When you turn on the taps, the flow of water through the faucet determines a lot about your quality of life. Cleansing showers, effective cleaning, and even filling your cooking pots and water glasses rely on water pressure. Low water pressure in a house isn’t just slow; it can become non-functional.
Fortunately, once you hunt down the reason for low water pressure, plumbing professionals can help with the situation and return your home to full water pressure access. Here at DC Family Plumbing, we care about your quality of life and your pipes. If you have been having low water pressure problems, we’d like to share the most common causes and solutions to restore your home to its comfortable place.
Common Causes of Low Water Pressure at Home
The best place to start in diagnosing low water pressure at home is to investigate the most common causes. If any of the following are your low water pressure cause, then the solutions are well-known and often practiced by your local pros.
The Main House Shutoff Valve Is Not Fully Open
First, check your home’s main water valve. Everyone should know where this is, but most homeowners do not. Look for your water main and ensure the valve is 100% open. This resolution might be the easiest way to fix low water pressure at home. Twist the handle or securing bolt to the left to discover if there is some give in the open direction.
If you have low water pressure in a specific room or tap, its local water valve may not be fully open.
The Pressure Regulator is Failing
If your home has a pressure regulator installed (not all need one), its malfunction may result in low water pressure. The water pressure regulator prevents too much pressure from blasting into your home, but if it fails, it may block more water than necessary and result in low water pressure.
The Pipes are Clogged
Clogged pipes are a common cause of low water pressure. How can your inlet pipes get clogged? Good question. Unlike drains which can clog with things sent down them, inlet pipes tend to clog with “scale,” a type of mineral buildup that is medically harmless but structurally very problematic. Scale causes water spots, the white crumbles in the bottom of your dishwasher, and that chalky surface when the water dries on sink ceramic and tub porcelain.
When scale builds up in your pipes, it’s like cholesterol in your arteries: it slowly closes the space until only very little water can get through.
The Pipes are Corroded
Corrosion tends to occur when two different metal types are connected in plumbing, causing a chemical reaction that makes the metal break down into a fluffy oxidized mess. Some pipes, like galvanized steel, also have an expiration date and may start to corrode after that time. If corrosion happens inside your pipes, you get clogs and low pressure. Replacing the corroded pipes and nearby pipes is the best solution for corrosion.
The Pipes are Leaking
If you have a leak in your water supply plumbing, your water pressure is escaping and may not reach your taps, which is a very problematic cause of low water pressure at home. Leaks are terrible for water pressure – and your water bill. If your water pressure drops off suddenly or you can identify taps that have water pressure and those that don’t, this can indicate a leak in your system. Any taps with full water pressure are “before” the leak, while those with low water pressure are “after” in the lines.
Faulty Plumbing Fixtures
The problem could also be with your fixtures. If the base of your faucet leaks and you have poor water pressure, for example, you are likely losing your pressure through a fixture leak. Clogged and corroded faucets can also be a problem. If you have faulty plumbing fixtures, a leaky faucet repair might completely restore your water pressure issues in each affected room.
Why a DIY Fix Isn’t Feasible
Fixing your plumbing isn’t like repairing the handles on your cabinets or changing your light covers. Some DIY projects are safe and productive to handle at home, and some require a professional. When it comes to light fixtures or behind-the-wall plumbing, you need a pro. DIY plumbing repairs are not feasible because it involves going deep into your home – into crawl spaces and even between the walls to complete more extensive repairs. While most homeowners can replace a showerhead, replacing your sink faucet is another matter.
A professional plumber can guarantee that the work is done right, ensure your wall is rebuilt if further access was required, and that all the seals and joints are 100% leak-free, so your home is safe and water-efficient when the work is done.
Choose a Plumber You Can Trust
When your home has low water pressure, you need a plumber you can trust to diagnose the problem, enact repairs, and leave your home in better condition than they found it. Whether you have a leak or just old and corroded pipes, DC Family Plumbing is dedicated to keeping your home and plumbing in top condition. Contact us today for the plumbing services your home needs.
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