shower Archives | A&A Plumbing

Do You Know Why Your Shower Has Low Water Pressure?

Few things are as annoying as stepping into the shower only to be met by a puny trickle of water coming from the showerhead. Weak water pressure makes showers take way longer than they should, but even after taking all that time, the soap or shampoo often doesn’t quite get rinsed off all the way, resulting in dry, itchy skin or limp, lifeless hair.

But as frustrating as the effects of poor water pressure can be, what makes it worse is not knowing what’s causing the problem. So this article will lay out a few possible reasons a shower might have low water pressure - and what to do about it.

A Brief Overview of Bathroom Plumbing

The first place to look when the shower pressure suffers is the bathroom’s other fixtures. In general, bathroom plumbing is connected, with pipes branching off from the main supply and drainage pipes and running to each of the fixtures. A clogged drain in the tub might also affect the sink or shower drains. But the same goes for the supply lines as well.

If the mineral scale has built up inside the pipes or some sort of debris (i.e., impurities or flakes of corroded metal) has made its way into the water lines, it can cause a loss in water pressure. If the bathtub or sink faucets also seem to have weak water pressure, one or more of the bathroom supply lines may be clogged.

Hidden Water Line Leaks

Another possible reason for low shower pressure is if there’s a leak in one of the water lines. Even a very small leak will allow pressure to escape from the supply system, diminishing the flow rate significantly. Hidden water leaks are one of the most common causes of water pressure issues, but this is a blessing in disguise - without the drop in water pressure, many small leaks might go unnoticed for much longer, steadily wasting water and potentially damaging the home.

A leak in any bathroom supply lines (or upstream) may affect other fixtures in the bathroom, but a leak in the shower plumbing itself may not, depending on the configuration. Unfortunately, shower plumbing isn’t always easy to get to and inspect for leaks, so hiring a leak detection service may be the best option.

Clogged Showerhead

Poor shower pressure is often caused by a mineral scale buildup in the showerhead itself. This is especially common in regions with hard water, which contains high levels of dissolved minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

While not necessarily harmful to ingest or bathe in, hard water can leave mineral deposits inside pipes and fixtures that can eventually build up enough to constrict water flow. This is one reason water lines may become clogged as mentioned above. This hard water scale is notorious for jamming up showerheads - it may even be visible as a sort of light-colored crust around the nozzle holes.

Removing the showerhead and soaking it in vinegar overnight is one easy home remedy for this, but it won’t solve the underlying problem. Very hard water can have other negative effects on the home, so homeowners may want to consider installing a water softener to remove the mineral content from their water supply. Homeowners can wave goodbye to low shower pressure for good!

About A&A Plumbing

The award-winning A&A Plumbing has been proudly serving San Antonio and surrounding areas since 2007. They offer up-front pricing, financing, personalized solutions, and a highly beneficial membership plan. Their friendly, trustworthy experts take pride in their cleanliness, attention to detail, and outstanding customer service, so homeowners can feel good about calling A&A for plumbing services in San Antonio, TX!

Shower Not Working? Fix It!

The bane of every homeowner is waking up in the morning to a shower that will not work. No matter what you do or how much you try, it backs up, will not drain, or won’t give you enough water to say so. Showers that don’t work are one of the worst things for a homeowner to deal with and they never pop up at a convenient time.

If this happens to you, you know what a frustration it is to have a shower that suddenly stops working. Keep reading for the best tips on keeping your shower flowing free, these even include cleaning your showerhead!

How Does Your Bathroom Plumbing Work?

If you find that you’re having problems with your shower backing up, the first place to check is the bathroom plumbing. While it may not sound apparently obvious, the plumbing that allows your shower to drain is connected to the rest of your bathroom plumbing and eventually connects to the main sewer line that leads to the city pipe leading out from your house.

If any part of your plumbing gets backed up, it could eventually block the drain pipes leading from your shower and cause your shower to stop draining. Sometimes giving your toilet a good plunge can free up any blockages and your shower will start draining freely once again.

Always Avoid Plumbing Issues With a Clean Shower

Sometimes the most overlooked part of a stopped-up shower is the shower itself. There are several places to check to ensure your shower is free of debris. First, check your showerhead. Over time, mineral deposits and hard water can form a crust inside the showerhead, reducing water flow. If this is the case, cleaning the hard water and mineral deposits will restore full flow through the showerhead.

Second, examine the drain cover. If you have a mesh strainer, chances are there’s a lot of hair in the strainer. Simply removing this will help your shower to drain like normal. Once you’ve looked at these two areas, move on to the next step in case your shower still isn’t working as it should.

Are There Leaking Pipes?

If your shower has low water pressure and nothing you do seems to change the way your shower works, you could have leaking inner pipes. Leaking pipes are a common cause of lowering the water pressure in your shower.

When water doesn’t flow through your pipes under full pressure, it will appear as if the shower isn’t working properly. The issue, however, is likely with the pipes that connect incoming water to the shower.

Any leaks will impact how much water reaches you through the showerhead. Check all pipes leading to the shower for signs of leaks. If you find a leak and fix it, you’ll probably fix the low water pressure in your shower, as well.

Reliable, Expert Plumbers

A & A Plumbing serves the San Antonio, TX, area for all their plumbing needs. They offer a full line of services including water heater installation, burst pipe repair, slab leak repair, and much more. They pride themselves in offering customers personal red-carpet attention on every call and the best value plumbing solutions available.

Tag: shower

Say Goodbye To Low Shower Water Pressure!