Low water pressure is a very common problem in homes. At times it can feel like a problem that never goes away. However, many pressure-related problems boil down to just a few factors.
Here are the top 4 reasons why you have low water pressure in your house:
- Leaky pipes
A very common problem, especially for older houses, often goes unnoticed and the problem builds and builds and builds until the low water pressure is the least of your problems. Be sure to check your pipes regularly and see if there are any places inside or outside where there might be moisture or pools of water that shouldn’t be there. If there are, you might have found a leak. - A leaky faucet or showerhead
Another very common problem is a leaky faucet or showerhead. Just because of general wear and tear, faucets and showerheads will tend to leak over time. The good news is you can almost always do these repairs yourself. To fix a leaky shower head or tap, just head down to your local hardware store and pick out a new one, and replace the old with the new one. - The water meter valve is not fully on
There are two main valves that control water flow, and therefore water pressure to your entire house. One of these valves is usually only turned when work is being done near, or on your water meter. If you’ve had work done in the past, it’s possible the water company forgot to fully open the valve after the work had been completed. You can check to see if it’s fully open or not. If not, then open it. If this was the cause of your low-pressure problem, then you would see an instant improvement in water pressure. - A faulty pressure-reducing valve
Sounds technical but it’s really not. A pressure-reducing valve is a valve that regulates the water pressure inside pipes to stop any damage being done to your pipes. If you know this valve hasn’t been replaced recently and you are experiencing water pressure issues, then there is a good chance that your pressure-reducing valve is working too well and is limiting water pressure a bit much. You will need a professional plumber to fix this problem, and once it’s fixed your water pressure should improve rapidly.
Typically for any water pressure issues, the problem often lies in the piping and/or water supply. Most times you can fix these issues yourself (if you know how). But if you don’t know, or you don’t want to deal with the hassle yourself, then call us today.
Often, it’s much cheaper to have a professional and licensed plumber fix your plumbing issues in the first place, rather than having them come to fix an issue that has only gotten worse after you attempted to fix it yourself.
