Do you have an older home and frequently experience issues with low water pressure? Low water pressure is a fairly common problem in older homes due to the house’s old and outdated plumbing system. In this article, we’ll explore the various issues that can lead to your water pressure being too low and your options for overcoming each.
Corroded Pipes
If your home was built before the early 1960s and still has the original plumbing, there’s a high chance that your water lines are made of galvanized steel. In this case, low water pressure likely indicates a large amount of corrosion in some of your pipes. As corrosion builds up, it continually decreases the inside diameter of the pipes. That means less water can flow through the pipes, significantly decreasing the water pressure.
If your home has galvanized steel pipes, we highly recommend that you replace them as soon as possible. Galvanized steel pipes contain harmful metals like lead, which leach into the water and can create serious health problems.
Mineral Deposit Build-Up
Another issue that affects many old homes is the build-up of mineral deposits inside their water lines. This is especially common in California because our water is so hard. As with corrosion, mineral deposits slowly choke off the water lines over time. This issue is most pronounced when the home’s main water supply line is clogged with mineral deposits since it leads to poor pressure throughout the house.
Unfortunately, the only option for overcoming this issue is to replace some or all of your water lines and possibly your main water line as well. This is one reason why it’s worth investing in a water softener or water filtration system: It will remove minerals and prevent mineral deposits from building up inside your pipes. It won’t prevent deposits from building up in your main water line but will protect the rest of your plumbing.
Main Water Supply Line Is Too Small
If you frequently have issues where your water pressure is too low whenever multiple plumbing fixtures are on at the same time, it often indicates your main water supply line isn’t large enough. The diameter of your home’s main water supply line determines how many gallons of water your plumbing system can supply per minute. The distance from where the supply line connects to the municipal water main to where it connects to your house is equally as important. The greater this distance is, the larger the supply line needs to be.
If your supply line isn’t large enough, it usually results in a fairly substantial decrease in dynamic pressure whenever water runs. Static pressure is the amount of pressure in a plumbing system when all fixtures are shut off, and water is just inside the pipes. Dynamic pressure is, instead, how much pressure there is in the system when one or more fixtures are turned on. The dynamic pressure when using multiple fixtures is almost always a bit lower. Nonetheless, a significant drop in dynamic pressure usually indicates that the home’s water supply line is too small or constricted due to corrosion or mineral deposits.
It’s pretty standard for older homes to have a supply line that isn’t sufficiently large to meet their needs. One reason is that the house may now have additional plumbing fixtures, like a dishwasher, that weren’t part of the original construction. It’s often necessary to install a larger main water line when adding more plumbing fixtures, such as if you renovate and add another bathroom to a house. If not, you can end up with significant decreases in pressure at certain times, such as showering and someone flushes the toilet or the rinse cycle on your washing machine or dishwasher starts running.
A home’s main water line depends mainly on its size and the number of plumbing fixtures. Older one- or two-bedroom homes often only have a 3/4″ or 1″ supply line, which isn’t always sufficient. To effectively handle a home’s modern plumbing needs, you usually need a 1 1/4″ to 2″ main supply line.
If your main water line is too small or choked off by corrosion or mineral deposits, the only real option is to have it dug up and replaced. While a main water line replacement is relatively expensive, it should help ensure you always have sufficient water pressure to meet your needs.
Plumbing Leaks
Hidden plumbing leaks are fairly standard in California since most homes are built on a concrete slab foundation and have much plumbing underneath it. These types of leaks are known as slab leaks, and they can be challenging to detect on your own. If you have a larger leak in an underground water line or your main water line leaks, it can also result in your water pressure being much lower than it should. The good news is that experienced plumbers have advanced equipment and techniques to quickly detect slab leaks without tearing out concrete. They will need to cut a small hole in the foundation floor to fix the leak. They should first identify the exact location of the leak to minimize the amount of demolition needed to repair the pipe.
Faulty Pressure-Reducing Valve
The pressure in a municipal water system is usually extremely high. This is why many homes have a pressure-reducing valve on their main water line that reduces the pressure of the water coming into the house. This valve is a critical part of a home’s plumbing system since it prevents the pressure from being so high that it could damage pipes and appliances. This valve works because it has an internal diaphragm that expands and contracts whenever the pressure of the water coming into the house fluctuates. In some cases, the diaphragm can get stuck and lead to your water pressure frequently being too high or too low. Luckily, a plumber can quickly fix the issue by adjusting or replacing the valve.
Low Pressure in the Municipal Water Supply
This last issue is rarer, but there are places where the pressure in the local water system is too low. This is more common in older neighborhoods where the water system hasn’t been updated in years, and the water mains are severely corroded or clogged with mineral deposits. If a plumber determines that your pressure is too low due to some issue with the local water supply, your only option to increase the pressure within your home is to install a pressure-boosting pump.
Ribbs Plumbing Services is a local, family-owned company that has been serving the San Jose area for nearly 100 years. We offer expert plumbing, drain, and sewer services and can help if you suspect your plumbing is leaking or need any other assistance in improving the water pressure in your home. If you want to get to the bottom of your low water pressure issues, contact us today to schedule a plumbing inspection or leak detection.
