Why Does The Shower Water Pressure Drop & What You Can Do

Nothing beats the stress-releasing experience of a hot shower at the end of a tedious and long day of hard work.

Now, imagine that you’re coming home after a tiring shift to enjoy a satisfying shower. But, here’s the twist – the water pressure is below average! Feels frustrating, doesn’t it?

One of the key factors that makes showers fun is the properly balanced water pressure. However, if the pressure starts getting subpar, you can’t enjoy a comfortable bath.

To the average person, why this happens is mostly unknown, which leads to spending money on hiring professionals for repair. Imagine how much you could save if you had the required knowledge to detect and resolve the underlying issue?

That said, we’ve enlisted some of the key reasons why shower water pressure tends to slow down with time. Don’t worry, we’ve also briefly explained the necessary measures you could take to fix these problems.

Now, without any further ado, let’s get to the deets!

Why Does The Shower Water Pressure Drop And What Can You Do?

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Why Does The Shower Water Pressure Drop And What Can You Do?

Below-average water pressure is one of those things that gets on your nerves in a split second. But it doesn’t take rocket science to know what causes this issue. Below are the possible reasons why you’re not able to enjoy a satisfying bath.

Showerhead Clogging

The first and possibly the most common reason you may be getting low water pressure is a clogged showerhead. Showerheads act as filters to some extent, and while modern showers have made build-ups far less of an issue, they can still lead to the accumulation of mineral deposits in the long run. Although it’s quite common, lack of information can lead you to seek professional help and spend your hard-earned money.

How To Fix A Clogged Showerhead?

The eventual mineral deposition is one reason why we always recommend you to clean the showerheads from time to time. It’s a very easy process and requires basic tools and equipment, making it easy for any DIY enthusiast.

The process is effortless; all you have to do is remove the showerhead first, as evident. Keep a bottle of vinegar at an arm’s reach, because it’ll come in handy while cleaning. For the next step, you’d need to create a part vinegar-part water mixture, in which you’d be soaking the showerhead overnight. This solution’s strong cleaning properties will remove the mineral deposits that might have been restricting the water pressure to some extent.

The next morning, fix it back and check whether the water pressure is running normally or not. You can be assured that the pressure was low due to the clogging if the water starts running optimally after the head is cleaned. However, if not, the next points may be helpful.

Pressure-Balancing Valve Issues

Another primary reason why shower pressure slows down with time is a faulty pressure-balancing valve. One of the most common symptoms you’d notice here is that the shower drastically loses water pressure the very moment you flush the toilet.

How does that correlate, you may wonder? To be precise, showers designed in a single control mode come with a valve that helps set the ideal water pressure, as per your needs. These valves combine both warm and cold water to balance the pressure ideally, due to which it’s affected when other nearby fixtures start functioning.

As the toilet uses cold water for flushing, it affects the pressure adjustment valve’s balance by a great deal. If the valve has worn out, it’ll take a significantly long time to readjust, as it’ll instantly compensate for the lack of cold water with a major pressure drop.

How To Fix A Faulty Pressure-Balancing Valve?

Although we wish that it could be repaired without spending much, reparation is not an option that can be relied upon in the long term. In this case, the best alternative is to replace the old, worn-out pressure-balancing valve with a new one.

However, it’s best to call in an experienced plumbing expert to inspect the system and decide whether the replacement is urgently needed, or whether minor repairs would do the trick.

If you want to eliminate this issue from the core, you can make a few technical upgrades for greater longevity. For those who don’t mind spending a little more for enhanced quality, installing a premium thermostatic mixing valve is a foolproof idea. At a slightly higher cost, it ensures the complete elimination of the water pressure drop in showers while using nearby fixtures.

Faulty Water Pressure Reduction Valve

Yes indeed, pressure-balancing valves can significantly create a pressure drop in your shower. However, another part that you must be aware of is the water pressure reduction valve. Although it’s a very general issue that we face, this issue occurs between the water supply from the water main to your bath.

A water pressure reduction valve’s function is to control the pressure being supplied directly to your shower. Nevertheless, if not serviced from time to time, these valves can also wear out or suffer damage, leading to inconsistent water pressure. To be more precise, though the water is supplied directly from the city, it may not enter correctly if your plumbing system is not fully opened.

How To Fix A Faulty Water Pressure Reduction Valve?

For starters, you can check the water mains pressure and investigate whether the main shut off valve and underlying in-line valves are properly opened or not. If that’s the case, then maybe your pressure reduction valve isn’t at fault.

However, if not, it’s best to contact a local plumber to inspect the water pressure and find out what might have gone wrong. Although minor repairing gets the job done in most cases, you may end up requiring a proper replacement if the valve is severely damaged.

Old Low-Flow Showerhead Issue

Finally, another reason you have been facing low water pressure is that your shower system is old and outdated.

Most Americans are aware of the environmental impact of our day-to-day lifestyle and take necessary measures to live an eco-friendly life. This step brings us to the traditional Californian low-flow showers that conserve water. The older versions of these showerheads generally lower the water pressure for high conservation, due to which you’re probably not satisfied with the baths.m

How To Fix An Old Low-Flow Showerhead?

You can’t; however, you can always upgrade to a smarter system. Modern showers are best known for their excellent capabilities of conserving water without having to compromise with the pressure output. This way, you can lead an environment-friendly life and enjoy satisfying baths simultaneously.

Final Words

We’d also recommend you to perform scheduled inspections of your plumbing systems to check whether there’s a broader issue. Irregular service leads to corrosion or blockage in water pipes, which is a significant contributor to drastic pressure drops. Unforeseen leakages can also be considerable troublemakers in the long haul.

That said, these are the most common reasons why your shower water pressure might not have been functioning as you’d wish. Was it helpful? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below.

Till next time!