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Low water pressure in the house

Three questions find most pressure problems: one tap or all of them, hot or cold, sudden or slow.

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The short version

One tap
A clogged aerator or a failing fixture.
Whole house, sudden
A valve partly closed, a leak or a failed pressure regulator.
Call a plumber when
The whole house is affected and the main valve is fully open.

Safe to check yourself

  • Whether it is one tap or the whole house.
  • Whether it affects hot, cold or both.
  • That the main valve and meter valve are fully open.
  • Whether neighbors have the same problem.

Time to call

  • Pressure dropped suddenly through the house.
  • Pressure swings from high to low.
  • You hear water running with every tap off.
  • Only the hot side is weak at every tap.

What lowers pressure

  • The pressure regulatorA valve where the water enters the house. When it fails, pressure drops, swings or climbs too high.
  • A leakWater escaping somewhere lowers pressure everywhere. The EPA's meter test will show it.
  • Old pipesGalvanized steel pipe narrows inside as it corrodes. Pressure fades over years.
  • The supplyWork on the main or a problem at the utility affects the whole street.

What a plumber will do

  1. Measure the pressure at an outside tap.
  2. Check the regulator and the main valve.
  3. Test for a hidden leak.
  4. Replace the regulator or advise on pipe replacement.

To rule out a leak, the EPA suggests reading the water meter before and after two hours with no water use. "If the meter changes at all, you probably have a leak."

Related guides

Sources

  • US Environmental Protection Agency, WaterSense: household leaks
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