Had something similar happen at an apartment complex I manage. Tenants kept complaining about low pressure, so I spent half a day checking pumps, filters, and even crawled into the crawlspace (not fun). Turns out the city had quietly reduced pressure due to a burst main nearby. Wish they'd given us a heads-up... would've saved me from a dusty afternoon under the building. Now I always call the city first before breaking out the toolbox.
Been there myself... learned the hard way too. Now my checklist goes: 1) call city first, 2) check main valve, 3) inspect fixtures.
Exactly why step one is step one now."Wish they'd given us a heads-up... would've saved me from a dusty afternoon under the building."
"Wish they'd given us a heads-up... would've saved me from a dusty afternoon under the building."
Couldn't agree more—city notifications can be notoriously unreliable. Your checklist is solid, but I'd suggest adding one more step between checking the main valve and inspecting fixtures: verifying your pressure regulator (if you've got one installed). I've seen plenty of cases where the regulator fails or gets clogged with sediment, causing erratic pressure issues that mimic city-side problems. It's easy to overlook, especially if it's tucked away somewhere inconvenient.
Also, a quick tip from experience: when you call the city, ask specifically about recent maintenance or hydrant flushing in your area. Sometimes they won't volunteer that info unless prompted, and knowing ahead can save you from unnecessary troubleshooting. Learned that one after a frustrating afternoon chasing phantom leaks...
That's a good point about the regulator. Years ago, I spent half a Saturday chasing down what I thought was a busted pipe somewhere in the crawlspace. Turned out it was just a failing pressure regulator that decided to act up right after the city flushed some hydrants down the street. Had me crawling around in dirt and cobwebs for nothing.
Funny enough, when I finally got around to replacing it, the old one was so clogged with sediment and rust flakes, it's a wonder any water got through at all. After swapping it out, pressure went from barely-a-trickle back to normal instantly. Lesson learned—now it's one of the first things I check whenever pressure starts acting weird.
Speaking of city maintenance though, sometimes even calling them doesn't help much. Last summer, they did some work nearby but swore up and down there wasn't anything going on. Meanwhile, three neighbors had the same sudden drop in water pressure at exactly the same time... suspicious much?
Makes me wonder if anyone else has run into situations where city work totally messed with their plumbing but got brushed off as "just your pipes" by officials? Seems to happen more often than you'd think.
Been there, done that. City replaced a main line nearby once and swore it wouldn't affect us. Next day, tenants calling about faucets sputtering air and brown water... "just my pipes," huh? Sure thing, city folks.
