Plumbing tips · November 2, 2026
A trickle where there should be a stream
Low water pressure is one of three different problems. The first thing to work out is how much of the house it affects.
Just one faucet
If one faucet or showerhead is weak and the rest of the house is fine, the problem is at that fixture. The screen in the end of the faucet, the aerator, or the showerhead itself is usually clogged with grit or hard water scale. Unscrew it and clean or replace it.
Only the hot water
If the cold is strong and the hot is weak everywhere, look at the water heater. Sediment in the tank, a partly closed valve on the heater, or scale in the hot water lines can all choke the hot side.
The whole house
If every faucet is weak, hot and cold, check that the main shut-off is all the way open. A pressure reducing valve that has failed or been set too low will do it. So will a leak somewhere in the line, or old galvanized pipe that has closed up inside with rust.
Measure it
A pressure gauge that screws onto an outside faucet gives you a number. Most houses run well between about 40 and 80 psi. A reading well under that points to the supply, the reducing valve or a leak.
Questions we get asked
Why did the pressure drop suddenly?
A sudden drop across the whole house can be a problem on the water supplier's side, a main valve partly closed during other work, or a new leak. Check whether neighbors have the same problem.Can a water softener lower the pressure?
A softener or whole-house filter that is clogged or undersized can cut the flow. Putting it in bypass for a moment tells you whether it is the cause.Is low pressure ever a sign of a leak?
Yes. Water escaping from a pipe under the slab or in the yard can lower the pressure. A water meter that keeps moving with everything off is the tell.Plumbing questions we answer
Where we go
Parker, Wise and Tarrant County, out of the shop in Springtown. Springtown, Weatherford, Azle, Boyd, Decatur, Newark, Millsap, Fort Worth and the country in between.
Call 817-487-8866