Finding the cause of low water pressure

Every homeowner has had the experience of discovering low water pressure. Sometimes this is a symptom of a major plumbing problem, but that doesn’t always have to be the case. There are times when low water pressure is caused by a condition that a homeowner can fix on his own. We’ll look at some of those conditions in this blog post.

Before we get started, however, we have to mention one hard fact: Never ignore low water pressure. If you cannot locate the cause of the problem yourself, by all means bring in a qualified plumbing professional. Like most systems in your home, plumbing problems, when ignored, tend to get worse and more expensive to fix.

If you have low water pressure at one particular faucet, then it’s likely you have a clogged aerator. This condition crops up a lot in places that have hard water or if you have a well, such as Hudson, Aurora, Streetsboro, and many other locales. The aerator will trap a lot of the minerals in your water, and this mineral build-up can restrict the flow of water.

Cleaning out an aerator is easy, but they are so inexpensive, you might as well buy a six pack of them at your local hardware store. Changing the aerator is as easy as changing a light bulb! Try this first, and you’ll probably be amazed at how much water can flow through! Problem solved!

Now if you’re having low hot water pressure, take a look at your hot water tank. It’s possible the shut off valve is not open completely. If it is, then the problem lies elsewhere. At this point your best bet would be to have a professional plumbing come out to evaluate the condition of your hot water tank.

Finally, check for leaks. Look under sinks, in crawl spaces, and other areas to make sure pipes aren’t leaking. Listen closely to the walls where water lines come into the house. Do you hear gurgling or dripping? That means you have a leak in the wall. In some cases, the leak is practically undetectable because the water makes its way into the sump well rather than onto the basement floor. So if your sump pump runs more frequently than expected, you may have a leak in the system.

One last item…the demand placed on the water system can have an effect on your water pressure. For example, if you live in an older home in an older neighborhood and your water pressure is low every morning when people are getting ready for work or school, that may mean your neighborhood’s water system can’t keep up with demand. Talk to your neighbors and see if they also have low water pressure. If so, it’s time to call the municipal water department.

If after going through all these conditions, you still can’t explain why your water pressure is low, it’s time to call The Plumbing Source. We’ve been solving people’s plumbing problems for 35 years, so we’ve seen this problem before. Plumbing repairs can be a costly, messy affair if you don’t have the tools and expertise to do the job yourself. The Plumbing Source can save you time, money, and aggravation, so make that call today.

The number to call is 216-365-0600. Remember…

When you call The Plumbing Source, you made the RIGHT call!