Low water pressure in your home: where to look first

Weak pressure in one fixture and weak pressure everywhere are two different problems.

Whole-house vs single-fixture

If every tap is weak, start at the main shut-off — make sure it's fully open. If only the kitchen faucet is weak, pull the aerator and check for scale. Shower-only problems often trace to a clogged showerhead or a failing pressure-balancing valve. Isolating the scope saves you from repiping a house when the fix is a $3 aerator.

Aerators, shut-offs, PRV, and municipal supply

Mineral buildup in aerators and showerheads is the cheapest fix we see. Partially closed angle stops under sinks restrict flow silently. A pressure-reducing valve set too low or failing can choke the whole house — we test incoming pressure at the meter and after the PRV. Sometimes the city is doing work or your neighborhood main is undersized; that's rare but worth ruling out.

Corroded galvanized and partial blockages

Homes with original galvanized supply lines lose diameter from the inside as rust builds up. Pressure is fine at the first fixture and drops at the end of the run — classic sign. A section of scale or a crimped PEX fitting can do the same on one branch. We pressure-test branches and often camera where accessible before recommending a spot repair.

When pressure is a symptom of a bigger repipe

If you've already replaced aerators and opened every valve and the whole house is still weak on hot and cold, the supply system may be at end-of-life. Galvanized lines from the 60s and 70s don't get better. At that point a partial repipe costs almost as much as doing it right once — we walk you through that math honestly.