If you’re just used to high water pressure in your home, there is no way that any sudden drop of water pressure would go unnoticed. Instead of invigorating showers, you’ll find yourself taking showers that make you feel worse just because of how low the water pressure is. We’ve decided to provide you with a simple yet comprehensive guide to help you tackle low water pressure as quickly as possible.
Determine the Affected Areas
It’s very important to try and isolate the issue to a single cause rather than hunt around the house for random clues. You need to check all the faucets, showers, and even hose hookups to see if they’re all suffering from lower water pressure. You’ll also want to double-check by trying to run hot and cold water separately. If the problem is with hot water, then you’ve got a heater problem.
Pump and Supply Line
If you’re getting your water supply from a well, you may need to check the pump to see if it’s working properly. You’ll have to use a pressure gauge to know the pressure your water is getting from the pump. The professional plumbers at https://amarcoplumbing.com/low-water-pressure-house-sudden/ state that if it’s below 30 PSI, then the pump is probably the culprit. A big clog in the water supply line could also significantly weaken your pump, so make sure that you contact a handyman or a professional plumber to identify the issue and repair it, as you won’t be able to do it yourself without the proper tools.
Isolated Area
If you find out that the water pressure is only low in a certain part of the house like the bathroom or kitchen, you may be facing a problem with the main water line. The piping problem is usually caused by a blockage composed of debris. Most steel pipes keep collecting the minerals in the running water and rust over the years. It might take some time, but the rest mass will get big enough to block the pipes. You may need to call a professional plumber from a Great Plumbing Company to replace the pipes and resolve the situation.
PRV and Main Valves
A sudden drop in water pressure can sometimes be caused by the malfunctioning of the Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV), which you can find on the main lines’ entrance to your home. You’ll find an adjustable screw on the top of the valve which you can use to increase or decrease water pressure. Try turning it clockwise to increase the pressure, then check multiple faucets to see the difference. If the valve isn’t adjusting the pressure at all, you may need to replace it to restore the pressure.
The main shut-off valve is also an important valve that can drastically affect the water pressure in your whole house. The master shut-off valve is usually found near the PRV or by the meter. Make sure that the valve is completely open; sometimes it can be closed for maintenance and when it’s time to open it, it cannot be opened all the way.
There are a lot of issues that can be the root problem causing a dramatic drop in water pressure. It’s not easy trying to tackle them all if you don’t exactly know where to look for indicators. It’s recommended that you try and fix simple problems like faucet clogs and defective showerheads yourself, but leave the major plumbing work to professional plumbers from Best Plumbers Club.