Kitchen sink mixer - hot water pressure is low

[barrysumpter]

Hi all,
Our kitchen sink mixer hot water pressure is low

It was decent a few weeks ago.
I have tested all the other sinks in the house.
The hot water pressure is ok.
So it's just the kitchen sink mixer.

Any thoughts other than replacing?

[russ57]

Does it have a filter somewhere? Is cold OK, and is cold delivered at the same pressure as hot?

[Chief Tiff]

At the very end of the spout will be an aerator; these can clog up over time with scale or other debris. Unscrew it, strip it apart and clean it. You may need to soak it in CLR to dissolve scale.

[barrysumpter]

Thanks russ for the reply.
Unless the cartridge has a filter, I don't know.
The cold is OK with normal pressure.

Thanks for the reply Chief.
If it was the aerator I think the water pressure would be the same.
I'll still have a go with CLR.

I was thinking about switching over the lines and see if the pressure is the opposite.
Which would confirm its the hot water line and not the mixer.

But as I recall it wasn't fun changing over the cartridge last time.
But doing it myself would save some ridiculous money.

[droog]

Foreign object in the supply line, have had an identical problem with a flick mixer with cold water pressure good and all other taps in the house ok.

If you have stop cocks on the feed turn the hot feed off. Disconnect the hot Flexi connector at the stop cock and direct into a bucket.
Position the flick mixer for mid temp, block the outlet and turn the mixer on. Cold water feed will be directed out the open hot water feed and flush the object out.
I needed to use a clamp and block of timber to block off the outlet to get enough pressure to force the foreign object out as it was jammed in.

Replacement would have fixed it but as we were a couple of months away from complete replacement there was no way I was buying a new mixer.

If you do not have stop cocks you can use a blanking cap, just a bit extra work.

[barrysumpter]

Too Smart!
Absolute champion!



Foreign object in the supply line, have had an identical problem with a flick mixer with cold water pressure good and all other taps in the house ok.

If you have stop cocks on the feed turn the hot feed off. Disconnect the hot Flexi connector at the stop cock and direct into a bucket.
Position the flick mixer for mid temp, block the outlet and turn the mixer on. Cold water feed will be directed out the open hot water feed and flush the object out.
I needed to use a clamp and block of timber to block off the outlet to get enough pressure to force the foreign object out as it was jammed in.

Replacement would have fixed it but as we were a couple of months away from complete replacement there was no way I was buying a new mixer.

If you do not have stop cocks you can use a blanking cap, just a bit extra work.

[barrysumpter]

Hardwood wouldn't work.
Had to use rubber glove folder over a few times.

Ran 15 mins no effect.


For me it's not the line from the stop valve to the mixer.

I'll try switching the lines over tomorrow to confirm.

[russ57]

if the line from stopcock to tap is clear, then maybe its debris in the stopcock. can you connect a hose of some sort to it and see if it flows into a bucket ok?

[barrysumpter]

Thanks for the continued support Russ.
I'll see if I can have a go at this today.

[barrysumpter]

Ha!
The good Lady just told me it's about twice as fast now.
I'm not gonna tell her I didn't do anything else after she told me there was no differene.

So the blow back on the cutoff valve to mixer line seems to have worked.

Thanks again.

[barrysumpter]

Ha!
Back again to reduced pressure.
Now she's asking:
"Can we replace the mixer?"

[droog]

Ha!
Back again to reduced pressure.
Now she's asking:
"Can we replace the mixer?"

Still betting there is foreign object in the feed, back flushing moved it but did not wash it out.
Of course for household peace it’s probably best just to give in. :U

[barrysumpter]

Mixers are ridiculous expensive.
We've one of those really high spouts.
511652

Had another unsuccessful attempts at the back flush.
reversed the hosed. Still low pressure.


...can you connect a hose of some sort to it and see if it flows into a bucket ok?

Taken a few pics to see where you think I can connect the hose:

Identified by the red (hot water) tape.
Each discussed by location.
Middle top red is the hot water (black hose) for the dish washer.
The green is the stop valve for the hot water for the dish washer.

511663


I'm thinking
Back flush the bottom right red copper fitting.
As mentioned:
aim the bottom copper to a bucket.
Then back plush as previously described.


Any further help or correction would be appreciated.

What is that bottom left cap?

[russ57]

The cap looks like a blank for a spare outlet. The whole lot looks a bit untidy.

Is that just an elbow right at the top?
Id remove the pipe from the stopcock, put a hose on it, and see if there is full flow there.

