Low water pressure may not stop you from doing certain tasks around the home, but it certainly is an annoyance. When you don’t have enough water pressure in your plumbing system, basic tasks like rinsing dishes suddenly become much more difficult, and a shower with low water pressure is certainly unpleasant.
If you have low water pressure in your home, you may need to do an investigation first. Ask yourself some questions, and be prepared to explain the answers to a plumber.
- Is there any obvious sign of a leak?
- Are all of the faucets in the home suffering from low water pressure or is it just one?
- Does the problem occur only when you use hot water?
Many of the pipes in the area are older, which means we see a lot of problems occur within piping, and it often goes unnoticed long enough to cause water damage. If you have reason to suspect a pipe leak, shut off the water and call in a plumber as soon as possible.
Otherwise, your low water pressure issues could be caused by any of the following.
- Scaling in the pipes – Hard water leaves behind minerals in the pipes that slow the flow of water, and eventually may call for the premature replacement of your plumbing.
- Leaky water heater – If water pressure is only low when you use the hot water, there could be a leak in the water heater or a leak or clog in a hot water pipe.
- Clogged aerators and showerheads – If the water pressure problem only occurs in one part of the home, taking apart the end of the faucet or showerhead may reveal sediment clogging it up. Often, you only need to rinse this out.
- Frozen pipes – While this is not a problem everywhere, this explains a slow or stopped pipe in many parts of the country.
Evans Plumbing Inc offers plumbing installation and repair in Sun Valley, ID. Call us for more information.
