Yeah, vinegar's definitely gentler—CLR can be brutal if you're not careful. I had a tenant once who swore by it, until she turned her shiny faucet into something resembling brushed nickel, lol. Inline sediment filters can help a lot, actually. Installed one at a property with notoriously hard water, and tenants reported fewer issues after. Won't solve everything, especially if pipes are ancient, but it's worth a shot to reduce buildup and maintenance headaches.
Agree on CLR—it's effective but can be harsh if you're not careful. Couple other things to consider for pressure issues:
- Check your aerators first; debris buildup there is super common and easy to fix.
- If you've got older galvanized pipes, sediment filters help, but eventually corrosion inside the pipes will limit flow no matter what you do.
- Pressure regulators can fail too, especially in older setups. Might be worth checking yours out if you haven't already.
Just my two cents...good luck!
Had a similar issue last year—thought it was the regulator at first, but turned out to be sediment clogging up the aerators. Felt kinda silly after spending hours researching pressure regulators and pipe replacements, haha. But yeah, galvanized pipes are a pain...mine are ancient, and I'm dreading the day I'll have to replace them completely. Anyone here actually done a full pipe swap? Curious how much of a headache that really is...
Did a full pipe replacement for a client a couple months back—honestly, it's not the nightmare everyone makes it out to be. Sure, it's messy and disruptive, especially if your pipes run behind finished walls. But once it's done, the improvement in water quality and pressure is night and day. Galvanized pipes are ticking time bombs anyway...you'd probably save yourself headaches in the long run. Are you noticing rust-colored water yet or just pressure issues?
Pipe replacement can definitely help, but I'd hesitate to call it a simple fix—especially in older homes. Disturbing walls can uncover other hidden issues (wiring, mold...). Sometimes a targeted repair or partial replacement makes more sense, depending on your situation.
