Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a small commission if you make a purchase through our links, at no cost to you. For more information, please visit our Disclaimer Page.
If your water pressure suddenly drops below a standard 80 PSI, there is most likely a problem inside your plumbing system. However, for some people, a sudden loss of water pressure is caused by malfunctioning of the water supply line.
All in all, the problem is the same – your water pressure suddenly dropped significantly.
Now, the loss of water pressure can create all sorts of troubles inside your household. So, it is best to figure out the cause and fix it right away.
In that light, we are here to discuss everything you need to know about low water pressure in your house, and why it dropped all of a sudden.
Determine the Cause of Sudden Low Water Pressure
To determine the problem, you first need to know what type of system you are connected to. Namely, if you are on a municipal system, and you experienced a sudden loss of water pressure, then there’s not much that you can do.
However, if you are connected to the well system, then you can do a couple of things in order to fix this kind of problem.
Therefore, it is quite important to check the water supply system first, and then determine whether you can do something or not. Also, these two types of systems have their differences, and in that light, they are not reacting the same on the sudden loss of water pressure.
Next, you should check all faucets inside your home. This is quite important because if only one faucet is low on pressure, the problem is located there. On the other hand, if every possible faucet inside your house is low on pressure, then the problem is much worse.
That’s why you need to know exactly what are you dealing with.
Sudden Loss of Water Pressure – One Faucet
It happens quite often that only one faucet in your home suddenly loses water pressure. And, that means that the problem is probably in that faucet.
The most common cause of this particular problem is some kind of clog. But, what can suddenly clog the pipe and lower the water pressure inside one faucet? Well, in case the faucet is old, and your home has hard water, there might be a chance of a little piece of scale that had broken off.
That piece can easily block all the water ports and that will result in a sudden loss of water pressure.
So, how can you fix this kind of problem? Well, for that kind of repair, you will need to disassemble the faucet and properly clean it.
Also, when you are there, you can unscrew and clean the aerator as well. This will ensure that this faucet will no longer experience this kind of problems.
In most cases, that’s exactly the whole process of fixing a broken faucet that resulted in a sudden loss of water pressure.
Sudden Loss of Water Pressure – One Part of the House
The situation gets a bit worse if the water pressure drops suddenly at one whole part of the house. This means that one whole water line is blocked by something.
The most common cause for this blockage comes somewhere inside a pipe. And, in case you have steel pipes, and hard water runs through them, they will rust over time. The accumulated rust might get broken off and stuck somewhere inside the pipe, and that results in blockage.
Now, this is not a regular clog that you can dissolve with some kind of a strong solution or by hand. This is a very serious problem that can only be removed by a professional. That’s why you need to call your local plumber and let him do the job.
Municipal Water Supply – Whole House Losses Water Pressure Suddenly
In case your water pressure suddenly drops in the whole household, then you might be experiencing a glitch in the water supply system. This is a problem that you simply can’t fix. In other words, you can’t do anything to get your water pressure back to normal.
So, you can only wait until professionals solve the problem. Some of the most common things that can happen are:
- Broken water supply line few blocks away
- Water pressure regulator malfunctioning
- Decrease of water pressure by authorities
However, if the water pressure regulator is malfunctioning, then you can buy a new one and install it. That’s the only thing that can help you to increase water pressure when you are connected on municipal water supply.
House Connected on the Well – Sudden Drop of Water Pressure
For those that get their water from a well, experiencing a sudden drop of water pressure is not that strange. In most cases, this problem can be caused by lots of different reasons. However, it’s not always easy to fix the problem.
Nevertheless, you will need to check the pressure gauge that is located on the water pump. Now, it is quite important to know exactly how much PSI is the water flowing through your pipes. If the PSI is below 30 PSI, and the pump is not pumping at all, then you have a problem.
This is most likely caused by a malfunction of the pump or some kind of clog in the water supply line. But, it is best to call a plumber for this one as well. He is a professional who knows exactly how water pumps work.
Since there are different water pumps, it would be pointless to explain how to reset the pump. And, therefore, fixing this problem requires a professional.
Conclusion
A sudden drop in water pressure inside a house is quite annoying, especially if you are in the middle of your chores, like washing dishes. However, by knowing what causes this problem, you can always act on it.
That’s why we explained every possible scenario that can happen when water pressure suddenly drops below 20 PSI. Now, it is only up to you to decide how to fix it. In some cases, you can easily fix the problem, and on the other hand, a professional is required.
