Common causes of Low Water Pressure and how to fix them

If your household suffers from the annoying problem of low water pressure, you don’t have to live with it. Yes, sometimes the location of your property will affect the water pressure (such as if your house is located on top of a hill – the pressure in this instance is likely to be less than the properties at the bottom of the hill receive), but here are some ways that common water pressure problems can be fixed:

Pipe corrosion

Corrosion of pipes is a big problem when it comes to low water pressure. Corrosion restricts the water flow, and therefore many households are replacing their old pipe work with new MDPE pipes.

Stop taps

Check that any stop taps, both inside the home and ones shared with neighbours outside the home aren’t partially closed. By gently opening the stop tap, the water pressure should increase, but remember that stop taps should not be fully opened – they should always be turned a quarter of the way back to stop them from seizing up – ask your plumber if you’re unsure.

Heating appliances and showers

The layout of your showers and heating appliances within the home can affect the water pressure, which is why it’s always wise to have a professional plumber fit them. With old showers, try cleaning the lime scale off of shower heads regularly, as a build up of lime scale can affect the flow. New showers, however, often need a minimum level of flow to work effectively, or need to be plumbed into the mains rather than a tank, so check with your professional plumber whether your plumbing system is suitable to support a new shower.