New Hot H2O Heater - LOW pressure??

This is my first new home experience. Our 40 gallon hot water heater sprung a leak in our 1992 model home so we bought a 50 gallon, thinking this would supply us with more hot water for longer showers, etc. We hooked it up ourselves. When we first blew all the air out of the lines, a nasty rust colored water came out, then all was clear. At first it was not heating the water at all and after calling Home Depot (where we got it from) we found that one of the heating elements was broken so we replaced it and now it heats fine. Shower pressure seems to be fine but EVERYWHERE else in the house has EXTREMELY low pressure. We're talking barely trickling out. Why would this be? Who can we call to come figure it out without charging an arm and a leg? It's a mystery that is driving us crazy! Low pressure is both hot AND cold and we have made sure the valves are all the way open.

Would it be because we went from 40 gallons to 50? Also, I've heard of restrictors being in new hot water heaters...could it be that and how do you get them out? Thank you for any help!!

water softener??

do youhave a water conditioner???

if so you might want to put it on bypass and see

if this solves the problem.....


if you are on city water ,
you can always ask the local water company
to come out and check out your pressure first...

No water conditioner/softener

I was thinking of calling the city but the shower pressure is working fine, that's what's confusing me. Thanks for the help, though!

Unscrew the aerator screen on one of the affected faucets and see if it is clogged. My guess is that a bunch of sediment was sent through the pipes during the changeover and now the screens are clogged. Some, but not all shower-heads have them, but nearly all lavatory and kitchen sink ones do. This may be the reason your shower works, bu the other stuff doesn't.

When you unscrew the areators see if they are cloged with a brown colored sediment that seems to roll between your fingers.

Do you have a water softner?