[droog]

Swap your hot cold flexible feed connections.
If flow is still low on the hot side it’s somewhere else in the plumbing.
I bet it will now be low flow on the cold side indicating it’s in the Flexi or most likely in the feed orifice on the bottom of the mixer right where the Flexi screws into the mixer body.

PS, man that’s a mess of adaptors and fittings. Remove 80% of them and make the whole setup a lot neater.

[rwbuild]

Im not surprised you got low pressure on the hot, there's more twists and turns than a politicians promise.
Remove all fittings from the brass tee, put a nipple in each outlet of the tee, put a mini cock on each nipple, connect flick mixer to one and dishwasher to other, it eliminates several restrictive bends/friction.
The worst enemy of those flexi hoses are bends that are too small in radius, you need as straight as practical connection with large radius bends

[barrysumpter]

The cap looks like a blank for a spare outlet. The whole lot looks a bit untidy.

Is that just an elbow right at the top?
Id remove the pipe from the stopcock, put a hose on it, and see if there is full flow there.

Yes elbow right is the hot water to the mixer.
Is the green valve where I should put the hose?
Above or below?
If so I’d need to stop the house water supply.

[barrysumpter]

Swap your hot cold flexible feed connections.
If flow is still low on the hot side it’s somewhere else in the plumbing.
I bet it will now be low flow on the cold side indicating it’s in the Flexi or most likely in the feed orifice on the bottom of the mixer right where the Flexi screws into the mixer body.

PS, man that’s a mess of adaptors and fittings. Remove 80% of them and make the whole setup a lot neater.

Yes switched them over and result as described.
As in low pressure now on the cold.
My conclusion is that the blockage is not in the flexies nor the mixer.

[barrysumpter]

Im not surprised you got low pressure on the hot, there's more twists and turns than a politicians promise.
Remove all fittings from the brass tee, put a nipple in each outlet of the tee, put a mini cock on each nipple, connect flick mixer to one and dishwasher to other, it eliminates several restrictive bends/friction.
The worst enemy of those flexi hoses are bends that are too small in radius, you need as straight as practical connection with large radius bends

My next logical test would be to confirm it’s the copper fitting between the top right red tape and the bottom right red tape.
By unscrewing the connection at the bottom right red tape.
Aim the end into the bucket and back flush.

[barrysumpter]

511705

[droog]

Yes switched them over and result as described.
As in low pressure now on the cold.
My conclusion is that the blockage is not in the flexies nor the mixer.


I am totally not following here.
Original problem was low hot flow, swapping the Flexi feed (as I described) between hot and cold results in low cold flow.
Conclusion is it’s not in the Flexi or mixer ?


Maybe I am misunderstand what you say you have swapped.

[barrysumpter]

Sure. I'll have a go at my reckoning.

The hot supply has reduces pressure no matter which flexi to the mixer it's flowing thru.

Referring to the pics:
The top red tape on the top right connection is the hot water supply with the red speckled flexi.
The blue speckled flexi is the cold water supply.

I just switched those two flexie connections.

So no matter which side ( hot or cold flexi ) the hot water is flowing from, the hot water has reduced pressure.

[droog]

Sure. I'll have a go at my reckoning.

The hot supply has reduces pressure no matter which flexi to the mixer it's flowing thru.

Referring to the pics:
The top red tape on the top right connection is the hot water supply with the red speckled flexi.
The blue speckled flexi is the cold water supply.

I just switched those two flexie connections.

So no matter which side ( hot or cold flexi ) the not water is flowing from, the hot water has reduced pressure.

Got it, this bit made me think it changed to the cold feed "As in low pressure now on the cold"

These do not look like a normal T fitting, I suspect they may be pressure reducers. Try swapping them over.
511728

[rwbuild]

Further to my earlier post, I assume that you have checked the isolation valve at the hot water tank itself just in case someone has turned it down a bit also has there been any building works near by or fire brigade activity with hydrants as this often results in disturbed sediment in the mains lodging your plumbing lines.
I also strongly suggest you do what I described in my earlier post and I reasonably confident that the source of your problem will be found in the process

[russ57]

Those two elbows pointed out above.
Do they have arrows showing the direction of flow? My google-fu finds reducing valves looking similar, but the flow should be in the opposite direction.

Do you have particularly high water pressure? Or a big difference between hot and cold.?

Connect the hot flexi directly to the stopcock.

