One of the most frustrating plumbing problems that a homeowner can have is that of low water pressure. When your water pressure is suffering, so are your showers, your dirty dishes, and any other task that requires a pressurized stream of water. Getting to the bottom of your water pressure issues may not be as complicated as you may think, fortunately.
Keep reading below to learn whether your water pressure troubles have an easy fix, or if it’s time to call for backup—if the latter is the case, we are the team to call for professional and quality plumbing repairs in Olympia, WA.
Is the Low Water Pressure Only Coming from One Faucet?
This is the first thing we’d like you to check—determine if the water pressure is only occurring in a single faucet, or if multiple faucets and fixtures in your living space have been impacted. If it’s only one faucet, your resolution might be as easy as a pair of pliers.
The component of your faucet that you’re going to be dealing with is called the aerator—a small screen that rests at the end of most faucets to help control water pressure, and keep it flowing out smoothly. This screen can get clogged up, however, particularly if you suffer from what’s known as hard water.
Hard water is created when there’s a buildup of calcium and magnesium in the system. These minerals are harmless to ingest, but they do impact your pipes, faucets, and even your quality of life.
Getting back to the aerator—what you’ll want to do to hopefully resolve your water pressure issue is to:
- Use pliers to remove the aerator from the end of the faucet.
- Inspect the aerator for debris, and then rinse or tab it out.
- Reinstall the aerator.
- Turn on both your cold and hot water to ensure that water pressure has been restored.
If this does not work, then it could be time to go ahead and give our professional plumbers a call. You may have a problem with a pipe, including a potential severe clog, or a leak.
What if the Water Pressure Issue is Widespread?
When low water pressure occurs throughout your entire plumbing system, then you have a much more serious problem on your hands. It means that your main water line is compromised, and almost always requires calling in a plumber.
Sometimes, the problem may be as simple as reopening the main water shut-off if it was slightly closed off, or checking that the pressure-reducing valve didn’t need adjusting. It could even be that the city is doing work, so do check with your municipal water supply company. In the absence of these issues, however, something more severe could be happening, such as:
- Clogged pipes. If you’ve used store-bought chemical drain cleaners in the past, we urge you to stop and instead give our team a call. These abrasive chemicals can actually do more harm than good, and can cause more clogging later on down the line.
- If your main water line has a leak, then the water pressure within your home could certainly drop. To check if this is the case, turn off everything in your home that uses running water—your washer, sinks, showers, and other plumbing appliances—for a half an hour. Record the reading on your water meter, and then before you turn anything back on check the reading again. If there’s any change, then you are very likely dealing with a leak.
When you find yourself in need of reliable plumbing services, you needn’t look any further than
Brooks Plumbing Co. Contact us today!
