Do You Have Low Water Pressure?

It can be frustrating when you go to take a nice hot shower and you realize that the water pressure is weak, leaving you annoyed rather than refreshed. You can experience the same low water pressure issue when you turn on the faucet to wash dishes or get ready for bed. When someone calls us to see what they can do about it, we’re happy to fix the low water pressure problem.

The first thing we want to do is figure out if the whole house is affected by low water pressure, one area of the house, such as a bathroom, or even one fixture, such as the kitchen sink.

The easiest problem to address is if the low pressure is affecting just one fixture. If this is the problem, there’s likely to be something caught in the fixture clogging it up. In some cases, you can fix this yourself by unscrewing the screen on the mouth of the faucet. In other cases, debris may have damaged parts inside the faucet. Sometimes we can replace parts in the faucet, but many modern faucets need to be replaced if they have damage from debris.

If your water pressure is low throughout your home, then we need to take a different approach. Every home has a pressure reducing valve (PRV), which regulates the pressure between the street and your home. The water pressure from the street is generally between 110 and 140. That’s too much water pressure would damage your fixtures. The PRV reduces that pressure to so your fixtures function properly.

Sometimes PRVs can be adjusted to improve water pressure and sometimes they need to be replaced. We do not recommend that homeowners try to adjust their PRV on their own. Too much pressure can cause extensive damage. And if adjustment does not work, or if the adjustment screw breaks, you’re you’re going to need the services of a professional plumber.

PRVs generally last about 10 years before they start going bad and need to be replaced. Yes, they can last longer, but their service life is designed for 10 years.

The most serious and expensive issue that can happen if the water service line bringing water from the street to your home is impaired. Over time, the old copper lines that have been traditionally used to bring water from the street to your home can become clogged by sediment, can be crushed by work or construction accidents, or can be damaged by tree roots. If this is the problem with your water pressure the only way to fix it is to replace the water service line between the street and your home. But once replaced, you will enjoy excellent water pressure and not have to worry about this problem for a long time to come.

If you’re not happy with the water pressure in your home, please give us a call at (470) 257-6002. We can fix it.