Need Recommendation for N. Raleigh Area Plumber ~ Water Pressure Issues (Durham: chapel, house) - Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill, Cary - North Carolina (NC) -The Triangle Area - City-Data Forum

North_Raleigh_Guy · 07-09-2007, 07:50 AM

Can anybody recommend a good plumber who works in the N. Raleigh area? I am also curious what the typical hourly rate is for a plumber in the area. Is it more expensive to get plumbing work done on a house that is on a slab vs. crawl space because of the lack of access to the pipes?

I don’t know if I am going to need a plumber or not, but I have been experiencing some odd water pressure issues at my house as of late. A few days ago I noticed the water pressure in the upstairs master bath tub/shower has decreased by about 20-25%. The strange thing is the decrease in water pressure is only occurring in the bath faucet and the showerhead. All the other sinks and bath faucets and showerheads in my house seem unaffected. Anybody ever run into such localized pressure loss? I can’t even begin to understand what may be causing this.

Any insight from DYI'ers would be greatly appreciated!

alice_61 · 07-09-2007, 08:31 AM

Have you cleaned the aerator on the sink faucet? IN Chapel Hill/Durham the plumbers have been $65-95/hour.

VickiR · 07-09-2007, 12:34 PM

I had a similar issue with a house I sold and my clients' dad came over and "messed" with the thingie near the road. It helped.

I have a great plumber but I think he charges about $50 just to come out.

Do you have a home warranty? That will usually cover it although I think you have to pay the $55 service call and thats all.

Let me know if you'd like his name. If you tell him that I gave you his name, hopefully, he'll tell you over the phone what he thinks it is and an estimate of what it will cost. Can't hurt to ask!

Vicki

BMORRIS · 07-09-2007, 01:04 PM

Dazco Plumbing Wake Forest, NC 27587 Phone: (919) 556-6650. David Zielinski owns the business and he's a super guy!

saturnfan · 07-09-2007, 01:14 PM

Might see if the city could check for free at the meter.

Our apt has intermittant issues like that and it's in the city water system.

North_Raleigh_Guy · 07-09-2007, 04:45 PM

Thanks for the recommendations everyone. And thanks to VickiR for pointing out that this may be something my home warranty may cover. This is something I had not thought of and will investigate. I appreciate all the feedback!

MikeJaquish · 07-09-2007, 05:32 PM

NRG,
It might be as simple as adjusting a regulator.
My house was regulated to about 45 psi, and I raised it to about 65 PSI.
World of difference.
If you are on a crawl space, the regulator may be under the house where the main comes in.

gastric · 07-10-2007, 12:48 PM

If you're set about the DYI you can buy a water pressure gauge at the local hardware store. Screws onto any hose-type water outlet and shows you the pressure.

The only odd thing about your scenario is the difference between your bathroom and the rest of the house.

I diagnose... GREMLINS!

Post back your results and if you hired a plumber I'd be curious to hear your review. I just moved and need to compile a list of service people I can phone when needed.

sacredgrooves · 07-10-2007, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alice_61

Have you cleaned the aerator on the sink faucet? IN Chapel Hill/Durham the plumbers have been $65-95/hour.

the filters in the basin faucet aerator and showerhead collects debris. remove them, clean them, re-install and all fixed. if the problem is not house wide, then that is your answer. save the money and do it yourself. They screw on and off. I assume these are plumbing fixtures with heavy use?

North_Raleigh_Guy · 07-10-2007, 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sacredgrooves

the filters in the basin faucet aerator and showerhead collects debris. remove them, clean them, re-install and all fixed. if the problem is not house wide, then that is your answer. save the money and do it yourself. They screw on and off. I assume these are plumbing fixtures with heavy use?

Thanks, I will check that out. I was thinking that may be the case since I only seem to be losing pressure in one location and not the entire house!

Quote:

It might be as simple as adjusting a regulator

I will keep that in mind too Mike, but I am on a slab so I'm not sure where the regulator is that I can access easily. Hopefully it wouln't come to that, but thanks for the tip!