Water pressures issues in your home can be maddening, especially if you’re dealing with low pressure.According to Jamico Properties, tasks like dishwashing and laundry take forever, and the problem can suck the pleasure out of shower times. What causes water pressure issues in your home, and how can you fix them?
Causes of low water pressure
The causes of low water pressure in the home range are diverse. The common ones include:
Partially closed valves
The water pressure problem in your home may be due to a main water shutoff valve or a water meter that is partially closed. Someone may have closed them accidentally. Or the valve was closed during plumbing work, but was not fully opened afterwards. Before checking anywhere else in your home, be sure that your main water shutoff valve and water meter are open.
Clogged pipes
Buildup of debris inside water pipes can narrow their diameter, restricting the flow of water. This is caused by rust, pipe corrosion, and lime scale. It is more common in older pipes, which have a tendency to shed their materials. Regions with hard water also face these problems. To fix the problem, pump a cleaning agent into the pipes and let it sit for a few hours. Make sure to use a cleaning agent that won’t attack your pipes. After a couple of hours, flush the pipes several times with clean water. If the pipes are too clogged to be cleaned this way, you have to replace them.
Leaky pipes
A leaky pipe can cause a drop in your home’s water pressure, especially underground pipe leaks, which are often harder to detect than surface leaks. A telltale sign that your pipes are leaking is water discoloration due to the presence of soil in the water supply. You may also notice that a part of your yard is always wet, or you may hear a hissing sound inside your walls. If none of these signs are present in your home but you suspect a pipe leak, perform a water meter test. If the pipes are indeed leaking, please contact a Hinsdale, IL plumber.
Aging and outdated pipes
If you have older plumbing materials, such as galvanized steel, clay, or cast iron, the likelihood that those pipes are badly corroded is high. There is no other way to fix this problem than to do a whole-house repiping. As long as these old pipes are not replaced with newer pipe materials (such as copper, PEX, or PVC), which are less vulnerable or even resistant to corrosion, your home will always suffer from this problem.
Clogged aerator or showerhead
If the low-pressure issue is only present in one plumbing fixture, it is probably due to a clogged faucet aerator or showerhead. An aerator is a small mesh found inside the faucet. Its role is to help you conserve water, but it can become clogged with debris. To restore normal water pressure, just clean the aerator. The other possibility is a showerhead that has become clogged with mineral deposits. To solve this problem, immerse the showerhead in a water-vinegar solution and leave it overnight. By morning, your showerhead should be unclogged.
Faulty pressure regulator
A pressure regulator controls the water pressure flowing into your home. Reducing high water pressure ensures a consistent flow that is safe for your appliances and plumbing fixtures. But sometimes the pressure regulator will malfunction, resulting in excessively low or high water pressure in your home. If the pressure regulator is blocked, has a stuck valve, or its internal components are damaged, it can cause low water pressure. To fix the problem, have your plumber inspect and clean the device. If it is damaged, you will have to buy a new one.
Causes of high water pressure
Some homeowners don’t consider high water pressure to be a problem. But excessively high water pressure causes more problems than low water pressure. It can damage your appliances and make your plumbing prone to leaks. The most common causes of high water pressure are:
High municipal supply pressure
The municipality often supplies water at higher pressures to ensure it can reach the top of tall buildings and fire hydrants. The only way to resolve the issue is with a functioning pressure regulator to lower the pressure of the incoming water to a safe level. If a pressure regulator is installed in your home but you still struggle with high water pressure, check if the device is working.
Homes at a low elevation
If your home is located at a significantly lower altitude than the rest of the city or the water treatment plant, you may have persistently high water pressure. This can happen even if the water pressure from the city supply is normal. Once again, a pressure regulator will help you solve this problem.
Water pressure issues in your home can make your life unnecessarily hard or significantly inflate your plumbing maintenance costs. If you have done all of the above checks but still cannot pinpoint the cause of your water pressure problems, please call a professional plumber in Hinsdale.
—
Need help in repairing your low water pressure issue in your Hinsdale, IL home? Our experts can help! Call us today at 708-801-6530!
