Having a sudden drop in the water pressure of your home can be a frustrating and inconvenient issue. There are a few common reasons why water pressure may drop suddenly. Depending on the issue at hand, the solution may require the assistance of a professional plumber.
Faulty Fixtures
Faulty plumbing usually manifests in a single room or fixture and water pressure in other rooms will be normal. In this case, it is usually the fault of the pipes or the fixture itself. Most plumbing pipes are galvanized steel or copper. Over time these metals can rust or corrode leading to weaker connections and cracks that cause leaks. A plumber will usually be needed to fix this issue.
If the fault of the water pressure loss is not related to the pipes themselves, but is instead due to broken, clogged or otherwise faulty fixtures, the solution may be considerably easier to fix and can generally be done without the help of a plumber. In order to inspect the faucet for a clog or break, you will need to turn off the water valves below the sink and disassemble the faucet itself. Check the faucet hoses and connections for breaks, or shine a light through the hoses to see if a piece of calcium has caused a clog.
Municipal Water Pressure
A sudden water pressure drop throughout the entire house could be caused by your municipal water supply. This could be due to an accident causing damage to a water main line or fire hydrant in the area nearby.
In order to test the mains pressure, you can either contact your municipal department to ask if there are any known issues, or install a water pressure regulator onto the line to see what psi you can reach.
If your water regulator does not change its psi, the cause of the pressure drop is most likely due to an issue on the supplier side. Your local municipal department will be able to tell you if there are any issues they are working through, or will be alerted to a potential new issue in your area.
Leak in the System
If your water supply comes from a well instead of a municipal water supply in your city, a sudden drop in pressure may either mean a tripped breaker or a broken water line. Either issue will require the assistance of a professional plumber.
A tripped breaker will cause the pump to stop working and will require it to be reset. If a breaker has not been tripped and the pump is still working, a broken line may be to blame. Check the ground around your well for any soggy spots that can give you an idea of where the break in the line may be.
Another potential issue may be a faulty seal around the pump or supply plumbing pipes. Regardless of the issue, contacting a local plumber can get the issue taken care of quickly.
