Silco PlumbingWhy Is My Water Pressure So Low?
If the shower is a trickle, or the laundry takes forever to fill, one of your first questions is probably: “Why don’t we have any pressure?”
There isn’t one cause that fits every house. In Kalispell and throughout the Flathead Valley, hard water, older pipes, and a leak you cannot see can all feel like the same weak stream.
That’s because pressure is what is left after the water has already traveled through your system.
Here are the five biggest things that take pressure away.
1. Mineral Buildup
Hard water leaves minerals inside pipes, showerheads, and faucets. Over time that buildup restricts the flow.
Sometimes the fixture is the whole problem. Cleaning or replacing a clogged showerhead can restore a surprising amount of pressure. Sometimes the restriction is further back in the line.
2. A Hidden Leak
A leak somewhere in the system can reduce pressure at the tap because some of the water is leaving before it gets there.
If you have low pressure and a higher water bill, tell us both. That pairing is useful.
3. The Pressure Regulator
Many homes have a pressure-reducing valve that keeps city pressure at a safe level inside the house. If that valve fails, pressure can drop through the whole house at once.
4. Something on the Street
Sometimes the issue is not inside your house. Construction, maintenance, or a supply change can drop pressure in the neighborhood.
If it started suddenly and the neighbors have it too, tell us that.
5. Older or Corroded Pipe
Some older Montana homes still have galvanized steel pipe. As it corrodes on the inside, there is less room for water to move. Pressure falls slowly, through the whole house, over years rather than overnight.
Same trickle. Different house. Different job. One homeowner may need a showerhead. Another may have a regulator, a leak, or a line that has been narrowing for a decade. It is normal for those two calls to be different jobs.
What should you have ready when you call? You don’t need to know which of the five it is. Just tell us what you can see:
- Whether the low pressure is one fixture or the whole house
- Whether it started suddenly or slowly
- Whether the neighbors have it too
- Whether the water bill has changed
- Roughly how old the house is
Low Pressure in Kalispell & the Flathead Valley. Silco Plumbing helps homeowners with low water pressure in Kalispell, Columbia Falls, Whitefish and surrounding areas—from a single weak shower to a house that has been slowing down for years. Have questions? Ask us. You don’t have to guess the cause before you call, and you can send a message instead of calling.
406-471-1851 | silcoplumbingmt.com
