A Closer Look at Low Water Pressure Problems

Water pressure refers to the force with which water moves through the pipes of your home. Low water pressure is a common plumbing problem with many potential causes that can affect your comfort while bathing and the convenience of using plumbing fixtures or appliances. If you’ve had problems with low water pressure that have negatively impacted your daily lifestyle, your professional plumber can quickly evaluate your plumbing to find the cause of your low water pressure and develop an effective solution to eliminate it.

Possible Causes of Low Water Pressure

Low water pressure affects the amount of water flowing from faucets and showerheads; it may also reduce the efficacy of your toilets each time you flush. Because there are many possible causes of low water pressure in your home, it’s important to identify the reason behind your water pressure problems to ensure the solution your plumber implements is the correct one. When low water pressure affects a single faucet, fixture, or appliance, the problem is likely associated with the plumbing feature experiencing the issue. Similarly, low water pressure that affects only your hot water likely indicates a problem within your water heater, rather than your plumbing at large. However, low water pressure that occurs throughout your home and regardless of whether you are using hot or cold water is likely caused by a more widespread issue, such as mineral buildup inside your pipes, multiple leaks, damaged or malfunctioning valves, or low incoming water pressure from your municipal water supplier.

Solutions for Low Water Pressure

During his initial evaluation, your plumber will check all the components of your plumbing to find the cause of your low water pressure. Once he has diagnosed the cause, he can suggest one or more solutions that will address the issue so you can enjoy the water pressure you want once more. If the problem causing your low water pressure is related to a valve or appliance, such as your water heater, your plumber can perform repairs that will restore normal water pressure to your home. Similarly, leaks that cause your plumbing to lose water—and water pressure—as the flow travels from your water main to your fixtures can be repaired to eliminate lost water and pressure. If your plumbing suffers from widespread leaks or deterioration, pipe relining or repiping may be the best solution to restore the full function of aging plumbing pipes. Mineral buildup inside your pipes indicates that hard water is a problem for your home; your plumber may use hydro-jetting to scour away existing buildup, then suggest installing a water softener to prevent future buildup from occurring. If the low water pressure inside your home is not due to a plumbing problem, but rather naturally low water pressure from your municipal water supplier, your plumber can install a pressure boost system to increase the water pressure you receive throughout your home. Alternatively, in homes with aging plumbing, repiping with plumbing pipes of a larger diameter could also solve your problem over the long term.

Our Orem plumbers are here to help you achieve maximum comfort and efficiency with plumbing solutions that include low water pressure fixes, water heater repair, and water softener system installation and maintenance. You can learn more about our plumbing services and how to get better performance from your plumbing on our website and our blog.