Nothing can put a damper on a day like starting to take a shower, wash dishes, or wash your car and having only a weak trickle of water come out. Low water pressure is a pervasive, frustrating issue that can be the result of numerous issues. Some of the potential causes are found within your own home’s plumbing, but it’s equally possible that the culprit is an outside source. By learning the various reasons you may be experiencing low water pressure, you’ll give yourself a good shot at quickly diagnosing the problem and getting back on track.
Leaky Pipes
Leaks in your plumbing are one of the most common causes of decreased water pressure. To check for their presence, ensure first that there aren’t any puddles or signs of flooding in your basement. Large leaks will usually be easy to find signs of, but it doesn’t take a big leak to impact your water pressure. Assuming you can access your home’s pipes, inspect them for any wet spots, dripping, or small pools of water. If you find any, call a plumber and schedule the soonest appointment possible to get everything repaired or sealed up. If you’re in the San Antonio, TX area, our expert plumbers at Beyer Plumbing will handle all of your pipe leaks at an affordable price.
Although you shouldn’t start taking your plumbing apart to fix a leak on your own, you can usually apply a temporary fix to stall further damage. All you should need is a rubber patch, electrical tape, and a pipe repair clamp. Remember to keep searching if you find a leak; with decreased water pressure, there’s a good chance you’ll encounter more than one.
Clogged Pipes
Another possible cause of low water pressure is a clog in your piping. Contrary to popular belief, clogs can occur anywhere in your plumbing—not just close to drains. The most common reason this happens is hard water, which contains minerals like calcium and magnesium. If you don’t have a water softener installed in your home, those minerals can leave residue behind, allowing them to accumulate over time.
Not only can that residue damage your pipes, but it can also obstruct the path of your water. Because these obstructions can occur anywhere in your household piping, you should call in a plumbing professional rather than attempting to find them on your own.
Broken Fixtures
If you’ve noticed that only some of your home’s faucets are struggling with water pressure while others aren’t, it likely means you’ve got faulty fixtures. If a fixture is damaged or malfunctioning, it can cause the water flow to weaken only from that specific faucet.
You may be able to determine on your own whether or not this is occurring. The aerator is the component of a faucet fixture that reduces the volume of water without weakening the pressure. Your aerators can become dirty over time, which can sometimes affect the water pressure from that faucet. Remove the aerator of the fixture in question, clean it out, and see if that solves the problem. If that doesn’t work, it may be that the fixture itself is clogged. Most fixtures are relatively inexpensive, so if yours is clogged or damaged, it may be worth it to replace the unit. You can do so on your own or hire a plumber for it.
Shared Plumbing
Have you observed that your water pressure is worse at certain times of day than at others? If so, it could be because you share your water supply with one or more of your neighbors. In many cases, homeowners won’t even realize they have shared plumbing, but it’s a common cause of water pressure issues.
With shared plumbing, your water pressure may be directly affected by what your neighbors are doing. If you try to wash your car while they’re taking a shower, neither of you will likely have as strong a flow as you otherwise would. If you can’t stand sharing your water supply and are willing to spend the money, you can have your plumbing setup altered to remedy it. On the other hand, you might consider changing your water-use schedule so it doesn’t coincide with that of your neighbors.
Problems or Changes With Your Water Supplier
Before you call in a plumber to start searching for the cause of your low water pressure, consider checking in with a few of your neighbors. Find out if you’re the only one having this problem. If other homes are dealing with the same thing, it’s probably an issue with your water supplier. You can give the company a call to ensure that they’re aware of what’s happening. Hopefully, they’ll already know about the problem and be working to quickly solve it.
It’s also possible that something has changed with your water supplier due to new regulations. Some changes may affect the water pressure customers receive, and the supplier can’t do anything about it. In this case, your only available course of action may be to invest in a water pressure booster. These systems are very effective, and your local plumbers can install one in your home.
Main House Shutoff Valve Issues
If your household has experienced a recent plumbing emergency, you may have needed to access the main house water shutoff valve. If you had to deal with a leaking or burst pipe, you or your plumber would have used this valve to shut off the water for the repairs. However, if the valve didn’t get fully reopened after the job, it may be hampering your water pressure.
The main house shutoff valve might be outside your home, but typically, you’ll find it indoors where the main water supply pipe enters the house. If it has a handle, make sure it’s turned counterclockwise as far as possible. If it has a lever, however, make sure that’s parallel to the pipe.
Water Meter Valve Issues
Have you recently had any significant work done on your home? If so, the workers may have needed to access your water meter valve. But if they didn’t think to reopen it or didn’t open it all the way, that could be the reason for your low water pressure.
The water meter valve belongs to the water supplier, and it’s usually located underground or somewhere else out of the way. For this reason, you’ll probably need the water company to send someone out to check it. Generally, this should be a last resort after other troubleshooting attempts have proven ineffective.
Since 1990, we at Beyer Plumbing have provided trustworthy plumbing services to the residents of San Antonio. We’re a family-owned business, and we view all our clients as an extension of that family. All our team members are trained, certified, and ready to accommodate your plumbing needs. The high-quality work we offer includes water heater services, water softener, and quality systems, leak detection, drain cleaning, and more. Although we’re one of the largest residential and commercial plumbing companies in the area, you’ll still enjoy involved, personal service. Reach out to us at Beyer Plumbing to schedule an appointment today.
