Need advice re Kitchen Water Pressure

I have a house built in 1988. The water pressure throughout the house is fine, except for in the kitchen. The kitchen sink has very, very low water pressure, to the point of not really being able to even rinse off a plate. This problem has been ongoing. I've had a plumber out to the house (through the home warranty company), and he said that the problem is "most likely" the original piping that was installed at the time the house was built...that over time either the house settling or other factors have caused a "crimp" in the line and that this is not an unusual problem for houses built ~20 yrs ago. My only option would be to tear up the kitchen floor and replace piping (house is on a slab, no basement). And, of course, the home warranty doesn't cover this repair unless there is an actual break, so as long as I have some water, they won't fix the problem.

I am hoping that there might be other culprits that I can look at that might explain the decreased pressure without tearing up my kitchen. That is not a route that I want to persue unless I really have to..... Any help/suggestions/ideas are greatly appreciated.

If you are absolutely certain the restriction is not in the faucet assembly, are you able to take some connections apart (unless they are soldered or cemented) and do a little inspecting of your own? If so, I might very carefully shut off the water to the house and try to take a look at the inside of the sink's supply lines coming up out of the floor or from the wall to see what I could see. Maybe there is some scale or other obstruction at the valve under the sink or at a preceding elbow, and maybe some careful picking away at that scale or obstruction would open things up a bit. And to flush a line after doing some picking, I would slip a hose over the end and run a gallon or two into the sink drain before putting everything back together.

....its not a clogged aerator??

What kind of pipes do you have? I'd start by taking the stops off and checking for flow. This may be a stupid question.. but did you check the aerator?

Yes, I have checked the aerator, and there is no buildup/sediment. I've measured the pipes underneath, and the water comes in from a 5/8 pvc, which then goes to a 3/8 copper (about 4 inches long), and then 1/2 flex hose that goes to the sink (both hot and cold are set up this way). Could the downsize to 3/8 reduce the pressure that much?

Disconnect at the supply valve then (rig up a tube to squirt the water in a jug) see if you've got plenty of water coming out there. If that doesn't work then remove the supply valve (or swap it out) to see if that fixes the problem. I just suspect trash blocking the valve or supply line(s).

What kind of faucet is installed in the kitchen? If both hot and cold are equally low flow and pressure, you have to rule out the faucet next before you move on. Pull the stops off and look for junk. I usually stat with a bucket and a 20 inch supply line. Turn off the stop and disconnect the supply line at the stop (leave it connected to the faucet at this point). attach the supply line you brought in and then check the flow into the bucket on the hot and cold. What happens next will determine where you go from there...

I wonder if it's got something to do with the diverter valve. Knowing what kind of mixer you have would make guessing a bit easier. If it is a single lever type then I'd bet 50/50 that it is at the handle....whatever you call that thingy under there..a ball maybe?

In listing the components, you didn't mention shut offs, which I would expect to be between the copper and the flexible supplies.

One other possibility not yet mentioned is a crimp (foldover) in the flexible supplies...especially if they're the white plastic type, not stainless.

In any case, I'd be inclined to get another flexible supply, and disconnect the existing ones (one at a time) at the copper/valve, put on the new one and lead it into a bucket; turn the water on. You'll know if it's upstrean or downstream of that point. I'd expect that connection to be the easiest to break/remake.

TedL said:

One other possibility not yet mentioned is a crimp (foldover) in the flexible supplies...especially if they're the white plastic type, not stainless.

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I had not thought of that, and I also wonder whether there is any possibility of an internal breakdown of some kind. Probably not, given the simplicity, yet flexible brake hoses on front wheels of cars can break down internally and act like check valves restricting flow.

First , What kind of faucet do you have ? Is it the type with the pullout spray ?

NOT a seperate sprayer ,,,,, a pull out from the middle were you turn the faucet on and off ?

If it is ,,,, you have A BUNCH of check valves / pressure reducers in there.

You can pull all those out OR do yourself a favor ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Buy a Delta # 470 faucet and install it. It has the best pressure of any of the other types like this AND it will be a LONG time before this faucet gives you any trouble !

problem resolved

Just wanted to let everyone know that the problem was the faucet. I disconnected the water lines going into the faucet and had great pressure coming out of both the hot and cold lines. Went and bought a new faucet, installed it last night, and everything is going great. Thanks to everyone who made suggestions and offered advice.

Cal said:

Buy a Delta # 470 faucet and install it. It has the best pressure of any of the other types like this AND it will be a LONG time before this faucet gives you any trouble !

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Would the Delta 474-MC give the great pressure you describe above too? It looks a little pricier but is a little bigger so I'd prefer that one.