Low water pressure can quickly become an inconvenience to your daily routine. It can also leave you without enough water for tasks like cooking, washing laundry and doing dishes. You can prevent this issue by learning about the common causes and the solutions to low water pressure in your Hanover, MD home.
Cause: Clogged Pipes
Clogged pipes can drastically reduce the water pressure in your home. Debris like mineral deposits, food, grease and hair can become trapped inside the drains as you shower, cook and carry out other normal daily tasks. It can then form large clogs that disrupt normal water flow and reduce water pressure.
Solution: Clean Out the Pipes
The solution to clogged pipes involves cleaning them out thoroughly. As tempting as it might be to pour plumbing chemicals from the grocery or hardware store down them, you should hire one of our professional plumbers from Beltway Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing. Our plumbing team uses effective cleaning solutions and tools like scopes to find and remove tough clogs and restore your home’s water pressure.
Cause: Leaky Pipes
Leaky pipes can also negatively impact your home’s water pressure. Age, rust and freezing during the winter can cause damage like cracks and holes in the pipes. Water escapes before reaching the faucet and shower head, reducing the pressure when you try to wash dishes, take a shower or do laundry.
Solution: Locate and Repair the Leaks
The most practical solution to leaky pipes involves finding and repairing the leaks. Our plumbers can quickly find and repair leaks by using materials like caulk, epoxy putty, Teflon tape and rubber gaskets. They can also replace pipes that are too damaged or old to fix.
Cause: Faulty Pressure Regulator
The pressure regulator is a valve that lowers incoming water pressure to a manageable level for the plumbing system in your home. It’s located where the main water valve enters the home. When it wears out and stops working, it can reduce the water pressure coming from your faucets, shower head and washer.
Solution: Replace the Regulator
The solution to this problem involves hiring a plumber to replace the pressure regulator in your home’s plumbing system. Our plumbers know where to locate this regulator. They also know how to install a new one and calibrate it to ensure you have sufficient water pressure for your daily routine.
Cause: Corroded Pipes
Corrosion can cause pipe damage that negatively impacts your home’s water pressure. Corrosion can occur because of:
- A pH imbalance in the water
- Oxidation of the water in the pipes
- Hard water
- Chemical drain cleaners
- Iron deposits from your water heater
It can also occur because of excess flux residue from cold water piping.
Solution: Replace the Pipes
The most viable solution to corroded pipes involves replacing them with brand-new pipes. Choose pipes made from materials like high-performance alloys that resist corrosion. You can also have our plumbers install coated pipes that don’t corrode as quickly as other pipe materials.
Cause: High Water Demand
High water demand in your home can cause damage to your pipes. Multiple plumbing fixtures in use at the same time can lead to an increase in water pressure. This high water pressure can lead to pipe damage that can then reduce your home’s water pressure.
Solution: Install a Pressure Booster
If you can’t stagger the water use in your home, you could prevent this problem by hiring our plumbing team to install a pressure booster in your home’s plumbing system. This device increases low water pressure and flow. It’s useful when a single pump can’t handle the water pressure demands in your house.
Cause: Faulty Pump
If your home uses well water, it could experience low pressure when the well’s pump malfunctions. The pump can stop working because of issues like a blown fuse or tripped breaker. It can also malfunction when a part inside of it wears out or breaks down.
Solution: Replace the Well Pump
The best way to deal with a malfunctioning well pump involves replacing it with a new one. Our plumbers have the training and tools to take out the broken pump and safely install a new one. They can also ensure your new pump functions normally and that your home has enough water pressure.
Cause: Pipe Freezing
During the winter, partially or completely frozen pipes can reduce your home’s water pressure. The ice inside the pipes prevents water from flowing normally. The ice can also expand and cause the pipes to break or burst. Pipe freezing occurs most often in exposed areas like the garage, utility room, basement or crawlspace.
Solution: Insulate and Drip Your Pipes and Faucets
When the weather calls for cold temperatures, you can keep the pipes warm by wrapping them with insulated tape or using pipe sleeves on them. You should also drip the indoor faucets and leave the cabinet doors open in the bathroom and kitchen to help warm air circulate around the pipes.
Keep your garage door shut and open inside doors to bedrooms and closets that have pipes running in the walls. If you can’t thaw pipes on your own or ice damages them, call one of our plumbers to thaw, repair or replace them.
Cause: Water Heater Issues
Sediment in your water heater can reduce water pressure in your home. Sediment can build up because of:
- Hard water
- Incorrect temperature setting
- No water filter installed
- Outdated plumbing
Solution: Flush the Water Heater
You can prevent sediment buildup in your water heater by flushing it out regularly. Flushing out the water heater also resolves issues like popping and rumbling noises and can also reduce the risk of corrosion inside the tank.
Cause: Airlocks in the Pipes
An air lock occurs when air becomes trapped inside your plumbing system’s pipes. Issues like a change in water temperature can cause this problem. Loose connections likewise can cause airlocks inside your home’s pipes. Airlocks can reduce the water pressure coming from your faucets.
Solution: Bleed the Air from the Lines
To resolve airlocks, you need to bleed the air from inside your home’s pipes. This job requires specialized skills and tools. You should outsource it to one of our plumbers to prevent damage to the pipework and ensure all the air escapes from your plumbing system.
Cause: Old Plumbing System
With proper care, a home’s plumbing system can last for 40 to 70 years. If your system is close to that age, you could experience lower water pressure from it.
Solution: Upgrade the Plumbing System
The ideal solution to an aged plumbing system involves replacing it with a new one. A brand-new plumbing system can provide you with reliable water pressure. It can also last for decades and offer you more peace of mind about your plumbing’s reliability and efficiency.
Allow Our Plumbers to Resolve Low Water Pressure
At Beltway Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing, we provide our customers in Hanover with free virtual estimates for our plumbing services. Our plumbers provide services like hydro jetting and drain cleaning as well as plumbing leak detection to help restore your home’s water pressure. We even work on Saturdays for your convenience. Contact Beltway Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing for water pressure repairs today.
