How to Diagnose & Repair Poor Water Pressure or Lost Water Pressure at Buildings
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How to diagnose loss of water pressure or loss of water in a building - both municipal water supply and private well systems are addressed
How to decide if water pump pressure control switch or water pump replacement is needed
How to decide if water tank replacement is necessary
Typical cost of various well, pump, and water tank repairs
Questions & Answers on diagnosing and fixing poor water pressure or on running out of water completely - what to do if the well runs dry
Troubleshooting building water pressure problems: How to fix bad water pressure or loss of water pressure in buildings: this article describes how and why to distinguish among intermittent water pressure loss, total water pressure loss, and poor water pressure or flow in a building. We give diagnostic and repair procedures for both municipal water supply problems and well water supply problems. If you don't see information you want, ask us for it using the comments box at the end of this article.
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How do we diagnose poor water pressure or loss of water pressure in a building, and what are the common causes and repairs for this problem?
The process of lost water pressure diagnosis in buildings and the costs of the water pressure problem repairs are explained. Consumer advice on saving money on water supply repair costs includes a review of the parts and labor costs of a typical well pump and pressure tank replacement case. The page top sketch, courtesy of Carson Dunlop, shows five factors that affect the water pressure and flow in a building. What the sketch has not included are water pressure, quantity, or flow problems that originate at the well, well pump, or water pressure tank. We discuss all of these here.
Below is our comprehensive guide to diagnosing bad water pressure. Our complete list of water pressure problem diagnosis & repair articles is at the end of this page.
If you have no water pressure at all, see No Water Pressure and see the other water pressure diagnostic articles listed just below.
If your water pressure is intermittent, starts and stops, or varies in pressure, see Water Pressure Intermittent and see the other water pressure diagnostic articles listed just below.
If there is some water pressure but the pressure and/or flow or water quantity are poor see these diagnostic articles:
Keep in mind that if water is running elsewhere in the building (another shower, sink, dishwasher, clothes washer, garden hose, etc) then the water pressure you will observe at your location will usually be reduced.
If you have good cold water pressure but not enough hot water pressure or hot water quantity, see HOT WATER IMPROVEMENTS
If you have good water pressure at some fixtures but not at others, you probably have a clog in building piping (such as due to mineral deposits, rust, or even excessive solder in new work), or mineral and debris clogged strainers at faucets and shower heads (check these first). Also see Water pipe clog diagnosis and Water pipe clog repair guide.
Quick Guide to Diagnosing Poor Municipal Water Supply Pressure
For our full article on diagnosing poor municipal water pressure see MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS. A summary giving excerpts of some bad city water pressure or flow diagnostic steps is just below.
Double check that there is no burst pipe or leaks in the building interior water piping
Check to see if there are leaks or crimps in the water supply pipe between the building and the city water main in the street, and that there and no water running elsewhere before going on to more complicated water pressure diagnosis steps.
Listen for water supply service entry piping or water main leaks: If your water is from a municipal supply and if you can turn off water right at the entry to your building, you can then listen to the piping - you may discover that there is an underground water main supply leak outside!
Check municipal water supply main pressure and flow: Ask your plumber to measure the incoming water pressure and flow before the water pressure regulator,or with the pressure regulator set wide open. Since bad water pressure or flow can be a piping problem rather than a supply quantity problem, also see PIPING IN BUILDINGS, Clogs Leaks Types and PLASTIC PIPE LEAK CAUSES.
Water supply piping buried outdoors must be bedded in clean sand. Where copper water supply pipes have been buried in gravel, contractors find that over time the gravel, perhaps moving by frost or water passage through the soil, actually works against the metal water piping to create multiple holes and leaks in the water main.
Poor incoming city water pressure from a community or municipal water supply? How to boost water pressure in a building by installing a pressure booster pump and pressure tank for buildings whose incoming water pressure is too low or intermittent is discussed in detail at WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER PUMP
Poor city water pressure due to building height? How to boost water pressure in a building by installing a pressure booster pump and pressure tank for tall buildings is discussed in detail at WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER PUMP
Poor water pressure just at certain plumbing fixtures? poor cold water pressure, hot water pressure, or both hot and cold water pressure or flow that is observed just at some plumbing fixtures in a building while flow and quantity are good at others suggests that the water flow or pressure problems are local to certain runs of supply piping or to the specific fixtures. Details are at MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS.
Poor hot water pressure: if hot water pressure is noticeably worse than cold water pressure and flow, the problem may be due to sludge in the water heater or mineral-clogged piping or tankless coil (TANKLESS COILS). A water softener (WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS) won't fix mineral-clogged piping, but once that problem has been taken care of, it can prevent future clogs. See CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPES, HOT WATER.
