![]() ![]() ![]() 'Look under your kitchen sink or near the water heater and align the level of the valve parallel with the water pipe to fully open your water supply.' 4. ![]() 'Your water shut-off valve might not be fully open, especially after recent apartment building work or home renovations,' explains Audrey Monell. Plus, adjustable showerheads with different spray settings are great for customizing your shower to your liking. When shopping for a new showerhead for your walk-in shower, pay attention to the holes: fewer and smaller ones often mean a more powerful spray. 'For handheld showers, check in on your hose, as dents can impact the water pressure too.' Years of use can lead to limescale and mineral buildup that a simple cleaning can't fix, limiting the flow of water,' says Audrey Monell. 'If the cleaning does not suffice, it may be time to replace your shower head. You may also want to take advantage of this time to clean your bathroom and shower grout to get the space gleaming again. 'You can leave your showerhead submerged in vinegar for a few hours or soaked in a descaling solution, like CLR PRO Calcium, Lime and Rust Remover, from Amazon,' says Mark Collins, CEO of 1-800 Plumber +Air. Remove and clean your shower head and any screens in the fixture by soaking them in a mixture of white vinegar and water to remove mineral buildup and restore the original flow rate.' 'Removing a showerhead shouldn't typically require anything more than an adjustable wrench and should be within the abilities of any DIYer. 'The first thing that homeowners should always check is whether there is mineral buildup or other blockage in the shower head,' explains Hendrik Vandepoll, Master Plumber. There are a few quick fixes to try before calling out the experts: 1. Thankfully, you don't have to endure low water pressure for long. How to fix low water pressure in a shower For the best water flow, ensure all the valves, including your main shutoff and water meter valve, are fully open. This can happen after repairs or by mistake. It’s easy to overlook, but sometimes the valves in your plumbing system aren't fully open. But if it is bad, replacing the PRV would require calling a licensed plumber.' 4. There are gauges available to test the pressure, which a homeowner could invest in if desired rather than calling a plumber. ‘Your home has a Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) that reduces the pressure of the water coming into your home from your municipal supply line,’ explains Hendrik Vandepoll, Master Plumber. ‘Ideally, a shower would be supplied by a 3/4" pipe and valve, which (under similar conditions) can supply more than double the water flow of a 1/2" valve,' reveals Vandepoll. ‘Many showers, however, share a water source, the toilet, or other fixture and are only supplied by a 1/2" pipe.’ 3. Similarly, the size of your pipes may be causing low water pressure. This wear and tear can block the smooth flow of water to your shower and other fixtures, leading to a frustrating drop in pressure. Over time, pipes (especially metal ones) can wear down or even start to leak. Hendrik is a 32-year Master Plumber and co-owner of Service Force Plumbing, based in Rockville, Maryland. ![]()
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