It is legitimate to worry when the pressure level of your office or home plumbing drops for no apparent reason. This type of problem can have multiple causes. Some can be very simple, such as a slightly closed main water valve or a partially blocked faucet that can cause a low pressure problem in your home plumbing. In other cases, the trigger may be more serious: for example, a plumbing blockage or a leak in the plumbing system. Although the causes that can generate a drop in water pressure are many, there are several ways to identify and solve the problem. To find the correct solution, it is good to examine all the possible causes in succession.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Check the Pressure Level of the Household Plumbing
Step 1. Find out if any water source in your home or office has a low pressure problem
To do this, check all the rooms where there is a plumbing tap.
- Kitchen, bathroom, basement or garden faucets are all useful for controlling the water pressure level.
- Open all the taps in the house to check if the low pressure problem is limited to a specific area or if it involves the entire domestic plumbing system.
- Open both the cold and hot water taps. If the problem occurs only on the hot water line, it means that it may be confined to the water heater or boiler.
Step 2. If the malfunction is confined to one tap, it is very likely that the cause is a failure of the tap
An abnormal fluctuation in water pressure may only occur in one or two rooms of the house. If so, the cause of the problem could be partially clogged taps or aerators.
- Remove the tap dispenser.
- Examine the aerator. Check that there is no accumulation of debris inside or other foreign bodies obstructing the water flow.
- If the dispenser aerator needs cleaning, soak it in a solution of water and vinegar. If that doesn't fix the problem, purchase a replacement aerator. This is an extremely economical component.
- Before reassembling the aerator, turn on the water tap. If the water flow has not returned to normal, it means that the cause of the problem is not related to the tap in question, but to the entire plumbing system.
Step 3. Look for other points in the system where there is a low water pressure level
If you are unable to pinpoint the cause of the problem by examining one or two taps, it most likely means that the malfunction is affecting all of the plumbing in your home or office.
- Controls the pressure reducing water valve (PRV) and the main water valve of the plumbing. Often, these two fundamental elements are the cause of too low a water pressure level.
- Look for any leaks. A leak in the toilet flush or in a main plumbing line can cause a drop in water pressure.
- Check your water heater or boiler. If the low pressure problem is exclusively related to the line that supplies hot water, it is very likely that the cause is to be found in the device used for heating the domestic water or in the main valve that closes the supply to the circuit. hot water.
Method 2 of 4: Check the PRV Solenoid Valve and the Main Water Valve
Step 1. Look for the hydraulic pressure reducing valve (PRV)
It has the shape of a bell and is normally placed on the pipe that connects directly to the aqueduct or to the main water distribution pipe of the building.
- Modify the appropriate regulator to see how it affects the pressure level of the hydraulic system. The regulator should be placed directly on the valve. To increase the water pressure, it must be screwed in by turning it clockwise; while, to decrease the pressure, it must be unscrewed by turning it anticlockwise.
- If the valve malfunctions or appears broken, it will need to be replaced entirely. You can purchase a new one at any hardware or plumbing supply store.
Step 2. Check the main water valve located near the water meter
This valve can also affect the pressure level within the home plumbing system. Even a slight variation in its position can have significant effects on the water pressure.
- In most independent houses and condominiums there is a general water valve that completely blocks the water flow from the aqueduct. Normally, it is located near the PRV valve or in a separate compartment together with the water meter.
- By acting on the main water valve, the flow of water into the domestic plumbing system can be completely blocked, even if it is only partially closed can therefore have enormous effects on the pressure level of the entire system.
- Make sure the main water valve is fully open.
Step 3. Check the water pressure inside the house again by testing multiple taps
If the problem has been resolved, it means that the cause was the PRV valve or the general water valve.
- Conversely, if the problem persists, there is most likely a water leak in the plumbing system. Water leaks inside homes are often the main cause of the presence of an insufficient level of pressure in the plumbing system.
- You can contact a professional plumber to locate and repair the leak or find out what is causing the low pressure plumbing problem (for example, a natural build-up of debris in the pipes).