Variations in building occupancy levels: Where building demand for water flow varies widely, a single pressure reducing valve may not be able to handle the maximum water demand flow rate. This condition occurs at buildings where there is a large water supply main to an apartment or office building whose water demand can vary enormously (0.5 gpm to 100 gpm) depending on the building occupants. Watts and other pressure reducing valve producers recommend a nice solution to this problem. As we explain atWATER PRESSURE REDUCER / REGULATOR, parallel pressure reducing valves are sometimes installed to correct this difficulty.
Take These Extra Steps to Boost City Water Pressure & Flow at a Building: after first diagnosing the problem and ruling out the leaks, crimps, or repairs needed by the steps we have described above, you can adjust the water pressure regulator, install a water pressure booster pump in the building, or install larger diameter water service or in building water supply piping. Details are at MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE IMPROVEMENTS.
Quick Guide to Diagnosing Poor Well Water or Pump Water Pressure or Flow
Our full diagnostic article for private well water pressure and flow problem diagnosis is at WELL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS. Separately we also provide a WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE in table format listing nearly every cause of water pressure loss or well pump problem identification, diagnosis, and repair.
The following articles pertain if you have a private well, pump, and tank system for your building or if your incoming community water supply pressure and flow are just too low to start with:
Water Tank Problems? See Water Pressure Tank Problems. Examples of water tank problems include poor water pressure or the well pump rapidly turning on and off (short cycling).
Water pump problems? Examples of water pump problems include poor water pressure or no water pressure at all, or water pump won't start, won't stop, or fails to develop adequate water pressure. See
WATER PUMP RELAY SWITCH - submersible pump has stopped working, or won't start - for pumps that use a separate heavy duty relay switch in addition to the pressure control switch
Poor water pressure or no water pressure after an electrical power loss, lightning strike, or storm? Water pressure may be lost entirely following a power loss or electrical storm or lightning strike. Check first for a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker. A lightning strike can also damage electrical wiring supplying a submersible pump, or it may damage the pump itself.
Water piping or well piping problems? If your water pump keeps losing prime, a shallow well jet pump well line could have a bad foot valve (in the well WELL PIPING FOOT VALVES) or there may be a bad check valve on well piping at or near the water tank or near the above-ground water pump (CHECK VALVES, WATER SUPPLY) and so be losing prime. A leak in the well line piping itself (WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS) can also lead to loss of prime.
Well Problems? Do you run out of water or after running water for some interval water pressure and flow are poor? Well problem diagnosis starts at WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS. Other indications of a well that is running dry include reduced water flow rather than complete stoppage of water flow, or the water may be dirty. Before assuming that there is no water in the well, check to see if the water pump is working properly, including loss of pump prime (WATER PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE) and a bad or leaky well piping foot valve (WELL PIPING FOOT VALVES).
Bad water pump or water tank pressure regulator control? See WATER PRESSURE REDUCER / REGULATOR (not usually installed on private well and pump systems, often present on municipal water supply systems that use an in-building local water pump and pressure tank to boost pressure). Before adjusting a well pump pressure control switch (WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH), changing building piping, or considering installing a water pressure booster pump (WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER PUMP), it is essential to understand what the incoming water pressure is and exactly why the building water pressure is not satisfactory. Start at the beginning of this article: WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR. Water pump pressure regulator switch diagnosis and repair steps include these:
How to Adjust Water Pump Pressure: The detailed, step by step procedure for inspecting and adjusting the water pressure control switch is
discussed in detail at ADJUST PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL.
Diagnosing Water Pump Short Cycling on and off: If your water pump is clicking on and off too often or quite rapidly see SHORT CYCLING.
Diagnosing Water Pressure Drops without explanation when the pump stops, see Water Pressure Falls Slowly, Erratic Pumping: bad pressure control switch, building water running or leak, bad pressure gauge, bad check valve, bad foot valve.
Diagnosing & Repairing Lost Air in the Water Tank: The problem of lost air in the water pressure tank along with how to correct that condition are discussed
beginning at SIGNS OF AIR LOSS.
Diagnosing & Repairing a Water Pressure Control or Water Pump Control Switch: We discuss diagnosing and repairing a water pressure control switch that sticks "on" or "off" or simply won't operate, at water pump Pressure Switch Repairs.
Bad Hot Water Pressure? See HOT WATER IMPROVEMENT especially if the building cold water pressure is acceptable but hot water pressure and flow are poor. Accumulated debris in a water heater, and debris from a corroded or disintegrating hot water tank dip tube or hot water tank sacrificial anode can also block the hot water outlet opening, resulting in low hot water pressure in a building.
Bad water pressure & flow: clogged pipes due to mineral deposits, silt, solder blobs, sediment collecting in elbows or in long horizontal runs, or even a damaged water control valve or faucet. First check for differences in water pressure at different fixtures; remove fixture strainers, washing machine strainer, to see if water flow improves. See See Bad water pressure Clogged Pipes & Water pipe clog repair guide for details.
