Nothing can be more satisfying than a soothing hot shower after a long day. But what if your shower head doesn’t have enough hot water?
Low hot water pressure can indicate major issues with your residential plumbing system that might require immediate attention. If your shower head isn’t producing sufficient hot water, no matter how much you turn the knob, it’s time to check the water pipes and heater system.
If the hot and cold water lines are working fine, but the water flow has suddenly decreased, it can be due to an issue with the main water system. In today’s article, we’ll discuss some of these reasons to help you identify what’s wrong.
Causes For Low Water Pressure In Shower
1. Build-up Of Debris, Mineral Deposits And Sediments
Mineral deposits commonly cause low water flow in shower heads, faucets, and kitchen sinks. It’s best to check your house’s hot water pipes and cold water taps when experiencing low water pressure.
The build-up of these mineral deposits and sediments usually takes a long time but can clog the aerators of your hot water fixtures. These clogged aerators disrupt the water flow, resulting in low water pressure in your shower heads and faucets.
Under such circumstances, it’s best to hire a professional plumber who can take a look and remove the clog to increase the water pressure in the shower head. You can also try applying DIY techniques, such as treating the shower head with vinegar overnight to remove the sediment build-up and clean the aerator.
2. Leaky Shower Heads
Low pressure of hot water systems can also be due to leaky fixtures, which can compromise the normal water flow. If they trickle water slowly, it’s easy to overlook dripping or leaky water fixtures. But this constant water trickling can lead to low water pressure, and you might have to take a cold shower after a long day.
You must be careful while closing the taps and ensure they are not draining any water. However, if your shower head or sink faucet still leaks after turning off the knob tightly, you need to hire an experienced plumber to fix them.
3. Burst, Clogged & Leaking Pipes
Burst or leaking pipes can result in low water pressure in the shower. Corroded metal plumbing pipes can cause frequent water leaks that reduce hot water pressure in your shower. As a result, poor maintenance of the metal pipes is one of the common causes of low shower pressure.
If your water pipes are clogged, the regular water supply to your bathroom or kitchen fixtures can be disrupted. Under these circumstances, call a qualified plumber to examine your water supply line and repair the pipes to maintain good hot water pressure.
4. Faulty Water Pressure Regulator
A water pressure regulator’s job is to act as a flow restrictor to adjust the water pressure and flow from the town’s main water supply to your residential plumbing system. That way, it can prevent plumbing damage to your home’s water pipes if the pressure of the town’s main water supply line is too high.
However, if the pressure regulator starts to malfunction, it’ll automatically affect the shower water pressure, and you can’t enjoy a long hot shower. You can check the water pressure of the regulator by installing a pressure gauge and contacting an experienced plumber if it is broken.
5. Partially Closed Water Main
If you’re experiencing reduced water flow throughout your house, it’s time to check the main water meter valve. The main water valve is typically located inside your home near the water heater or the garage, and it can be either a wheel or a ball valve.
However, the primary shut-off valve can be located outside your house inside an underground cement box labelled a “water meter.” If you have a wheel water meter valve, rotate it counterclockwise to check whether it’s entirely open and restore shower pressure.
In contrast, turn the handle to stay parallel to your home’s main water line if you have a ball valve.
6. Old Hot Water System Tank
You might experience low water pressure while taking a hot shower because of the worn-out mixing valve of your old hot water system. The mixing valve blends hot and cold water to maintain a safe water pressure range during a hot shower.
However, once the water filtration system inside the water heater starts to deteriorate, it affects the efficiency of the mixing valve, causing low pressure in the shower.
Bring Back Warm Showers!
No one wants to deal with low shower water pressure. However, with these tips, you can hopefully avoid cold showers. Low-flow showerheads can make the whole experience of taking hot showers tedious because you might have to wait hours to get enough hot water.
Hiring a professional who can apply advanced plumbing techniques and knowledge to solve all your plumbing woes is always best. A licensed plumber checks your entire water line to locate the problem and prevent further issues without much hassle, whether it’s a leaking pipe or worn-out inline valves. For any issues with clogged pipes, shower water pressure, or hot water system problems in Perth, speak to our expert plumbers at Woolf Plumbing & Gas.
So, enjoy a relaxing, hot shower, and if you face any issues with your plumbing system or low pressure, you know what to do!
