I have city water with a pressure regulator set at 70 psi. When a toilet is flushed, a pressure gauge shows that the pressure drops from 70 psi to 20 psi. If another fixture is opened while the toilet tank is filling, the gauge drops to 10 psi. My question is, would a booster pump system of some kind help to keep a more uniform pressure or flow, in the water lines, when multiple fixtures are open at the same time. For instance, could two showers be open at the same time without signigicant loss of pressure with a booster system added. The water line coming into the house is 3/4, but drops to 1/2 inch coming out of the pressure regulator and continuing throughout the house. Thanks for any help or answers to my question.

first check that there is a fliter screen at the inlet of the PRV and that it is clean.

Thanks for the reply Packy. The PRV is new. My old one just went bad and was causing me problems with TP valve going off on the water heater and putting water on the floor. I think the old PRV was going bad for a while, so we had gotten used to higher pressure coming in to the house. With new PRV, we now notice a big change in pressure, when a couple of fixtures are open at the same time.

still check for debris in a filter screen. could have happened when the water was turned back on after install.

So you are saying that the drop in pressure I have described, is not a normal situation? I will check for debris. Thanks.

i have seen plenty of houses with only a single 1/2 inch water main.
there is no large pressure drop when a single fixture is used.
my guess is a restriction somewhere which leads me to believe a clogged screen at the PRV.
of course i could be all wet on this.

Your regulator is "defective". Change it, and your problems will go away.



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There was no debris found in the the regulator. So HJ, with the piping I described and the drop in pressures that I observed, what would you expect the pressure to drop to on the gauge, with a properly working regulator, and one fixture open? Then, with two fixtures open? Thanks.

A 5 psi drop would be a lot with a properly functioning PRV. And the amount of drop would depend on the flow rate of the faucet. In most cases, the drop would be almost imperceptable.

Packy and HJ. Replaced regulator with another new one and pressure has increased significantly. First new one must have been defective as you guys suggested. Water pressure now starts at 70 psi and with two fixtures open, it drops to about 50 psi. Much more acceptable. Thanks so much for your help.



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