Top Reasons Why You Have Low Water Pressure

Ever Wonder Why You Have a Low Water Pressure?

Low water pressure is a very common problem in households. At times it can feel like it is a problem that can never be solved. However, many pressure related problems boil down to a handful of factors.

So here are the top 4 reasons for low water pressure in your house.

Leaky pipes

A very common problem, especially for those who have an older house, is leaky pipes. Often times these go unnoticed and the problem builds and builds and builds until the low water pressure is the least of your concerns. Be sure to check your pipes regularly and see if there are any places inside or outside where there might be moisture or even pools of water that shouldn’t be there. If there are, you might have found a leak.

 A leaky tap or showerhead

Another very common problem is a leaky tap or showerhead. Just through general wear and tear taps and showerheads will tend to leak over time. The good news is you can almost always do these repairs yourself. To fix a leaky shower head or tap, just head down to your local hardware store and pick out a new one. Then just replace the old with the new.

The water meter valve is not fully on

There are two main valves that control water flow, and therefore water pressure, to your entire house. One of those valves is usually only turned when works are taking place near or on your water meter. If you’ve had work done in the past, it’s possible the water company can forget to fully open the valve after works have been undertaken. It is worth a check to see if it is not fully open and if it is not fully open, to then open it. If this was the cause of the problem, then you should see an instant improvement in water pressure immediately.

A Faulty pressure-reducing Valve

This sounds technical but it is really not. A pressure-reducing valve is a valve that regulates the water pressure inside pipes to stop any damage being done to your pipes. If you know this valve to not have been replaced recently and you are experiencing water pressure issues, then there is a good chance that your pressure-reducing valve is working too well and is limiting water pressure too much. You will need a plumber for this as it requires some hardware to fix but once this is solved it will rapidly improve your water pressure.

Typically for any water pressure issue, the problem lies in the piping and supply of water.  Most of the time you will be able to fix this yourself pretty easily, but if you’re not able to, then it might be worth getting a plumber in to fix it before it becomes a bigger issue.