For plumbing purposes, water pressure refers to the amount of force carrying water from the mains to the pipes. Water pressure is determined by how many people are connected to the main supply as well as the ground level in relation to your premises. Hilltop areas and apartment buildings will have lower pressure than valleys or houses.
There are two stop valves which regulate the water entering your building. The inside stop valve, which is located within your premises, and the outside stop valve, which is located outside and shared with neighbours. Both of these should be completely open to make sure that the proper amount of water pressure is getting through. It is a good idea to know where the inside stop valve is so you can switch the water off in an emergency.
If you think you might have lower water pressure than you should, contact a professional for assistance. There are a few things you can do to check what might be causing low pressure listed below, it’s a good idea to try some of them before making the call to a plumber as this saves you time and money.
If you have noticed lower than usual water pressure coming from your home or business’s fixtures, or even no water at all, there are a few things you can to do identify the problem and find a solution.
- Try turning on the cold water tap in your kitchen, as this is usually the place where the main water supply enters your premises. If the cold water tap in your kitchen is flowing normally, but other fixtures have low or no pressure, the problem originates within your plumbing system and requires further inspection. If the pressure is low in this tap too, then the problem is with incoming water pressure from the mains supply.
- Check that the stop valves are completely open. You premises will have an inside stop valve somewhere, usually under the kitchen sink or near the front door. If the valve is not completely open, you will experience low water pressure. Open the valve completely to restore pressure. Also check the outside stop valve, as this needs to be completely open as well.
- Talk to neighbours, if they are experiencing the same problem then the cause is located outside your home. If not, the problem is within your plumbing system and requires a professional inspection.
- If you live in a flat, check the maintenance area of your building or speak to its managers to check if the problem is originating at the mains.
There are a variety of things we can do to assist you with low water pressure. In the case that the problem originates in the main supply, we will work with your water authority to restore proper service to your premises. If the problem originates within your plumbing system we will carry out an assessment to identify and repair the problem as quickly as possible.
