Understanding the Causes of a Drop in the Water Pressure in Your Home
When a plumbing system is in good repair, most homes experience strong water pressure. Over time, you will become familiar with the normal water pressure when you turn on a sink or go to take a shower. If there is a sudden drop in water pressure throughout your home, it is cause for concern. A variety of plumbing problems can cause water pressure throughout a home to plummet with no warning. These plumbing issues typically need to be diagnosed and repaired by an experienced plumber in order to restore normal water pressure.
Some of the most common reasons for water pressure to drop in a residential plumbing system include:
Damaged Water Main Line
If your home receives water from a municipal water source, there is a large pipe, called a water main line, that runs across your property and connects to the municipal supply. Like any other type of pipe in your plumbing system, the water main line can crack and develop leaks. If this happens, the pressure within your plumbing system will drop, leading to low water pressure. When your home's water main line is damaged and leaking, you may also notice that your water bill is much higher than normal.
Corroded Pipes
Some older homes have plumbing systems that are decades old and have not been upgraded. If you live in an older home with the original pipes and you experience a drop in water pressure, it can be due to corrosion inside the pipe. In this type of situation, you may want to think about replacing the old pipes instead of trying to have sections repaired one by one. Once pipes become corroded enough the cause a drop in water pressure, there is a good chance that the other pipes in your home won't last much longer before corrosion sets in.
Clogs
Many people do not realize that pipes within the plumbing system can develop clogs due to a build-up of debris. This is especially common in areas that have hard water. Over the years, mineral deposits can build up within pipes, and eventually the build up can prevent water from flowing properly. There is no easy way for a homeowner to determine if clogs within pipes are the cause of a drop in water pressure. An experienced plumber can use a specialized camera to see inside your pipes to see if you have clogs that need to be dealt with.