Low water pressure: narrow it down before you call

One faucet or showerhead

Unscrew the aerator on the end of the faucet or remove the showerhead and look for grit and mineral scale. Soak it in vinegar or replace it. If a single-handle faucet is weak on both hot and cold, the cartridge may be clogged.

Hot water only

If cold is fine and hot is weak everywhere, look at the water heater: a partly closed valve on the cold inlet, sediment in the tank, or a failing dip tube. Water heater trouble.

The whole house

• Check the main valve. Make sure the main shutoff is fully open, especially after recent plumbing work.
• Ask the neighbors. If they have low pressure too, call your water utility. Main breaks, flushing and repairs can all drop pressure for a while. City of Newberry Utilities is at 803-321-1018.
• Pressure-reducing valve. Many homes have a bell-shaped regulator near where the line enters. When they fail, pressure can drop or climb.
• Old galvanized pipe. Steel pipe rusts from the inside until little water gets through. Repiping old pipes.
• A hidden leak. Water escaping underground reduces pressure at the taps. Find a leak.

What is normal?

The 2021 International Residential Code, which Newberry County uses for permits, requires static pressure of at least 40 psi at the building and no more than 80 psi; above 80 psi a pressure-reducing valve is required. A hose-bib pressure gauge from a hardware store costs little and tells you where you stand. Too high is a problem too: it wears out fixtures, supply hoses and water heater relief valves.

On a well

Well systems have their own pressure range, set by the pressure switch and the air charge in the pressure tank. If pressure surges and drops or the pump clicks on and off rapidly, the tank may be waterlogged or the switch failing. Well pump problems.