There’s nothing like stepping into the shower at the end of a long day, letting the hot water wash away your stress. With high water pressure, the stream shooting out of your showerhead can even feel like a massage, soothing your aching muscles. But, when your low water pressure feels less like spa jets and more like a high school water fountain, it can ruin the whole experience. If that’s your situation, let this be the sign you need to know it’s time to do something about it.
What Can You Do Yourself?
Because water pressure issues happen somewhere within your pipes, they can be a little tricky to diagnose. There are certainly issues for which help from a professional is going to be your best option, but before you pick up the phone, try one of these DIY approaches. You may find your issue was a quicker fix than you thought!
- Check how many appliances are running. All appliances that use water have an effect on your home’s water pressure to some degree. Depending on the size of your house and many aspects of your plumbing, your issue could potentially be that you shouldn’t take a shower while also running the dishwasher and/or other major water-using appliances.
- Clean Your Shower Head. When your shower head hasn’t been cleaned regularly enough, it can build up mineral deposits, limescale, and sediment that block the water from coming out as quickly as possible. Unscrew the showerhead to clean both inside and out.
- Tighten Your Valves. If there’s recently been any work done on your plumbing, it’s possible that the plumber closed your main shutoff valve and failed to fully open it at the end of service. Rotating the wheel counter-clockwise (or, if your system has a lever, lining it up with the pipe) could open back up your opportunities to take high water pressure showers again.
What Should You Really Call a Plumber For
When you’ve tried the methods above and your water pressure is still lacking, you may not necessarily have a larger issue—just one you can’t find without a professional. The cause of your problem could potentially come from a number of issues, including:
- A Build-Up of Mineral Compounds
- A Corroded or Leaky Water Line
- A Clogged Aerator
Because these issues present with the symptom of low water pressure and not a clogged drain or something harder to ignore, they often go unattended. And, if left to get worse, you could wind up with a much larger issue than just wishing for better water pressure. Luckily, our team of experts at Rivers Plumbing, Heating & Air can help get to the bottom of your minor water pressure inconveniences before they become major plumbing disasters. Call us to learn more at 925-846-6000.