6 Main Causes of Low Water Pressure in Your Home

Low water pressure is a nuisance, making it harder for you to shower, wash your hands, or even rinse off a dish. Besides being a nuisance, low water pressure can also be a symptom of something wrong with your plumbing system, such as leaking pipes or a damaged pressure regulator. If you want to figure out why your shower isn’t delivering the same amount of water pressure as it used to, learn more about the main causes of low water pressure and how to fix them.

1. Pipe Blockages

When a home’s pipes are clogged, water will struggle to pass through the pipes at high pressure. Clogged pipes are often due to a buildup of solidified oil or grease, dirt, food particles, and foreign objects. To fix this issue, you can hire a licensed plumber to find the blockage and remove it for you.

2. Closed or Only Partially Open Water Shutoff Valve

Your home’s water shutoff valve controls your water flow, and when it’s fully open, you can expect to receive high water pressure. However, a closed or only partially open water shutoff valve will result in lower water pressure. Usually, you can solve the problem by fully opening your water shutoff valve, following any instructions provided by the valve’s manufacturer while you do so.

3. Leaking Pipes

If your home’s pipes have cracks or holes in them, water will escape from them before the water can reach your faucets. This escaping water results in reduced water pressure. Check if a leak is at fault by turning off any water taps in your home. Next, wait to see if your water meter reading goes up. If your reading goes up while your taps are off, your pipes are likely leaking, meaning you’ll need a plumber to find and seal any leaks.

4. Faulty Pressure Regulator

Some plumbing systems feature devices that control your home’s incoming water flow. Over time, these devices can break down and improperly regulate incoming water, leading to lower water pressure. You can see if the regulator is at fault by checking what pressure the device is set to. Next, attach a pressure gauge to a spigot outside your home to see if it gives the same pressure reading. If the reading is lower, a plumber will likely need to replace the regulator.

5. Closed or Only Partially Open Water Meter Valve

Like a water shutoff valve, your water meter valve helps control how much water flows into your home and needs to be fully open to deliver high water pressure. If you’ve had any work done on your plumbing system recently, someone might have closed the water meter valve and forgotten to fully open it. Since this valve is usually owned by a water company and located somewhere that’s hard to reach, you’ll probably need a plumber or the water company to open it for you.

6. Too Much Water Demand

If you’re running your dishwasher, trying to take a shower, and cleaning your clothes in a washing machine, it can create a high demand for water in your home. When your home doesn’t have a lot of water to use, this high demand can cause lower water pressure. This issue is usually fixable by spacing out different activities that consume a lot of water. However, you might also want a plumber to inspect your system and find a way to upgrade it.

Turn to Newcomb and Company for Water Pressure Service in Raleigh

If you’re looking for a plumber in Raleigh for water pressure help, Newcomb and Company is here for you. Our team of expert plumbers can inspect your home to find out why you have low water pressure and give you recommendations on how to fix it. Once you’ve agreed to our recommendations, our team will fix the issue as fast as possible.

Find out more about our plumbing and water pressure services today. If you have any questions or are ready to schedule service, please feel free to contact us.