Low water pressure

What It Means

Low water pressure means water comes out of your faucets and showers weaker than it normally does. The first thing to work out is whether it's one fixture or the whole house. At a single faucet or showerhead, Moen and Delta point to a screen or flow restrictor clogged with debris and minerals; across the whole house, Roto-Rooter lists a valve left partly closed, a failing pressure reducing valve, a leak in the supplyMilk supplyHow much breast milk a parent's body makes. It's driven by supply and demand: the more often milk is removed, the more the body makes. See more line, corroded galvanized pipes, or a problem with the city's supply.

How It Sounds at Home

• "The shower's barely a trickle this morning."
• "Is it just us, or is everyone's water weak?"
• "The kitchen faucet used to have way more pressure."

The Breakdown

Find the cause, one step at a time

1. Turn on several faucets and a shower, hot and cold, and note which are weak.
2. One fixture only: unscrew the aeratorFaucet aeratorThe small screened cap on the tip of a faucet spout that shapes the stream and limits how much water flows through. See more or showerhead and clean the screen and flow restrictor, as Moen and Delta describe.
3. Whole house: ask a neighbor. Roto-Rooter says that if theirs is low too, call your water provider, since the problem may be in the municipal supply.
4. Check that the main shut-off valve and the valves under sinks are turned all the way open. Roto-Rooter says a valve that isn't fully open is a common cause.
5. Test for a leak with EPA WaterSense's meter check: write down the water meter reading, use no water at all for two hours, then read it again. If it has changed, you probably have a leak.
6. Leave the rest to a licensed plumber. Roto-Rooter says a failing pressure reducing valve can cause low or high pressure, and galvanized pipes can corrode inside until they restrict the flow.

Short version to try today. Clean the aerator on the weakest faucet and see if the flow comes back.

Good to Know

EPA WaterSense notes that a meter reading in cubic feet may not show a small leak within two hours, so a meter that doesn't move isn't a guarantee. Buhata's own advice: don't adjust or replace a pressure reducing valve or cut into pipes yourself; that's work for a licensed plumber. Vinegar used to clean aerators is an acid, and the hard water stainsHard water stainsWhite, chalky marks left on glass, faucets, tile and toilets when hard water dries and leaves its calcium and magnesium behind. See more page explains why it must never meet bleachChlorine bleachHousehold bleach made with sodium hypochlorite that whitens, removes stains and disinfects, but can fade colors and damage some fibers. See more.

Related Terms and Categories

• Faucet aerator

  The small screened cap on the tip of a faucet spout that shapes the stream and limits how much water flows through.

• Leaky faucet

  A faucet that keeps dripping from the spout or leaking at the handle after it's turned off, usually because a cartridge, washer or seal has worn out.

• Hard water stains

  White, chalky marks left on glass, faucets, tile and toilets when hard water dries and leaves its calcium and magnesium behind.

• Licensed contractor

  A contractor who holds the license your state or local government requires for the kind of work being done, which you can check before you hire.

Home maintenance and repairs