Why Is My Water Pressure Suddenly Low? 7 Causes Bryan/College Station Homeowners Should Know
When the Water Just Isn't Flowing Like It Used To
Have you ever turned on the shower expecting a nice, strong stream of water, only to find yourself standing under something that feels more like a drizzle? And of course, you're probably needing to get in and out quickly. But this low water pressure just isn't going to cut it. This can be really frustrating, especially if it seems to happen out of nowhere.
At American Plumbing Company, we get calls from homeowners in Bryan/College Station who are trying to figure out why their water pressure isn't what it used to be.
Water pressure affects many aspects of our everyday life.
Your morning routine. Instead of starting your day with a hot, high pressured shower, you're starting out with a drizzle. This can make washing your hair, brushing your teeth, and just getting ready in general take so much longer.
Household chores: Your dishwasher, washing machine, and faucets all depend on correct water pressure to function properly. If it's too high or too low, it may affect the outcome of these machines. Low water pressure can slow the filling times of the machines, and affect their performance poorly.
Your plumbing system's health. Excessively high water pressure can put an undue strain on your pipes, the fittings, the valves, and the fixtures. Overtime, this can wear them down, and cause premature leaks, and sometimes costly repairs.
Water conservation: If your pressure is too high, your faucets and showers can use more water than is really necessary. Not only is this wasting water, it's costing you more in your monthly bill. By getting the pressure regulated correctly, you can maintain the comfort without wasting the resource.
Identifying hidden plumbing problems: If you suddenly have a drop in water pressure, this might indicate a leak, a partially closed valve, a failing pressure regulator or a restriciton somewhere within the plumbing system.
Changes in pressure can be an early warning sign that something needs attention. Before you assume the worst, let's talk about seven things that might be causing the problem.
1. A Clogged Faucet Aerator or Showerhead
If the water pressure seems fine everywhere except one sink or shower, the problem might be simpler than you think.
Mineral deposits and debris can restrict water flow. Faucets and shower heads have aerators and debris screens to keep large pieces of debris from coming through. These can get clogged over time. This is especially noticeable at individual fixtures. These parts can be reached by taking the shower head off or removing the aerator on the faucet to clean the screen. Sometimes cleaning an aerator or showerhead solves the problem.
Check these first to see if you can solve your own plumbing issue. Sometimes it is seriously that simple. Doing this simple maintenance task could save you some repair money. If you find they are not clogged, the problem is probably more complex, and you need to call American Plumbing Company.
2. A Problem With Your Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV)
Most homeowners have never heard of a pressure-reducing valve, but if your home has one, it plays an important role in keeping your plumbing system working properly and safe from high pressure spikes. (Plumbers will shorten this to PRV).
If your home is equipped with a PRV, it regulates incoming water pressure from the city or municipality. When it begins to fail, homeowners may notice changes in pressure. Pressure reducing valves can fail in either the high pressure position or the low pressure position. Typically in Bryan/College Station, we see them fail in the low position.
Not every home has a PRV. If not, it's likely that you have adequate pressure. We would normally only add them in if the pressure is too high (for example, over 100 psi). American Plumbing Company has the tools to test the pressure in your home and give you those results. In fact, this test is included in our Freedom Club Membership program with the whole house inspection.
Bonus information: water pressure with one faucet on may seem normal, but if turning on an additional faucet causes a drastic drop in pressure, accompanied by a water hammer noise in the water lines (or the walls), this is a sign that your PRV is about to fail.
3. A Hidden Water Leak
Lower pressure without water loss is likely a PRV condition. But one of the things we never want homeowners to ignore is a sudden change in water pressure, especially when it's accompanied by a higher-than-normal water bill. This could indicate a hidden water leak causing lower water pressure. Other warning signs include unexplained increases in water bills, wet areas in the yard, or water sounds when fixtures are off. Slab leaks and underground water leaks are not always immediately visible.
Side note: not every leak causes noticeable pressure loss.
Recently, American Plumbing Company got called out to a customer's home. This customer recently had their house re-levelled within the last 10-12 months. They recently started having a water leak into the driveway. The customer thought the leak was coming from around the meter, because it was in the same area. Jarrid went out and provided leak detection and did not find any leak in that area. He moved on to doing leak detection inside the home, and found that the pipe had ruptured 10 feet underneath the house, underneath the bathroom. This allowed us to make the repair in the right spot, without tearing up the entire yard.
4. Aging or Corroded Plumbing Pipes
Key points:
Older plumbing materials can deteriorate or develop internal restrictions.
Some older galvanized steel pipes are especially prone to corrosion buildup.
Low pressure may develop gradually rather than suddenly.
Repiping is sometimes necessary, but not every low-pressure problem calls for replacing pipes.
Bryan/College Station has plenty of established neighborhoods with older homes, and sometimes the plumbing behind the walls is showing its age. Older plumbing materials can deteriorate or develop internal restrictions (did you know pipes don't last forever??). Some older galvanized steel pipes are especially prone to corrosion buildup. Often, low pressure may develop gradually rather than suddenly. It's important to be vigilant about cleaning out your aerators and shower heads in these older homes.
Sometimes, repiping is necessary, but not every low pressure problem calls for replacing pipes. American Plumbing believes in finding the actual cause rather than recommending a major repair before it's necessary. This can save the homeowner thousands of dollars and time.
5. A Partially Closed Water Shutoff Valve
A partially closed valve can restrict water flow and cause hammering in the pipes. Homeowners can check accessible valves (that the plumbers call angle-stops) without forcing or disassembling anything. However, if the valve does not turn easily, do not force it. It could break or strip out. Older valves can break or leak if handled improperly.
Sometimes, the solution to low water pressure is surprisingly simple. Before assuming there's something majorly wrong, it's worth checking to see if the water shutoff valve is fully open.
Helpful tip: To find your main water shutoff valve, look around the city meter. Typically the customer shutoff will be within a foot or two of the city meter, towards the home.
6. A Water Heater Issue
Here's a question we might ask when someone calls about low water pressure: Is it happening with both hot and cold water, or just the hot water?
We don't see this often if you have a tank water heater, but it is more common in tankless water heaters. This is because there may be mineral buildup, restricted valves, or other components that affect water flow. Usually this happens when the tankless has not been maintained annually.
Maintenance tip: In Bryan/College Station, you should have your tankless water heater descaled once a year.
7. A Problem With the Municipal Water Supply
Sometimes, the problem doesn't have anything to do with your house. There could be work being done by the City in your area. This especially affects you if it's being done on the main water line coming to your home. In this case, it's a matter of waiting it out until the City is done.
We have worked with both the City of Bryan and the City of College Station. Their crews are very knowledgeable, and they work as fast as they can to get your water restored to you. It won't be long!
If you're experiencing low water pressure, give American Plumbing Company a call. We'll help you figure out why!
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