A shower is a great way to start the day but can become a frustration if you have low water pressure. This problem is often a minor one that you can fix on your own, but it may require professional help if the situation is more severe.
Shower head Buildup Decreases Shower Pressure
Over time, your shower head may suffer from buildup that decreases your water pressure. Thankfully, this problem is both familiar and easy to fix. Here’s a simple method that you can use to clean your shower heads:
- Mix equal parts distilled white vinegar and hot water in a large plastic bag.
Put the shower head in the bag and tie it off.
Soak the bag for a few hours to break apart the buildup.
Remove the shower head from the bag and scrub it with a plastic brush.
Rinse the shower head and attach it to the shower.
Run water to gauge the pressure again.
In many cases, this process may be all that is necessary to fix reduced shower water pressure. Make sure that you repeat the process a few times if any buildup remains.
Other Issues That Decrease Shower Pressure
If you clean out your shower head and you still don’t have a lot of pressure, other problems may be to blame. These issues may be unpredictable and hard to identify at times, but thankfully, you can assess this situation on your own. These solutions may help:
- Check the curb main — If you find that your whole home has weak water pressure, not just your showerhead, you may want to increase your water pressure at the curb main. This process requires a specialized wrench, so talk to a local plumbing expert before you try this technique.
- Adjust your home’s water main — If the water pressure from your curb main is already at a steady volume, you need to adjust your home’s water source. The water main is typically located outside of your house, and you can open it easily if you turn it counterclockwise.
- Open any shut-off valves — When your water main is not the issue, you may need to check your home for any shut-off valves. These valves exist near the supply point inside of your house and may have been turned on by accident. Open them up to improve your water flow.
If you try all of these techniques and the water still flows poorly from your shower — but otherwise flows fine in your home — you may have a more specific issue to manage. In this situation, you will probably need the help of professionals.
Professional Help May Be Necessary
Plumbing professionals can help assess any problems with your shower’s pipes that may cause reduced water pressure and repair them appropriately. For example, your shower’s plumbing may have a leak somewhere in your home that must be identified as soon as possible.
These leaks often occur in pipes that are hard to find without professional knowledge of a home’s plumbing layout. For example, the pipes just beneath your tub may have a small leak that drains your pressure and causes damage to your flooring and other parts of the house.
A high-quality professional plumber can get underneath your tub, identify the source of the leak, and fix any issues to get your shower pressure back up to acceptable levels again.
We Can Guide You Towards Better Shower Pressure
If you have low shower pressure and you aren’t sure what is happening, you need to contact us right away at Billy Bell Plumbing to learn more about how we can help. Our experts will inspect your plumbing problems, find out what is happening, and create a solution that improves your water pressure and manages other issues like leaks.