[barrysumpter]

Further to my earlier post, I assume that you have checked the isolation valve at the hot water tank itself just in case someone has turned it down a bit also has there been any building works near by or fire brigade activity with hydrants as this often results in disturbed sediment in the mains lodging your plumbing lines.
I also strongly suggest you do what I described in my earlier post and I reasonably confident that the source of your problem will be found in the process

Thanks again.

I'll check the isolation valve on the hot water tank.
We had a new one install not to long ago.

Lots of council sewage works nearby.

Thanks heaps for all the support.
I'll have a go at your previous complex suggestions when all other DIY attempts have been made.

Not sure if this pic will help.

[barrysumpter]

Those two elbows pointed out above.
Do they have arrows showing the direction of flow? My google-fu finds reducing valves looking similar, but the flow should be in the opposite direction.

Do you have particularly high water pressure? Or a big difference between hot and cold.?

Connect the hot flexi directly to the stopcock.


Thanks heaps,

The water pressure to the mains is decently strong.
We discussed putting a reduce on the mains to keep my high pressure sprayer from breaking the safety fitting. Too expensive. and have resulted is using a barrel to relieve the back pressure.

Confirming the stopcock is the (main?) fitting at the wall.
Will see if the flexi is long enough to reach the stopcock.
If not I'll need to exhaust all other DIY before investing in more plumbing that I won't be using after the testing.

[apple8]

For my 2 cents worth, you might want to check the tap washer in the stop cock to see that it’s not swollen or disintegrated. (personal experience).

I would think that you only need one stop cock and a longer flexible fitting to make it simpler. Those flexible hoses only need to be not much more than hand tight otherwise the rubber seal will start to choke the flow.

[rwbuild]

https://www.woodworkforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=511734&stc=1&thumb=1&d=1652640669 That's a fitting I have never seen in my 50+ yrs of building, who fitted that and why? was it fitted when the dishwasher was installed but you or someone has swapped the dish washer and sink hoses around, does seem to be a restrictor of some sort.
If you need a longer flexi hose to do as per my original suggestion, you can get a short one and add to it.

[barrysumpter]

For my 2 cents worth, you might want to check the tap washer in the stop cock to see that it’s not swollen or disintegrated. (personal experience).

I would think that you only need one stop cock and a longer flexible fitting to make it simpler. Those flexible hoses only need to be not much more than hand tight otherwise the rubber seal will start to choke the flow.

That freakin' stopcock is a lot of mucking around.

Yeah, don't know why but tightened just enough to stop it dripping.

[barrysumpter]

That's a fitting I have never seen in my 50+ yrs of building, who fitted that and why? was it fitted when the dishwasher was installed but you or someone has swapped the dish washer and sink hoses around, does seem to be a restrictor of some sort.
If you need a longer flexi hose to do as per my original suggestion, you can get a short one and add to it.

Ha! That doesn't surprise me at all.

Purchased house in 99.
The dishwasher replaced first and the sink later.

[barrysumpter]

The good lady wife accountant has declined getting a plumber.

I've run out of energy, patience and interest.

I'm gonna put it down for now as suggested my the good lady wife psychologist.

Will return better focused at a later date.
(maybe tomorrow)

Thanks heaps gents.
Really appreciate the continued support.
Absolute champions!
Each and everyone.

Looking forward to getting it sorted.

[droog]

The good lady wife accountant has declined getting a plumber.

I've run out of energy, patience and interest.

I'm gonna put it down for now as suggested my the good lady wife psychologist.

Will return better focused at a later date.
(maybe tomorrow)

Thanks heaps gents.
Really appreciate the continued support.
Absolute champions!
Each and everyone.

Looking forward to getting it sorted.

The unknown fitting that you pictured in post 26, I highly suspect they are an adjustable pressure reducer.
Just swap the one from the cold feed with the one from the hot feed, no need for longer hoses re-routing plumbing or anything difficult.

And if it follows the mystery device you could see if it changes by turning the dial in the end.

[barrysumpter]

The unknown fitting that you pictured in post 26, I highly suspect they are an adjustable pressure reducer.
Just swap the one from the cold feed with the one from the hot feed, no need for longer hoses re-routing plumbing or anything difficult.

And if it follows the mystery device you could see if it changes by turning the dial in the end.

Adjustable pressure reducer.
That's the ticket!
Opened the hot water pressure reducer.
And freakin' aye' !
Pressure is up!
And returned to normal!
Many thanks!
Champion of Champions of Champions!

[barrysumpter]

Wife be supper happy.
no i did not take full credit.

we got a bit of a giggle.
A hug n a kiss.
And an extra chocie for desert.

makes it all worthwhile

thanks again