Low water pressure can affect everything and everyone in your household. It can make rinsing dishes take forever. It can mean your clothes don’t get thoroughly rinsed in the washing machine. It can make it impossible to run two showers at the same time, throwing off your entire morning schedule.
Sometimes water pressure problems can be fixed by a plumber, and sometimes it requires a call to the city water department. Here are a few reasons the pressure could be low.
Plumbing Leaks
If there’s a leak somewhere in your home’s plumbing system, it won’t allow water to flow efficiently to where it needs to go. If you’ve noticed an increase in your water bill along with reduced water pressure, it’s a good indication there’s a leak, and you should call a plumber to find and fix it.
Corrosion
Steel water piping systems can start to corrode and prevent water from flowing as it should. The fix for this problem is complicated since it requires that a plumber swap out old pipes for new ones, but you’ll be pleasantly surprised how much your water pressure will improve when water is able to make its way through the pipes.
A Closed Main Shutoff Valve
Your home’s main shutoff valve needs to be fully open for maximum water pressure. You can check for this yourself. This valve can usually be found in the basement or garage. If it’s a gate valve, make sure the handle is turned fully in the counterclockwise direction, and if it’s a ball valve with a lever handle, the handle should be parallel.
Problems With the Water Meter Valve
If you have recently had a repair that required your water to be shut off at the outside meter, it’s possible that the valve did not get fully opened back up which can affect your water pressure. Call the city water department and they should be able to check it out fairly quickly.
Water Problems in Frederick County Cities
Your water pressure problem could be caused by a malfunction in a municipal water supply system. City piping can leak or be blocked by debris, affecting water pressure in multiple homes. If you talk to neighbors who seem to be having the same problems, call your local city water supply company to ask if there are issues that could be affecting your water pressure at home. Hopefully it’s something they are addressing promptly.
If we can fix your water pressure problem, let us know! Just call Putman Plumbing today!
