Most plumbing problems, when they occur, are certain to give you a very tough time. Still, people usually wait for things to get worse even if they can experience the problem in the initial stages. Low water pressure in faucets and showers is on top amongst these. This article describes how easy it can be to solve this issue when things are still in your control. You can follow some simple do-it-yourself guidelines to fix low water pressure. But if it gets worse, there would be no other option than to call an expert plumber, who would obviously charge a good rate for his expertise.
The majority of do-it-yourself guides for this sort of water pressure issue concentrate on fixing the faucet and internal pipes. However, the approach this article takes is quite different as we seek to find the root of the problem rather than making a temporary fix. First thing you need to do is confirm that yours is the only house affected by this issue. One could ask some people in their neighborhood fr this. If you reside in an apartment complex, then it'd be best to ask the other tenants living above you if they are experiencing the same kind of problem as you. If someone else shares this problem with you, then you know the problem lies somewhere outside and I would strongly recommend you call find a plumber as this is a matter of the whole neighborhood. In some cases, it might even be outside the control of a plumber as the flow may get disturbed on municipal levels.
Also go outside and see if the water pressure at the hose bib is satisfactory or not. Upon observing an almost perfect pressure level there, then you'll just need to find the plumbing issue within your home. In case you are experiencing slow water flow just on sink faucets, try to open them up a bit and see if the screens have anything clogged inside that may be hindering the flow of water. But if you face the low water pressure problem in all taps, the problem may be located elsewhere. Make sure the shut-off valve is completely open; occasionally, we open the valves but don't remember to open them completely. The system installed near the shut-off valve can vary from one household to another. So whatever system you have, just ensure it is operating as it is meant to operate.
One more thing to note is that water lines coming from the municipal supply are larger and have a greater diameter. Lines that go from your house to the main municipal lines have smaller diameters. When water travels through all these lines, it experiences a lot of friction from the walls of the pipes. It could be that a very small length of pipe, installed from your home to the next line, is causing excess friction and thus slowing the overall flow of water. It can also be that all lines inside your house have a very small diameter, which would automatically lessen the water pressure. And even if something small in size gets trapped inside one of those lines, it's going to virtually put an end to the water supply. While these would be an expert plumber's job, you can take note of this if you ever design a house or make a new house. Always take care that you use ¾-inch pipes rather than ½-inch ones. And if you are choosing a new house to shift into, then take care to check the water flow in the lines before you make the decision.