Causes of Low Water Pressure in Your Home

Home water pressure problems may present themselves in different ways, all of which can be quite frustrating. Faucets may take forever to fill a sink or bathtub, or a showerhead may not give you that strong spray you want. Your dishwasher or washing machine may take much longer to run a cycle than it should.

When only one fixture has low water pressure, it's likely that the problem can be remedied if you just focus on fixing that one fixture or the pipes serving it. But widespread water pressure issues affecting the whole house indicate different problems. If your home water pressure seems low, then the first thing to do is to narrow down the cause.. Ahead, we will look at what causes low water pressure and how to remedy the problem throughout your home.

Depending on the time of day that you experience low water pressure, there may be a higher than average need for water in your home. The more appliances that are using water at one, the less water there will be for all applications. While this is not necessarily noticeable with two, or even three appliances running at the same time, the fact remains that the more appliances used simultaneously, the lower the resulting water pressure.

The simplest solution for this situation is to stagger your water needs throughout the day. If you need to shower at 8am, wait until 9am to start the dishwasher. If you need to wash laundry, but the lawn also needs to be watered, consider washing laundry during the day and watering the lawn at night, when it will do the best. Watering your lawn during the coolest hours of the day will help your grass absorb more water in a shorter period of time.

Narrow supply line

In older houses, the supply lines from the municipality are smaller in diameter than today’s standard, which will cause low water pressure. If the main water intake is only ½” pipe you won’t have good water supply throughout your home. Undersized piping can’t handle the flow demands of a modern household. You should have the supply line upgraded to ¾” minimum.

Corroded piping

A lot of piping is galvanized steel, not copper, and this is the reason for a loss of water pressure in older homes. Galvanized piping corrodes on the inside and deposits build up that block and severely reduce the water flow.

The solution is remove galvanized piping and upgrade it to new copper or pex. But this can be a very expensive job—and one for the professional plumber only.

Test the flow

Every municipality has a minimum flow rate, depending on where you live, and the water source. (This applies to water taken from a municipal source, not a well.) That minimum rate is the flow that is delivered to your home, at the main water intake. After that point, all water pressure problems are yours—between the main intake and the street, it’s the municipality’s responsibility. So you may also have to call your local government and have them do a test.

Bad Plumbing

Another common reason for low water pressure is bad plumbing jobs in the past. Renovations or additions that altered the plumbing lines, or even some badly done repairs can create flow restrictions and pressure drops. An amateur or bad plumber can make a mess of your lines—using inadequately sized piping, with too many elbows, bad joints or supply lines taken off other lines incorrectly—creating what I call spaghetti plumbing.

The most serious and potentially expensive reason for low water pressure occurs when old galvanized steel water pipes are corroded to the point that water flow is significantly restricted. These pipes corrode on the inside (so you usually can't see the corrosion, but over time, the buildup of corrosion and scale gradually closes off the pipe.

This problem develops over decades, so the reduction in water flow is very gradual; you will not notice a sudden drop in pressure. However, if you move into an old house with steel pipes, the pipes may have significant corrosion to start with and the problem may worsen relatively quickly.

After 30+ years in the business, I’ve learned how important a good plumber is. They ensure the plumbing systems inside the home function properly, and that any water coming inside the house is maintained within the system.

Is the Main House Shutoff Valve Open?

The other main shutoff valve is the home's shutoff, usually located inside the house, near where the main city supply pipe enters the home through the foundation wall. In warm climates, the main shutoff may be outdoors. Make sure this valve is fully open. If this is a gate valve, indicated by a wheel-like handle, make sure the handle is turned fully in the counterclockwise direction. If it is a ball valve, indicated by a lever handle, the handle must be parallel to the pipe direction to be fully open.

As with the water meter valve, this main shutoff valve is sometimes left partially closed after some kind of repair has been done to the system. If your water pressure has mysteriously lessened after a recent repair, there is a good chance that the valve wasn't fully opened after the repair was completed. ​​

Is the Pressure Regulator Failing?

Another common cause for home water pressure problems is a faulty pressure regulator or pressure-reducing valve. A pressure regulator is a control valve that reduces the input pressure in your plumbing system to a safe level that will not damage your pipes. Not all homes have them, but for those that do, a failing pressure regulator can cause a serious upward spike in water pressure. It can also have the opposite effect: a sudden reduction in your water pressure.

When the pressure regulator fails, you will notice the effect on all of the fixtures in the home, and it will happen rather suddenly. Although a pressure regulator can sometimes be replaced by yourself with the same brand and size, in most cases is it better to call a professional to take care of it. Replacing it requires shutting off the water to the home at the water meter shutoff valve.

To get an accurate reading of your water pressure, you can test the pressure by attaching a water pressure gauge to the outdoor hose spigot closest to the water main or pressure regulator. Recommended water pressure is 52 to 75 pounds per square inch. If your pressure tests very low, this may indicate a failed pressure regulator.

Low water pressure is more than an inconvenience. It can be a sign of something that needs immediate attention. The first step in managing this issue is to narrow down the root cause. Because there are several causes of low water pressure, many times hidden or difficult to diagnose, you may want to enlist the help trustworthy plumbing service in your area.

When it comes to plumbing, you do not want to neglect a problem or make the issue worse by trying to fix it yourself. When you encounter plumbing problems of any kind or when you want to check on your plumbing to ensure it is well-maintained, call Super Plumbing Team.

We offer comprehensive residential, commercial and emergency plumbing services to take care of any issues you experience, including those that reduce water pressure in your home. When you call one of our plumbers in to take care of a problem, you can also take advantage of a complimentary plumbing checkup to diagnose any other potential problems with your plumbing.

Our service is unmatched within the plumbing industry. We understand that dealing with plumbing problems can be stressful, but we can take the stress right out of it. We will schedule service as quickly as possible and provide you with a flat-rate upfront so you can rest easy that, no matter how long the job takes to complete, your cost will not change. Our plumbers' priority is getting the job done well, whatever it takes. You can also expect our plumbers to be courteous and treat your home with great care.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you enjoy great water pressure throughout your home!