The last thing you want when you jump in the shower is to be greeted by a trickle of water. Low water pressure is annoying, but there are often simple solutions to fix the problem.
If you just have low pressure in one faucet or shower…
You may need to clean the faucet or shower head. Sediment and minerals can build up over time, blocking the flow of water. Unscrew the faucet or shower head. Soak it in a mixture of vinegar and water, then rinse it off thoroughly. Reattach it and see if the problem is solved. If not, you may need to replace the faucet or shower head.
If the faucet/shower head is working fine…
You may have a clog in a pipe. Once again, sediment and mineral deposits can build up. In this case, there are plumbers’ chemicals that will dissolve the deposits.
The other reason you might have clogs is corrosion. If you have old galvanized or steel pipes, corrosion build-up is a common problem. The only real solution to this issue is to replace the pipes. This is typically a job for a plumber.
If you don’t have clogs…
You may have a water leak that is siphoning off your water. Turn off all your water taps. Make note of the reading on your water meter. Check it again in a few hours to see if it’s changed. If it has, you have a leak that will probably require a professional to find and fix.
If you have low water pressure throughout your house…
Again, this could be a leak from your main water line. Do the meter test described above.
If you have a whole-house water filter…
You may have a clog in the filter. Sometimes clogs build up slowly as the filter does its job. Other times, the clog can come on suddenly due to large amounts of dirt from work on the water lines. In most cases, you can simply clean or replace your filter to fix the problem.
For more low water pressure solutions in the Calgary area, contact Arpi’s Industries.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Calgary, Alberta about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about low water pressure and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide.
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