Low water pressure in washing machine tap

[nevillek]

Hi all...

I have a FL washing machine connected to a 0.5HP automatic on/off booster pump that splits the outgoing pipe into two: one to my bathroom, for pressure in the bathroom taps and the shower, and one for the washing machine. The setup was working seamlessly until yesterday when I noticed that the pressure pump was constantly starting/stopping every 5 seconds when I started running the washing machine, instead of being continuously on for like 30 seconds to suck in the required water. Upon opening the detergent compartment, I noticed far low water pressure than usual. Upon removing the hose pipe from the water inlet behind the machine, the low water pressure was confirmed. Strangely enough, the water pressure in my bathroom taps/shower is perfectly fine and the booster pump starts on normally if I turn those taps on, and turns off automatically if I close the taps.

I suspect an airlock to be causing this low pressure, but I don't understand why there would be an airlock only in the pipe branch going to the machine and not to the one going to the bathroom, because both of them branch out (in a reverse T-form) from the single pipe coming out of the booster pump.

Can someone please help me with this dilemma? I don't know how to remove the airlock as firstly, I don't have a big enough hose pipe to connect the airlocked tap to a working tap to push the airbubble back into the tank, and secondly, I have a non-return valve in the pipe going to the booster pump, so I don't know if that method would even work.

Thanks a lot in advance!

 

[galaxy_plumbing]

you could use wet vac. could be bit of debris in the pipe or faulty valve etc.

 

[PlumbBobBob]

I agree there could be a bit of debris causing the low flow. I would start with the nrv as a possible place for debris to catch.

 

[nevillek]

I agree there could be a bit of debris causing the low flow. I would start with the nrv as a possible place for debris to catch.

But the nrv is located between the water tank and booster pump, and not between the booster pump and washing machine tap. So if the problem was with the NRV, how is the bathroom tap working fine with the booster pump?