Problems with water treatment equipment can cause loss of water pressure or no water flow: a clogged water filter, water softener, or a malfunction in water disinfection or other water treatment equipment can cause a reduction in water pressure or even a complete stop in water flow in a building. Iron sediment or even dirt and silt can collect in water treatment equipment such as a water softener or water conditioner resin tank, causing poor building water pressure. See SOFTENER CLEANING & SANITIZING.
Our full diagnostic article for private well water pressure and flow problem diagnosis is at WELL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS.
Separately we also provide a WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE in table format listing nearly every cause of water pressure loss or well pump problem identification, diagnosis, and repair.
Frequently-Asked Questions (FAQs) on diagnosing and fixing poor water pressure or on running out of water completely - what to do if the well runs dry
Question: we can't figure out what's wrong with our well
Can't find thge problem with my well. I have had professionals out and replaced the pump but to no avail it is still slow and does not produce like it once did. I need help and do not know what to do. San Lorenzo Ca.
Reply:
If you are now confident that the well pump and pump controls are functioning correctly you need to determine if the problem is the well itself or a clog or valve problem or leak in the water piping. Take a look at the diagnostic questions above, or start at the WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR or see our water pressure troubleshooting guide in table form at WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE -
Question: water pressure is OK at some places and terrible at others
cold water pressure ok in kitchen but very little from bath and bathroom sink - Tommy
Reply: bad water pressure at just some fixtures points to a closed valve or clogged faucet strainer, shower head, toilet fill valve, or water supply piping at those devices
Tommy:
If you have good water pressure in some house areas and not others, that's a good indication that it's not a system problem (bad pump, well, well piping) but a more localized problem such as
- a shutoff valve that is partly closed
- a clog in water supply piping such as due to a solder blob at a connection or a mineral deposit
- a simple thing like a clogged sink faucet strainer - if both cold and hot water supply flows are equally poor, START by removing the faucet strainer and see what happens to the water flow then.
Question: watering the horses is leaving us with no water pressure in the house
Approximately 1 year ago, I let a friend bring his horses up to graze my ten acres. He and his wife come over almost daily to "water" them. I have a hose that runs directly from the pump house in which they use to water their horses. Thing is, when they are watering outside, no water runs inside. For instance like this morning, I went to brush my teeth before leaving for work and there was no sink water! I looked outside and there was my friend's wife with the pump house cover open, watering her horses. Situations like this occur frequently.
I do not recall this ever happening in the past before they brought up their horses. I would water the front lawn through the hose in the pump house and the water would not shut off in the house, maybe a little pressure was lost however.
What is causing this? Any help would greatly be appreciated as it is no fun standing in the shower with shampoo in hair and having the water shut off until they are done watering their horses!
Thank you so much for your time and attention.
- P.L.
Reply: Are the horses drinking the well dry?
A competent onsite inspection by an expert usually finds additional clues that help accurately diagnose a problem and can help sort out whether a water supply problem is due to the pump, piping, pressure tank, controls, or due to a problem in the well itself.
That said, here are some things to consider:
If your horse waterer is doing nothing new, that is if she has not changed the water quantity she is using or how fast she's running it, then something in the well or equipment has changed, possibly lower well water flow rate.
Ask your friend, when she's using your well to waterer horses, to run water into the watering trough (you are using a watering trough, no?) more slowly,
Take a look at the plumbing connections for that hose; it sounds as if the hose is getting priority of water delivery as it is connected closer to the pump and tank than your house plumbing. Try putting a restricting valve in the line just ahead of where the hose is connected (to force the friend to run water more slowly) and see if that helps;
Also ask her to conserve water - she may be helping run the well dry or if the water table has dropped and your well simply has a poor flow rate and poor total water quantity, the added water removal load of horse watering is now just too much.
Check the well flow rate or recovery rate so that you know what's going on.
Install a larger water pressure/water storage tank so that you can keep a larger reservoir of water on hand for morning use.
Question: The well pump never shut off, now we have no more water at all. Could it be due to drought?
I have a private well, I noticed low water pressure in the indoor faucets. However the faucet (water hose connection) closes to the well had more pressure. I changed the connections (pvc) from the well to the pump and bladder tank; changed the pump switch. I had slightly better pressure for about ten minutes. The pump never did shut off. Now there is no more water being pumped. Could this be because of the area drought (well dry?) or did I break something? Please help! Big problems. - Tom
Help! Our pressure tank will lose all pressure, and the pressure switch and pump will come on only momentarily. It comes on, then off, then on again 2 to 3 minutes later. If we use no water, then it will gradually rebuild pressure and be fine for 8 - 10 hours, then we run out of water again. We had this problem about 5 months ago and I replaced the pressure switch and double-checked the wiring in the well lid (loose) and it seemed to be fixed. The problem has resurfaced now and so far I've double-checked the wiring and replaced the filter. Any advice? - Randy
Reply: Diagnosing loss of water in the well - running out of well water
Tom,
It sounds like a low yield well and drought problem could explain your loss of water pressure; you can perhaps confirm that if you can open the well casing top and use a string and float or float + weight to sound the top and bottom of the water column versus the bottom of the well.
