Poor water pressure can be frustrating. It can cause a less than steller shower, make washing dishes difficult, and flushing the toilet hard. Changes in water pressure may happen suddenly or gradually over time. Although it makes some time to figure out why you are having low water pressure, it is a fairly easy problem to fix and luckily inexpensive.
Is the pressure low throughout the entire house or is it isolated to one shower head or faucet? To find out you should buy a Water Pressure Gauge if you do not have one and attach it to a hose bib, like the one on an outdoor faucet. When you open the bib’s valve the gauge should read between 40 and 60 psi. If doesn’t the issue is probably throughout the entire home, and if it does the issue is probably isolated to the problem area.
If the problem is isolated either remove the shower head or the facet bib and see how much water collects in a bucket in 10 seconds. You should get a little over a gallon, and if you do your shower head or faucet bib are clogged.
The first thing you should try is adjusting the pressure-reducing valve. Look on the main supply pipe near your water meter for a conical valve that has a bolt sticking out of the cone. Once you find the valve turn the bold clockwise after loosening the locknut to raise the pressure. Make sure you keep an eye on the gauge to make sure the pressure is within bounds, once you’ve raised the pressure then retighten the locknut.
Lastly, if the adjustment doesn’t help, then the city or town’s water pressure is inadequate. Ask your neighbors and see if they are having issues. If their pressure is good then ask the water company to check the shutoff valve out by the street. If their water pressure is low as well a water pressure booster may need to be installed. This consists of an electric pump that feeds water to a tank that keeps the water at the desired pressure.
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