10 Causes of Low Water Pressure in your Home

Turning on the shower in the morning only to be met with a trickle of water is a frustrating experience. Low water pressure in your home makes everything from showering to cooking more difficult. Inadequate water pressure can even damage appliances like water heaters and dishwashers by making them work too hard. If low water pressure is making your day difficult, here are 10 possible causes to consider.

1. Using Too Many Appliances at Once

The culprit behind your low pressure could be as simple as a busy morning. If your household members are taking showers, washing clothes, or running the dishwasher at the same time, your water pressure can dip. This problem is especially common in older homes with outdated plumbing. 

The immediate solution is to avoid running too many water-using appliances at the same time. Trading your fixtures and appliances for low-flow models can sometimes solve the problem. However, a permanent fix usually involves making upgrades to your home’s plumbing.

2. Sharing a Water Line

Neighboring homes sometimes share the same municipal water line. If this is your setup, your neighbor’s activities can affect the water pressure in your home. Just like how running multiple sources of water within your home can reduce your water pressure, homes on the same line running water at the same time lowers the water pressure for both homes.

Living with a shared water line means you have to choose between low water pressure or coordinating your household schedule with your neighbor. However, you can have a plumber replace the shared line with one that only connects to your home if you want a permanent fix. 

3. Hidden Water Leaks

Seemingly unexplained cases of low water pressure may be due to a hidden leak somewhere in your home’s plumbing. Leaks reduce the volume of water in your pipes, which leads to a decrease in water flow. A leak also means that your home is constantly using water, which has the same effect as running the shower and the dishwasher at the same time.

Do you suspect that your home’s drop in water pressure is due to a leak? Lightfoot Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical can help with quality leak detection services in Weatherford. Our advanced methods can find even the smallest leaks fast without causing any property damage. Once we find the leak, we can repair it quickly and effectively.

4. Partially Closed Shut-Off Valve

The main water shut-off valve is an essential part of your home’s plumbing that allows you to quickly turn off the water supply in an emergency. However, sometimes the valve can be partially closed, which compromises your water pressure. If your water pressure is low without any obvious cause, check the shut-off valve first.

5. Water Main Break or Maintenance

Low water pressure is sometimes a community-wide problem. When a water main breaks, water pressure is reduced for every home it serves. Maintenance on the water main or water tower can also lower water pressure for many homes in the same area. If you have hydrants near your home, you may also experience low water pressure when they’re being used.

Do you suspect that your low water pressure is due to a supply issue? Call your water company to find out if they are having any problems or doing maintenance or repair work. You can also ask your neighbors if they’re dealing with low water pressure too.

6. Faulty Well Pump

You don’t have to be connected to a municipal water supply to have low water pressure. A common cause of low water pressure for homes on well water is a problem with the well pump. Most well pumps are powered by electricity, which means that any interference with the power supply can tank your water pressure or cause you to lose running water completely.

Another reason why you might have low water pressure with a well is a clogged filter. Well pumps have filters to remove sediment and debris, but these filters need regular cleaning. A clogged filter reduces water flow into the pump and leads to low water pressure. Finally, you might experience low water pressure if your well pump is failing and needs to be replaced.

7. Inadequate Branch Lines

The pipes that connect your home to the water main are called branch lines. If these lines are too narrow, you may experience reduced water pressure. A plumber can assess your lines to determine if they’re inadequate. Upgrading these pipes to a larger size can improve your water pressure if small branch lines are the cause.

8. Malfunctioning Appliances or Fixtures

The cause of your home’s low water pressure may not be your plumbing but your appliances and fixtures. Showerheads and faucet aerators can become clogged with limescale from hard water, creating the illusion of low water pressure. If low water pressure is a problem for your washing machine or dishwasher, a clogged or pinched water line could be the culprit.

If your water pressure is only low when using hot water, your water heater is probably the source of the problem. Sediment buildup, leaks, and faulty valves are just a few of the things that can go wrong with your water heater and cause low hot water pressure. Another possible reason for inadequate hot water pressure is that your water heater is getting too old and needs to be replaced.

9. Failing Pressure Regulator

If your home is in an area with high water pressure, you probably have a pressure regulator installed near the shutoff valve. When a pressure regulator is failing or set incorrectly, water pressure can become too low. First, try adjusting the settings on the pressure regulator. If the water pressure in your home continues to be lower than the setting on the regulator, you may need to have it replaced.

10. Distance From the Water Tower

The cause of low water pressure in your home could be as simple as the distance between your home and the water tower. Because water towers rely on gravity, water pressure diminishes the farther away from the water tower you are. If you’re on the end of the line, low water pressure may be inevitable.

However, living far from the water tower doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do to increase your home’s water pressure. A pressure booster pump can raise your water pressure to a more comfortable level as long as the water supply is plentiful. Keep in mind that a pressure booster pump may slightly increase your water and electricity bills.

Let Us Fix Your Water Pressure Problems

Whether your water pressure has taken a dive because of a damaged pipe, faulty water heater or insufficient water lines, Lightfoot Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical can fix the problem. We offer leak detection, drain repair, water heater installation, tankless water heaters, and more for our customers in the Weatherford area. If you have a plumbing issue that can’t wait, we also offer 24/7 emergency service.

If you’re dealing with low pressure, our team at Lightfoot Plumbing, Heating, Air & Electrical is here to restore it. Contact us today for fast, reliable service.