Randy:
regarding a water tank losing pressure ,if you are not running water you may have a bad check valve, foot valve, or piping leak; Try shutting off the water valve feeding the house and then watch the pressure gauge; if it drops, there's a leak. But your observation that if you let the well "rest" for 8-10 hours you then have water is a very strong suggestion that the root problem is loss of yield in your well - your well is simply running out of water.
What to do if you suspect your well is running dry?
Take a look at How Much Water is In the Well? for procedures for determining the current yield of your well and other key measurements.
Question: why did we lose all water pressure after we left town for a few days, having left the pump switch or pressure switch turned OFF?
My husband and I went out of town for 2 days and when we returned, all water pressure in our home had reduced at least by half or more when it use to be great. Both with hot and cold water the pressure has reduced with no real difference between the two. I checked the well and the pressure on the gauge is around 23 to 25 psi (No water was on when checked). I turned the pressure control switch off (there is a little metal switch where turned down is ‘auto’ and turned up is ‘off’) and the pressure stayed the same on the gauge.
I turned the switch back on. There is a spigot on the well and when I turn it on, the water coming out has nice pressure and the pressure gauge still shows around 23 to 25 psi with no drop, but I only ran the water for a few minutes. I tapped on just about everything on the well and then went back into the house. I ran some water in the bath tub and other faucets and noticed sand and rust like materials coming out with the water which was still with low pressure.
Another thing I'd like to note is the water pressure seems to stay constant with no increase or decrease when it's on anywhere in the house. The only time debris came out was after I went down and tapped on the pipes around the pressure control box. We just moved into the home 6 months ago and all faucets and the well had been de-winterized for at least a year or more. Does anything think I might need to clean all the pipes around the well since tapping them seemed to have released some debris? I don’t think I have a leak anywhere, but I could be wrong as I am fairly new to being a well user. What other suggestions does anyone have to increase my water pressure? The doublewide we moved into was built in 2001 and I believe the home and well were built the same year so everything is no older than 10 years. - Kellie B from Gastonia, NC
Reply: power off can lead to lost well prime; also check for debris clogging
Kellie,
I'd take a look at the lost water pressure diagnosis suggestions beginning in the article just above. You don't want to start buying parts or changing the pressure control switch before we diagnose the cause of the trouble.
It's possible that debris in the water has clogged the sensor opening on the pressure control switch, causing it to be slow or incorrect in sensing water pressure. Make a note of when the pump comes on in relation to the dropping water pressure. Watch the pressure gauge. If water pressure is dropping below the cut-in pressure on the pressure control switch (typically 20 psi or 30 psi) and the pump is not turning on, that may be the trouble.
A second common cause of lost water pressure after power has been off to the pump is that there is a bad foot valve in the well or bad check valve anywhere in the well piping system.
When power is on and the check valve lets water drain back into the well, the pressure drops and the pump comes on and recovers before it has lost prime. But when electricity remains off for some time all prime is lost and when you turn power back on, an above-ground pump can't recover its prime. (A submersible pump may do so but you'll also note excess air in the water piping for a time.)
Questions & Answers regarding this article
Questions & Answers on diagnosing and fixing poor water pressure or on running out of water completely - what to do if the well runs dry.
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Thanks to Jeneral Sewer Service - George - 845-297-2285, a New York Hudson Valley drain and sewer cleaning and de-clogging expert for technical details and consulting on drain clog diagnosis and repair, including proper use of the Kinetic Water Ram for drain clearing - 3/14/2009
Thanks to our reader, Carole Cimitile, 2/17/2009, for reminding us that small problems like faucet o-rings, clogged faucet strainers and similar local plumbing fixture defects can have a big impact on hot water flow, cold water flow, or both hot and cold water flow and pressure problems.
Thanks to reader EK Woodard, Boise State University, Boise ID, for assistance in diagnosing poor water pressure following an electrical power loss.
3/14/2010
Betta-Flo Jet Pump Installation Manual, National Pump Co., LLC., includes helpful well pump troubleshooting tips as well as basic jet pump installation details. Web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://www.nationalpumpcompany.com/Documents/OIM/Betta%20Flo%20IOM%20Jet%20Pump.pdf
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 2010, $69.00 U.S., is available from Carson Dunlop, and from the InspectAPedia bookstore. The 2010 edition of the Home Reference Book is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. InspectAPedia.com ® author/editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume.
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