Troubleshooting Low Water Pressure

The other morning, I stepped into the washroom to brush my teeth, only to find out that the water wasn’t running like it normally does. The water pressure was really low – almost no water was running. So I tried the other faucets in the house. All of them had the same issue!

I went downstairs not knowing what to expect, as I heard water rapidly flushing out in our crawl space, non-stop! We were scrambling to remove all of the stored items. We had a large crawl space, so you can just imagine how much storage we had in there!

It was a disaster. I called the plumber because now our crawl space was really flooding. We had to find the water shut-off valve and turn it off. Where was it though?! This was something I should have found out before my dad left town. I had no idea. Scrambling around the home, I was finally able to minimize the water downpour by turning off the water shut-off valve. Finally, the plumber had arrived. Of course, a burst water pipe. How the heck did this happen? Pipe failure can occur from age, misuse or damage. For us, the burst pipe was because of our Polybutylene piping (Poly-B). Poly-B is a flexible plastic supply plumbing material that was in use in home construction between 1978 and 1995. Well, my home was built in 1995.

Restoration

The plumber had referred us to a restoration company but the cost would have just been way too much. So we restored the crawl space ourselves and called it “Project Let’s Get This Restored ASAP”. Taking all of the household’s towels, we lay them like tetris to soak up as much water as we could. For approx 400 sq ft crawl space, we rented 2 large fans and 1 dehumidifier. We had to create the most air movement. Four days later, the crawl space was restored.

Other Possible Causes of Low Pressure

– Frozen pipes. The cold weather can freeze your pipes, making them more likely to expand and burst.
– A partially closed valve.
– A faucet clogged by mineral deposits.

Read our previous blog posts for tips on how to maintain your home this winter season.

Protecting Your Property While You’re Away

Tips For Winterizing Your Home