Q: Hey, Ed The Plumber! I see you on TV and have learned a lot from you, but I still have a question. I live in a two-family home, and I need to know how I can increase the water pressure coming out of my shower. The flow right now is slow and soft. Please help. My hair is always flat, since I can't rinse out all the shampoo! -- Nick, New YorkA: Hi, Nick. Short of shaving your head, there may be a few things you can do. First, since you live in a two-family house, you might check the water service entering the building to see whether the water lines feed each unit of the house with the proper-size water line. You may need a local plumber to help you with this since they will know the local codes and specifications for main water line sizes in your area.
Many times, however, I have seen a standard water feed entering a multi-unit home and then it just gets split up into smaller feeds for each apartment, and that can take away some water volume. Also, you must check the water pressure in your building. You can do this by simply screwing a hose connector-type water-pressure gauge to an outside faucet and then turning on the faucet to read the house pressure. Normal residential water pressure can be between 45 to 75 psi on the gauge reading. If your water pressure is below 45 psi that would account for a slower than normal shower, and you and your plumber can address the pressure issue so equipment can be installed to increase it.
Finally, and this is the most simple thing to try, change your showerhead to what's called a "performance showerhead." Performance showerheads are larger, really move the water through the head, and in most cases, will give you a better shower than standard showerheads.
While changing the showerhead will not increase your water pressure, it can take the pressure you do have and rinse away your shower blues!
Q: Hi, big Ed. Boy do I have a problem for you! My house has old cast-iron drainpipes, and in the basement there is a hole in an elbow leading to the upstairs toilet. Every time the toilet is flushed it leaks on the basement floor! The pipe is in a very narrow bay so I don't know how it can be repaired. Can I slide some type of fire hose inside the pipe and repair it from the inside? I appreciate any suggestions! -- Leo, Tennessee
A: Leo, although I give you big points for creative thinking, you cannot fix your drain line by sliding a fire hose inside of it. You have older cast-iron pipe and, in time, cast-iron pipe can rust and rot, creating a hole in the drain line. The hole you see now is just the tip of the iceberg. Around the hole you will find that the pipe is rotted and needs to be replaced.
Sorry, but this can be a costly job, and the fact that your drain line is boxed in by joists and other wood supports means you will have to hire a licensed contractor for the job. The contractor will see the best way to "open up" the area around the old drain and then the contractor's plumber will cut out any rotted sections of the drain and replace them with newer drain lines. The contractor will then reinstall any supports that had to be removed to complete the repair.
With many of the old drain repairs you may find yourself replacing the entire line! Hopefully, you'll get a few lucky breaks and the job will not be as bad as the picture of drain doom and gloom that I am painting. But like the old saying goes, "Prepare for the worst, and sometimes you'll be pleasantly surprised!"
(Ed Del Grande is a certified master plumber and hosts DIY's Ed the Plumber. Send plumbing questions to him at edtheplumber@diynetwork.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service. For building-code concerns, always contact your local government office or a local licensed plumber.)
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