Low water pressure in the shower might become a real problem if it gets neglected at your home. For once, it is inconvenient to take a shower when water trickles. Also shower water pressure fluctuations can indicate more severe problems such as hidden leaks or broken water pipes. So it doesn’t matter if one shower or multiple showers at your home show signs of low water pressure, the common problems causing such nuisances are as following:

• Too much strain on the water supply

If you run the dishwasher or washing machine simultaneously with taking the shower, your water supply gets directed to two different places. The pressure needs to be sufficient for two spots, and some amount of water that would have gone to the shower instead gets sent somewhere else. This might be the case if your shower water pressure decreases temporarily buy then returns to normal when no other water is being used.

• You have a water-saving shower head and you don’t know about it

Maybe you rent an apartment and your shower water pressure has been low since you moved in. You just didn’t pay attention to it. It’s possible that there is a water-saving feature in the shower head which is designed to consume less water, which may also mean lowering the water level pressure.

• Home water valves

Sometimes your home water valves shut off accidentally. They are the major control valves of water at your home, usually located in a home’s water meter box. These shut offs cause sudden drops in shower water pressure.
To solve the issue, find out where your home water valve is located and set it completely to the “on” position. Even minor or accidental off positioning can notably lower home water pressure.

• Corrosion accumulation

If you have copper pipes installed at your home, you probably know that copper piping should last for over 50 years, but over time corrosion eats the pipes from inside. If you notice a red or brown tinge to your water, accompanied by low water pressure, this may be a sure sign of corrosion buildup.

• The aerator screen gets clogged with trash

There is an aerator screen to practically all the contemporary faucets and showerheads to filter out trash and debris, preventing water splash. Eventually these screens get clogged with debris causing low water pressure. Check and clean them regularly to prevent any inconvenience. Even though you might be able to clean the aerator yourself, do not disregard the help of certified residential plumbing services such as at Orange County Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning. Our plumbing pros will minimize any chance of error.

• Water Leak

If there is a plumbing leak somewhere at your home, it will result in low water pressure because the complete amount of water is not getting to its intended source. If there are no evident signs of water leak such as dripping water, wet drywall, stained surfaces, water damage, etc., check your water meter. If usage is recorded even with all faucets fully shut off, this could be a sign of a hidden pipe leak. This conditions needs to be taken care ASAP.

In case if you are constantly trying to locate the source of your low shower pressure, or think that you might need an outside expert’s help to renovate your home plumbing system, don’t hesitate to contact a professional plumber from Orange County Plumbing Heating & Air Conditioning today!