Every homeowner has experienced frustration at one point or another, when they turn on a faucet and either get a slow drip or an unexpected shower. Low water pressure makes every day activities, like laundry, dishes, and showering, frustrating and more time consuming than necessary. High water pressure can stress your pipes, appliances, and water fixtures. Whether it’s too high or too low, water pressure should be tested occasionally, and adjusted, as needed.
Testing Your Pressure
There are a few ways to test the pressure yourself. You can pick up a pressure gauge from your local hardware store or order one online for around $10-$15. Hook the gauge up to a hose faucet, turn off all your appliances and faucets inside, and turn on the water to the faucet. A normal reading should be between 30-80 psi.
If you would rather not purchase the pressure gauge, you can do a quick test in your master bathroom. Turn on your sinks and showers, then flush your toilet. If the flow to the shower dips, you have a water pressure problem to deal with.
Causes of Low Water Pressure
1. Build-up and debris in the pipes
Sand, dirt, and other pollutants and minerals can sometimes get into your pipes. If there has been a recent break in the municipal water lines, sediment could have gotten into the pipes. You can call your water company or the city to check and see if that may be the cause. Even without a break, issues like hard water build-up could also be a culprit, creating a blockage in the pipes
Older pipes can become corroded, and piping material can break off into your water. In this case, you want to consider contacting a re-piping plumber in Los Angeles to take care of replacing corroded pipes.
2. Plumbing leaks
This seems like the most obvious cause of low water pressure, because somewhere along the route, water is being lost.
There is a simple test you can do to test for a leak. Shut off all your water inside and outside your home. Go outside and record your water meter reading. Wait a few hours, leaving all water off, and see if the meter has changed at all. If the usage reading has gone up, there is a pretty good chance that you have a leak in your pipes. It is best to contact a re-piping company in California to have a re-piping plumber come find and fix that leak.
3. Problems with local municipality
Sometimes the source of low water pressure is the water supply itself. Just like your home’s pipes can spring leaks, so can that of the local municipality. Once you’ve determined that the problem is not with your own pipes, it is good to contact your local water municipality to see if they have any known issues, or even make them aware that there is an issue.
4. When to Call the Professionals
Even though there are some tests you can do on your own at home, there are times that they may not give you a completely accurate result. A hidden leak or corroded pipe that wasn’t obvious during these test can cause serious damage and become very expensive if left to their own devices. Having a re-piping plumber come and use leak detection equipment, and inspect your pipes for corrosion is a highly recommended step when water pressure problems don’t seem to be a quick fix.
5. Why PEX Might Work
PEX tubing is a flexible, synthetic material that offers a cost efficient alternative to copper piping. The material is very flexible, so is able to make wide and narrow radius turns without the need of elbow joints. This makes installation and handling much easier, especially if it is determined that re-piping is needed to correct your low water pressure issues.
Besides PEX being incredibly cost efficient, costing about a quarter of what copper pipes cost, it’s performance and durability is superior. PEX does not corrode, is acid resistant, uses fewer connections, can be used for hot and cold water pipes, can last around 50 years, and offers better water pressure to showers and faucets. In fact, when correctly installed by a re-piping plumber in Las Angeles, PEX will eliminate low water pressure, red or brown rusty water, and even provide better tasting water.
If you feel that you need a professional inspection done to determine the cause of your low pressure in your home, or are interested in finding out more about PEX tubing, contact Las Angeles most complete and professional re-piping company, Integrity Repipe Inc., at 877-473-7473. You can rest easy that your pipes are in the hands of the most well-trained and experienced re-piping plumbers in the business.
Published by:
Integrity Repipe Inc
27281 Las Ramblas, Suite 200
Mission Viejo, CA 92691
Phone: 877-473-7473
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.integrityrepipe.com