Why Your Shower’s Water Pressure Is Low

Low water pressure in the shower can be frustrating, especially when you want to take a quick shower and rush off to work. Knowing the potential causes of the problem can help with the diagnosis and a fix. Here are some of the reasons you may be experiencing low water pressure in the shower:

The Shower head is Designed that Way

Your shower head may produce water at low pressure even if there is nothing wrong with your plumbing system. Some shower heads are designed to limit their water output as a way of dealing with water wastage. Shower heads are available in different designs, but some of them have washers with tiny openings that allow only a small volume of water to flow through. If you consider the pressure as too low for you due to this design parameter, the solution is to replace the shower head or increase the size washer opening.

The Shower head is Clogged

This is one of the most common causes of reduced shower pressure. As previously mentioned, the shower head is designed to limit the volume of water it sprays. Imagine how much this volume will be limited if there is debris blocking the tiny holes of the shower head. Several things may clog the shower head; examples include mineral deposits from hard water and rust particles from the plumbing pipes.

The Water Pipe is Clogged

It is not just the shower head that can be clogged; even the pipe leading up to the shower head can suffer the same fate. This is especially true if the water is hard and has been depositing minerals in the pipe for some time. Clogging can also be the case if the water pipes are corroded and the corrosion materials have constricted the diameter of the pipe. Clearing out the deposits or replacing the pipes may be necessary to solve the issue.

The Diverter Valve Is Malfunctioning

The function of the diverter valve is to control water flowing through the different outlets in the bathroom, such as the bathtub faucet and the shower head. Just like other parts of your plumbing system, this valve can malfunction and interfere with water pressure at the shower head. This may be the case, for example, if the valve's malfunction is diverting water from the shower head. In this case, you need a plumber to diagnose and fix the malfunction.

The Water Pipe is Damaged

Lastly, your shower head may also be experiencing reduced pressure because the pipe supplying it with water is damaged. Such damage in the pipe may leak some of the water and reduce the volume reaching the shower head, causing a drop in water pressure. Diagnosing the location of the leak may be difficult; call a plumbing professional as soon as possible to avoid hidden water damage in addition to normalizing your shower head's water pressure.


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