A Plumber’s Look At Low Water Pressure | Hurst, TX
Photo By Josep Curto at Shutterstock
Have you had problems with low water pressure in your home? Perhaps you’re wondering what causes water pressure to become low?
What causes low water pressure is one of the most common questions that plumbers are asked regularly. In this blog, we’ll answer this question and tell you what you can do about low water pressure.
If you’re experiencing problems with low water pressure, contact a professional who can find the specific cause of your low pressure and will be able to fix it. If you live in Hurst, TX, or the surrounding area and are searching for a plumber, you may like to contact Tioga Contractors. The company offers all types of plumbing, electrical, and glass services.
What causes low water pressure?
Problems with the water pressure in your home are likely to present themselves in different ways, and these can all be very frustrating for homeowners. You may notice that the faucets take longer than usual to fill your bath or sink. Your showerhead might not be providing adequate spray, or your washing machine may take longer to complete its cycle than usual.
Problems caused by low water pressure are common, and these may affect one fixture or may be a widespread issue that affects the whole house. If you have water pressure problems, you’ll need to call in a plumber who will be able to work out what the problem is and fix it. If the problem has been caused by one fixture or fitting, this can likely be remedied quickly and easily. The professional will focus on fixing that one fixture and also looking at the pipes that serve it.
Widespread water pressure problems that affect your whole property are a little harder to fix, but a professional will have experience of such issues. If your entire home has a water pressure issue, the plumber will narrow down the cause by checking things like the water meter valve, the main house shut off valve, and the pressure regulator. Here are a few things that a plumber may suggest.
Look at the Water Meter Valve
In most properties, there are two shut off valves that control the flow of water to the house. The first is called the water meter valve; this is usually located next to the water meter. It’s on the main city water supply line, which serves your home. This valve is likely to be found on an outside wall of your home if you live in warm climates or an underground box. It may also be in an interior location such as your basement or could even be attached to the garage wall.
It’s not recommended that homeowners touch this valve as it belongs to the water company and should only be adjusted by a plumber or employee of the water company. If you have low water pressure throughout your home, it’s likely to be due to the water meter valve.
The main water meter valve can cause low water pressure, not being fully open. This is common, especially if you’ve had some work done recently on your plumbing system.
The water meter valve should be fully open to supply your home with adequate water at the right pressure.
Check the Main House Shutoff Valve
Your home will also have a shutoff valve inside the house. This will be near where the water supply enters the property. In some cases, the main shutoff valve may be outdoors. This valve also needs to be fully open as it can cause low pressure if it isn’t. Sometimes this valve can be left incorrectly positioned if a plumber has done work on your system. If your water pressure has changed after a repair, it’s likely this valve wasn’t opened completely.
The Pressure Regulator
A faulty pressure regulator may cause your home’s water pressure to change. The Pressure regulator is the control valve that helps to reduce the input pressure in your plumbing system. It keeps the pressure at a safe level so that it won’t damage your pipes. Pressure regulators aren’t installed in all homes. If your pressure regulator starts to fail, this can cause severe problems with the water pressure. It can cause low water pressure but could also increase the water pressure. If your water pressure problems seem to be affecting your whole home rather than just one fixture, it may be due to the pressure regulator failing.
You may need to replace the pressure regulator, but shouldn’t attempt this yourself, unless you know exactly what you are doing. You don’t want to end up with more severe problems. Call a plumber who will take care of it as this job will require completely shutting off the water to your home.
Are Your Pipes Old?
One of the most serious reasons that your water pressure has fallen is that your pipes may be old and corroded. This is most likely if your home has galvanized steel water pipes. In time they start to become corroded, and this restricts the flow of water around your system. Steel pipes corrode on the inside, and a build-up of corrosion, as well as scale, can start to close off the pipe. This problem will usually take decades to occur, so your water pressure will lower gradually until it becomes a problem. If you have recently moved into an older house with steel pipes, the problem may appear reasonably quickly.
If your home has old steel pipes, a plumber will likely recommend re-piping the whole system with new pipes that are either copper or plastic. This will be expensive but will sort out the problem.
Tioga Contractors
If you’re searching for a plumbing company in Hurst, TX, don’t hesitate to contact Tioga Contractors. The company is available for all types of plumbing jobs, including unblocking toilets, leak detection, and finding water pressure issues.
Tioga Contractors are a Home Advisor top-rated business and a BBB accredited business. They have a track record of providing good quality work and fantastic customer service.
As well as plumbing services, they are also sub-contractors and can provide electricians and work with glass, if you need any windows installed. The company can be contacted on 817-484-5356 and are available for an emergency call out.