Method 3 of 4: Identify a Water Leak
Step 1. Check the toilet in each bathroom
A leaking toilet flush is the most likely cause of a plumbing water leak in most household situations. This problem can contribute to considerably increase the costs of drinking water users, so it is useful to check if it is also the main cause of the problem linked to the water pressure level that is too low.
- First, remove the toilet flush tank lid.
- Pour a few drops of food coloring or a different type of dye into it.
- Do not run the toilet flush for at least an hour.
- If you see traces of color inside the toilet, it means that the toilet is leaking. This type of problem can be solved quickly and easily by replacing the plug that blocks the water from the drain or the filling mechanism.
Step 2. Check the water meter
This way you can make sure there is a leak in your home plumbing.
- Locate the water meter. Take note of the reading and see if the water flow indicator is turning indicating that the water is flowing from the aqueduct to the plumbing in your home.
- The indicator of the presence of the water flow is generally circular or triangular in shape and rotates when there is a flow of water inside the meter.
- If the water flow indicator is moving, it most likely means the plumbing has a leak (assuming no one in the house is using the water). If this indicator is stationary, it does not necessarily mean that there is no water leak. If the loss is minor, the counter may fail to record it.
- Do not use the plumbing system in your home or office for at least two hours, then take a new reading on the water meter. If the two water consumption readings are different, there is a water leak.
- Call the customer service company that provides you with drinking water or a professional plumber to help you locate and repair the leak.
Step 3. Check for abnormal water leaks in the basement of the house or near the dispensing points
It would prove there is a plumbing leak.
- If there is a leak in a tap, you should clearly hear the unmistakable sound of water dripping. Normally, the repair of this type of leak does not require the intervention of specialized personnel.
- If there is a large damp or wet area in the basement of your detached house, there may be a leak in one of the main pipes.
- If you live in an independent house, also check the ground in the outdoor garden, where the water pipes that connect to the aqueduct pass. If the season is dry and the soil in that specific spot is wet, there may be a water leak. Contact the support of the company that provides you with drinking water to solve the problem.
Method 4 of 4: Troubleshoot Low Hot Water Pressure
Step 1. If the low water pressure problem is related solely to hot water distribution, check your water heater or boiler
In most cases the most common cause is the main water valve of the water heater or boiler.
- Make sure that this valve is fully open. This is a safety valve fitted to all domestic water heating devices, which is used to stop the flow of hot water in the event of an emergency.
- If the valve is even slightly closed, it can adversely affect the hot water pressure level.
Step 2. Check the water pressure level again using one of the system taps to see if the problem has been solved
If hot water comes out of the tap with normal pressure, then the problem is solved.
- If the problem persists, the cause could be the cold water pipe that supplies the device dedicated to heating the domestic water or the appliance itself.
- In this case, call a professional plumber or the technical assistance of the manufacturer of the water heater or boiler installed in your home.
Step 3. Contact a plumber to check the piping that supplies the boiler or water heater with cold sanitary water
Sometimes the pipes can become clogged, and experienced plumbers have several methods to locate such blockages and remove them.
- The domestic water heating device could also be the cause of the problem. In this case, call the staff in charge of its maintenance to evaluate the extent of the problem and possible solutions.
- Managing problems related to water heaters and boilers can be a very complex job that should be delegated to the staff trained for this task.
Advice
- Contact your neighbors to see if they too are having low water pressure problems in their apartments. If so, there could be a leak on the main aqueduct pipeline. Call the municipality where you live or the private company that supplies drinking water to your building to report the problem.
- Contact a plumber to check the connection of the building's plumbing to the aqueduct. Sometimes, very old water pipes tend to become clogged due to mineral deposits carried by the water. In this case, to restore the correct water flow and consequently the correct pressure level, it is necessary to replace the old iron pipes with new copper or PVC elements.
- Try to pinpoint the exact time when the water pressure changes. The pressure of the home plumbing can decrease at peak times, that is, when most users are drawing water from the aqueduct. The moments of maximum demand for water from the aqueduct's plumbing system coincide with the periods of the day when most people get ready to go to work and return home, i.e. early in the morning and late in the afternoon.
