You use water in many aspects of your life: washing your hands, doing dishes and laundry, watering your garden, etc. However, these everyday tasks become more time consuming when you have low water pressure. It could be a serious problem, so you should try and resolve it as soon as possible.
The first thing you need to do is determine how big of a problem the low water pressure is. You need to see if it is affecting one area such as the bathroom versus the entire property. If the low water pressure exists in only one fixture, you should seek help for that specific area. If the entire house is affected, the cause could be corroded piping, a restricted line due to a failed pressure relieve valve, or a low municipal water flow.
To explore the causes of low water pressure in your home, you should buy a hose bib water pressure gage.. These devices are simple to use. You should first make sure there is no water running in the home. Turn all faucets off, stop using any machines, and stop using hoses. You will need to thread the pressure gage into any hose bib and turn it on. Record the resulting pressure reading as your static water pressure.
Most urban areas have a water pressure from 20 to 100 psi, but typically you will find your reading to be 50-75. If your recording is below 40, then you have a problem with the flow of water through your plumbing system. If the pressure is below 20, then you should contact your local water supplier because it is not an issue with just your house.
Your piping could corrode because of mineral buildup over the years as well as wear and tear. Unfortunately, there is no good solution to this problem besides replacing the pipes. If you have partially closed valves this may also cause low water pressure. You need to ensure that the shut off valve is completely open. All other valves should also be opened further to verify that water has open pipes to flow through.
Continuing Problems
If you continue to have problems with your water pressure you should seek professional help. Use TalkLocal to be put in contact with reliable local plumbing businesses within minutes. You don’t have to do any work! Simply input your problem and availability and TalkLocal will do the rest. Almost immediately you will be connected with someone who can help you out on the phone.
