Are you experiencing the water pressure coming in faucets starting high and then suddenly dropping like a crashed plane? Well, the good news is you’re not the only one facing this problem because it is quite common in every household these days.
The drop in water pressure should have disturbed your daily household tasks like showering, washing dishes, and many others. You need the solution ASAP, and that’s why you’re here to know what causes water pressure starts high then drops?
There are many reasons behind the sudden change in water pressure coming into faucets. It could be due to leaking and clogging pipes, malfunctioning pressure regulators, problems with the valves, and damage to the pipes inside the house.
To know what the real issue is, you have to dig deep into things to get to the root problem. That’s where this article will help you. It will give you a detailed overview of why water pressure comes out fast and then slows down?
After reading this guide, it will be easy for you to get to the root problem and solve the issue. So, without further ado, let’s get started.
What Causes Water Pressure To Go Up and Down?
As I said, many reasons can support the cause of water pressure dropping into taps. Some of the most common ones that are found in every other house have been explained below. Let’s take a deep look at them.
Faulty Pipes (Clogged or Damaged)
One of the major reasons behind the change in water pressure could be because of faulty pipes. A pipe is where the water flows through all the areas of a house, whether it be bathroom taps, kitchen faucets, or showerheads.
If the pipe gets clogged or damaged, it disturbs the whole water-flowing mechanism in the house. This might be the reason that water coming into faucets starts high and then suddenly drops down.
A leaky pipe often gets air inside it that forms bubbles when the water flows through it. These bubbles, however, don’t stop the water flow completely but slow down its speed. This is why you experience high water pressure at first, which suddenly drops after some time.
How can you be sure that the real problem is from pipes?
To inspect whether the problem is from the pipe or not, you have to turn on all the faucets in your home and check for gurgling sounds in them. If you hear any distorted sound, then you can be sure that pipes are the issue behind the drop in the pressure of water.
However, if you don’t hear any sound and are still receiving low water pressure from faucets, then your pipes could be partially clogged. A partially clogged pipe stops the water pressure coming from the main valve and lets it flow in pauses through the faucets.
How do water pipes get clogged?
If you’re concerned about why water pipes get clogged, it’s because of the mineral and grease buildup of the dirty water you flush into the drain. Another reason could be because of the expansion of water minerals when they come in contact with pipe metal. In both cases, it’s difficult to locate the clog in the initial stage that later got worse if not looked after on time.
How to Fix a Faulty Pipe?
If the water supply pipe is damaged, there is no way you can fix it. All you can do is replace it with a new pipe. Moreover, If the pipe is fully clogged, in this case, we recommend taking assistance from a plumber because it may be difficult for you to fix it.
However, the fixing can only be done to the partially clogged water supply pipes.
Let’s take a look at the steps below to learn how you can fix a partially clogged pipe.
Step 1: First you have to turn off the water supply from the main source. Doing this will make your task much easier by filtering out the involvement of water while working.
Step 2: Take a bucket and fill it with hot water. Make sure not to burn yourself while pouring water. Now, add some vinegar to the water. Adding equal to half the amount of water is good for effective results.
Step 3: Grab a toilet plunger and put it into the bucket for about 1 minute.
Step 4: Unscrew the faucet using the wrench and take out all mineral deposits from it. Use the toilet plunger on it for effective results.
Step 5: You have to flush down the bucket into the water for about 10 minutes. While flushing, keep opening and closing your faucet so that it flows out of the bucket perfectly.
Step 6: Turn off the water supply of the pipe to see if everything is working smoothly or not. If the problem is still there, you have to try other techniques to solve the sudden change of water pressure in faucets.
Damaged Shut Off Valves
If the water pressure into the faucets slows down after giving a strong start, this could be because of damaged shut-off valves. Valves are responsible for the amount of water flowing through the pipe into faucets.
If the water pressure coming out of faucets is bad, you have to check whether valves, both short and main are properly closed. If they’re left open, it will disturb the water-flowing mechanism in the faucets.
How to close the valves? (Short valve and Main valve)
You will find a short valve under the sink and close it there. The main valve is responsible for the entire water supply in the house. It can be found in the basement or on the main pipe from where the water comes into the house.
What if the valves are damaged?
If you find that the valves are damaged, and water is constantly leaking from them, this could be causing the change in water pressure in faucets. You have to fix them ASAP so that water doesn’t get slow after giving an instant start to the taps and faucets.
How to fix faulty valves?
It is always recommended to hire a plumber to fix the faulty valve because it is not the kind of job you can do yourself.
However, if you’re a DIY person like me, you can try installing a new valve in place of the damaged one. Make sure to turn the water supply off before commencing; otherwise, your task will become as bad as a nightmare.
A Malfunctioning Pressure Regulator
The pressure regulator is a device used to control water flow into pipes. It maintains the water pressure at the optimum level so that there are no sudden changes in the water flow.
However, if it is not working properly, it could severely impact the water pressure in the faucets. A malfunctioning pressure regulator can disturb the water mechanism by slowing its flow through the pipes. So, you must have to fix it to restore the water pressure to its intense flow.
How to fix a malfunctioning pressure regulator?
Fixing a pressure regulator by yourself is not advisable because it is complicated, and any unfortunate damage can result in a costly replacement. So, to save both time and money, it’s better to hire a plumber and leave this task to him.
But still, if you believe you can do it, you can try fixing it by replacing a malfunctioning pressure regulator with a new one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to fix fluctuating water pressure?
There are many reasons behind the fluctuation of water pressure in taps. Some of the most common ones are stated below. You can check them to stop the water fluctuation.
- Clogged and Leaky water supply pipes
- Faulty shut-off valves
- A malfunctioning pressure regulator
The solution to these problems has been described above in this article. You can read the text to know how to fix them.
Is it legal to remove the pressure regulator from the pipe?
In some countries, removing the pressure regulator from the pipe is considered illegal. While most countries don’t have any laws regarding using pressure regulators in pipes. You can check on your country in Google to know whether a pressure regulator is illegal to remove or not in your area.
Bottom Line
There are many factors behind your water comes out fast then slows down. Fortunately, you can fix this problem by following the steps mentioned in this guide. Moreover, it is always recommended to do a regular check on your home plumbing system to point out the early signs of a possible breakdown.
I hope this guide helps you in solving the query of what causes water pressure starts high then drops. If yes, do inspect other amazing posts on my blog. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask them in the comment section, I would love to answer them. Until Next Time!!!
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