Low water pressure has a handful of common causes, ranging from a five-minute fix to a real sign of aging pipe. Here's how to tell which one you're dealing with.
One fixture or the whole house
A single weak faucet usually points to something local — a clogged aerator or a worn cartridge. Pressure that's low everywhere points further upstream, toward the main line, a pressure regulator, or narrowing pipe.
The honest read on aging pipe
Galvanized pipe corrodes from the inside over years, gradually narrowing the passage. If pressure has dropped slowly over years rather than suddenly, that's usually what's happening — and it's worth an honest conversation about whether repiping makes sense before symptoms get worse.
Do
- Clean the aerator on a single weak faucet first
- Check that your main shut-off valve is fully open
- Compare pressure between a couple of fixtures to narrow down the cause
- Ask directly whether the cause is local or house-wide before agreeing to any repair
Don't
- Don't assume it's the city's fault before checking your own fixtures and valves
- Don't ignore gradually worsening house-wide pressure over months or years
- Don't keep replacing individual fixtures without addressing the actual source
Quick tip: A gradual, house-wide pressure drop over years is usually pipe narrowing, not a single fixable part — worth an honest assessment rather than a string of fixture swaps.