It really is frustrating and groan-inducing when you turn on a tap only to see a sad-looking slow drizzle coming out. Water pressure problems may affect your entire neighbourhood or just your house. Here are 10 ways you can figure out your water pressure from A-Z:
Your Water Supplier Is Experiencing An Issue
Before you start turning valves and knocking on pipes, ask around. If your neighbours report similar issues, chances are your low water pressure is not connected to something in your own house. Contact your local council and find out if they are aware of and working on an issue with their water supply. If it’s something that they are in the process of fixing, you’ll have to sit tight for a bit. However, if they deny the issue or refuse to address it, you may have to mobilize. You didn’t expect that rinsing the shampoo out of your hair properly would require a petition, but it might.
Your City Provides You With The Water But Not The Pressure
If you have had a plumber look at your main water supply pressure and you notice it is a bit low, you may want to invest in a water tank and booster pump. It is important that you have the tank as you cannot keep it is a by-law that a water booster cannot be connected directly to mains, as this may affect the pressure to the surrounding homes or buildings. You would be better off calling a plumber who can make sure that it’s installed correctly. Proper installation depends on things like the size of your home and demand requirements. It is also possible that you will be required to bring in an inspector after making this kind of change to your home. If you install the incorrect pump into your home with a bigger pump for a smaller home and demand you run the risk of paying more for your electricity. Hiring a registered plumber will make things a lot easier for you and they can issue you a COC (certificate of compliance) after installation.
The Main House Shutoff Valve Isn’t Open All the Way
If you do find that you’re the only one on the block with low water pressure, it’s time to start checking around your own house for the issue. It’s important for homeowners to know how to find and shut off your main house shutoff valve. It may be located on the external walls of your home, but chances are it inside your property just as the main city supply pipe enters your home. If it has a handle similar to the one you would use to turn on your hose, it needs to be turned counterclockwise as far as it can go. If the handle looks like a lever, the lever needs to be parallel to the pipe. Otherwise, it’s not fully open, which is why your pressure is low.
The Water Meter Valve Isn’t Open All the Way
The water meter valve is the first valve controlling the water intake in your house. This valve belongs to the water company, so most residents will never deal with this valve directly, some of them are quite difficult to reach especially those that are located underground. If you’ve had work done on your house recently, considering that’s when you started to notice your low water pressure, you may want to contact your recent plumbing company to review the work done prior. Chances are, the valve was not opened all the way after the work was complete, and someone will need to go in and open it all the way. Ideally, you want your own valve so that you do not have to deal with the municipality property, which will save you some trouble and time down the line.
The Pressure Regulator Is Failing
All homes that have a geyser need to have a water pressure regulator installed whether to the geyser but ideally to the inlet on your home so that the pressure is balanced throughout the property, to have this tested we recommend calling out your local registered plumber to take a look as this test that needs to be run is detailed and its sometimes better to have a professional handle it for you.
The Pipes Are Corroded
How much do you know about your house’s piping? Is it original to the house or was it updated recently? What material is it made from? Pipes, especially galvanized steel pipes, tend to erode and rust within a short period of only 10 years! Its is poor plumbing practice to interconnect galvanized and copper plumbing as galvanic corrosion occurs speeding up the lifespan of your plumbing costing you more, when cutting out or replacing sections of galvanized pipe we would recommend using HDPE or similar approved pipping as it has characteristics of rubber which is beneficial in that it is flexible, kink-resistant and abrasion-resistant creating a long-lasting plumbing solution.
Leaking Pipes Causes Low Water Pressure
Leaking pipes can run amok with wasting water and using up valuable water pressure, this is where we suggest you call in a professional plumber rather than to MacGyver the situation, cost yourself even more money and maybe make the situation worse. Remember that leaky pipes can damage your foundations, but they can also contaminate your drinking water. Get this fixed as soon as possible to avoid further damage down the line.
Low Water Pressure Caused By Faulty Fixtures
If you have low water pressure in all your plumbing fixtures, the issue is almost definitely with your city council or your pipes. However, a quick fix could be as easy to unscrew your tap and clean the aerator out at the bottom of the tap whether to clean or replace, remember to turn off the water supply to that plumbing fixture.
While city council cannot be held responsible for the water pressure coming into your home, we can assist with all pressure related issues and upgraded need in your home plumbing. Whether you want to know the root of your pressure problems or you’re ready for us to tackle your plumbing head-on, contact the professionals today before it’s too late. Where your No. 2 is our No.1
