Mend Baths and Showers

Mend Bathroom Appliances, Baths and Showers
Find out how to mend it for free.

Ask Question
Mend Bathroom Appliances, Baths and Showers
Free repair help for baths and showers

Mend > Baths and Showers

Mend Low Pressure Shower

low pressure in shower?

Over time, my shower pressure decreases, both the hot and the cold (dual handle). The only way I have found to fix it is to use a garden hose with a spray jet to blast water in through the shower pipe (after removing the shower head of course) and let it run through the tub spout. Initially I tried air, and tried spraying through the tub spout, but those didn't work. After only 5-10 seconds of jetting water into the pipe, its fixed and the shower will have full pressure. Over a couple months the pressure decreases gradually and I have to blast it again. The low pressure would make the diverter squeal loudly, but I replaced the tub spout/diverter to solve that one.
I suspect that there is some kind of airlock happening, possibly related to 1) the mixer 2) the bird's nest of pipes in the crawlspace.
Background: hot runs in copper from the hot water heater, cold runs in steel from the water main. I can see the mixer from the crawlspace below, but its inside a narrow interior wall and difficult to access. Handle valves tub/shower nipples are set in tile.

Trent Botkin
January 2013

Automatic Answer

While you wait for answers, we may have found some information which could help you.

Click here for Low Pressure Shower

Mend Bathroom Appliances, Baths and Showers
Free repair help for baths and showers

How to mend ...

Find out how to mend just about anything howtomendit.com for free repair help, information and advice.
Mend Bathroom Appliances, Baths and Showers
Free repair help for baths and showers