Swapped out the gauge, adjusted psi slightly below recommended, and problem solved. A dedicated gauge isn't pricey and saves you headaches down the road...
Had a similar experience myself. I figured my trusty old tire gauge would do the trick—after all, pressure is pressure, right? Nope. Checked my tank, thought everything was fine, but still had weird water flow issues. Finally borrowed a neighbor's dedicated gauge and found out my reading was off by almost 10 psi. Lesson learned: sometimes saving a few bucks isn't worth the hassle...
Had a similar issue a while back. Thought my gauge was accurate enough—looked decent, numbers seemed fine—but something just felt off. Water flow was inconsistent, showers were weak, and faucets sputtered occasionally. Decided to double-check with a buddy's gauge and found out mine was reading about 8 psi too high. Crazy how much difference a few psi can make...
Couple things I learned from that experience:
- Gauges can drift over time, even if they seem solid.
- Tire gauges aren't always calibrated for water systems; different materials and seals can affect accuracy.
- Spending a little extra on a dedicated gauge is worth it in the long run.
Still makes me wonder though... how often should we really be checking calibration on these gauges? Seems like something we all overlook until there's an actual problem.
Had the same head-scratcher last year when my shower turned into a sad drizzle. Turns out my gauge was off by about 6 psi—enough to make mornings miserable.
Here's what I ended up doing (and it seems to work pretty well):
1. Got myself a dedicated water pressure gauge from the hardware store—nothing fancy, just one specifically meant for plumbing.
2. Marked the date on it with a Sharpie (I know, high-tech stuff).
3. Every six months or so, I compare mine against a neighbor's or buddy's gauge just to see if it's drifting. Takes like 5 minutes tops.
4. If it's off by more than a couple psi, I either recalibrate or replace it. They're honestly not that pricey.
I figure twice a year is enough to catch any major drift before it messes things up again. And yeah, tire gauges are tempting 'cause they're always lying around, but they're really not built for water systems... learned that the hard way too, lol.
Haha, marking the gauge with a Sharpie is exactly my kind of DIY solution... low-tech but effective. I had a similar issue a couple years back—my shower pressure slowly dwindled until it felt like I was standing under a watering can. Thought it was the showerhead at first, so naturally I spent way too much time soaking it in vinegar and poking at it with toothpicks (spoiler alert: didn't help).
Eventually, I caved and got one of those plumbing-specific gauges too. Honestly, best $15 I've spent on home maintenance in ages. Mine hasn't drifted as much as yours did, but I still check it every now and then just to be safe. Twice a year sounds about right—any more often feels like overkill, any less and you're risking another sad drizzle situation.
And you're spot-on about tire gauges. They're tempting because they're always kicking around the garage, but they're definitely not built for water systems. Learned that lesson after ruining one myself... water inside a tire gauge isn't exactly ideal.
Anyway, props for figuring out a solid routine. Homeownership is basically just an endless cycle of "why is this happening?" followed by "ohhh that's why." Glad you got your mornings back to normal—nothing worse than starting your day with weak water pressure!
Haha, Sharpie marks are underrated DIY magic. I totally second the plumbing gauge recommendation—those tire gauges just aren't cut out for water (been there, flooded that). One thing I'd add is checking your pressure regulator valve occasionally. Mine went bad last year and caused random pressure drops. Swapped it out and boom, steady showers again. Homeownership really is just troubleshooting one mystery after another... at least it's satisfying when you finally nail it down.
