Why is my water pressure so low?

There are few things more annoying than low water pressure. Most people would agree that there is nothing better than great water pressure. If you think about it, the only time someone complains about the water pressure being too good is when they returned from the beach and realized they left their sunscreen at the house. But, in reality, there’ are all sorts of reasons you may be experiencing low water pressure. Let’s explore some of those potential issues and discuss how to correct them.

Time to change that old shower head

If you’re lucky, the reason your water pressure is so low might be because your shower head is past its prime. How often should you change your shower head? Experts say once every few years or so. Remembering that not all shower heads are created equal, if your water pressure is extremely important to you, then consider a high-pressure option.

Your aerator screens might be too dirty

It sounds worse than it is. Think of cleaning your aerator screen as similar to changing your air conditioner filter. Most shower heads have built-in aerator screens to help you save water and filter out the bad stuff you don’t want coming out of your faucet. As you can imagine, these can and do get quite dirty. Cleaning this regularly can help increase your water pressure.

There’s a leak

If the question you typed before “Why is my water pressure so low” is actually “Why is my water bill so high,” then the answer may be that you have a leak somewhere. This is not good news, because the leak can be incredibly difficult to find. Here’s how you find out if it is a pesky leak:

Turn off all of your appliances that use water (yes, the refrigerator and freezer count)
Tell everyone in your house not to use any water for an hour
Immediately go to your water meter and write down the number
Come back in an hour
If the number has changed, you have a leak
Call Terry’s Plumbing

It’s time to replace your pipes

If you’ve tried everything and you still can’t figure out why you can’t take a shower with decent water pressure, then it may be time to replace your pipes. Old and corroded pipes drastically impact your water pressure. Replacing the pipes will certainly help you achieve the water pressure you’ve been longing for.

Contact Terry’s Plumbing

At Terry’s Plumbing, we help homeowners with all of their plumbing related issues, including replacing their pipes and completing their home improvement projects. To make an appointment, contact us today at (412) 364-9114.