ᐅ Water filter reduces water pressure

Created on: 29 Oct 2012 12:14
S
st1xoo
S
st1xoo
29 Oct 2012 12:14
Hello,
I am new here and looking for advice on the following issue:
In the second floor of my single-family house, the water pressure is very low. Showering is barely possible.
My neighbors do not have any problems with their water pressure.

As a test, I removed the filter paper from the water filter located directly after the pressure-reducing valve.
Unfortunately, I do not know what this filter is called: it is a plastic cylinder with a volume of about 1.5 liters (0.4 gallons), containing a cylindrical mesh where the filter paper is placed. The water flows through the paper filter.

After about 2 months, the filter paper is completely covered with a rusty-colored, slimy layer. After replacing it, the water pressure improved only slightly. Now I removed the paper completely, and the pressure is much better.

My questions:
- What exactly is this nasty deposit? Rust? (I have metal pipes, the house was built in 1989, and we have very hard water)
- Can I simply remove the filter altogether? (My aerators get clogged with limescale deposits every 3-4 months anyway)
- I understand the filter has its purpose. Would it be advisable to replace it with a more modern filter that does not reduce the water pressure?

Thanks in advance for your help!!
€uro
30 Oct 2012 10:21
Hello,
st1xoo schrieb:
....In my single-family house, there is very low water pressure on the second floor. Showering is barely possible. My neighbors do not have any issues with their water pressure.
What is the static pressure supplied by the water provider?
A filter naturally causes pressure loss (reduction of flow pressure), so there must be sufficient pressure available on the supply side.
If pipes have too small a diameter, are partially clogged, or if fittings are scaled up, the available pressure will no longer be enough to provide sufficient flow.
The dirtier the filter, the lower the flow rate. If necessary, replace the filter with one that causes minimal pressure loss — this means a large filter surface area!
Completely omitting a filter is dangerous because it can lead to clogging of pipes or components of sensitive appliances (washing machine, dishwasher). There seems to be significant potential for this problem.

Best regards
H
Häuslebauer40
30 Oct 2012 14:23
Apart from the fact that it definitely makes sense to replace the entire filter unit with a more modern one, you should clean the filter every 4-8 weeks. This removes a lot of dirt and increases the lifespan of the filter. We had the same problem in our previous house. Eventually, there was hardly any water pressure left on the upper floor. After replacing the filter unit, the problem was solved.
S
st1xoo
30 Oct 2012 19:16
I flushed and tested the KFR valve.

After 3 liters (0.8 gallons) of water, I stopped. The water should actually stop flowing when the safety mechanism activates. It shouldn’t take longer than 3 liters (0.8 gallons), right?
The main valve was, of course, closed (the water meter stood still during the test), and the valves for the basement, ground floor, and upper floor were open.

Is my KFR valve defective?