Leaks and taps · Naples and Campania
Low water pressure at home: causes and what to do
If the water only trickles, the first question is: does it happen at one tap or throughout the house? Almost everything depends on that, because an aerator full of limescale and a stopped building booster pump are very different problems. We work it out together on a video call, often without needing a visit.
Quote before we start about 1 hour 30 minutesFinding the leak and repairing it, with a quote before we break anything open
Recognise the problem
- Water comes out weakly from every tap in the house
- Only the shower has low pressure, the sink is fine
- Cold water arrives well, hot water only trickles
- Pressure drops early in the morning and in the evening
- On the upper floors of the building water arrives worse than on the lower floors
- The washing machine takes a long time to fill or gives a fill error
The most common causes
- 1
Clogged aerators and shower heads
The aerator is the small filter screwed onto the tip of the tap. With the hard water of many parts of Naples it clogs with limescale within a few months, and the same happens to the tiny holes of the shower head.
- 2
Valve only partly open
After some work a valve under the sink or the main valve can be left half open. A quarter turn is enough to lose much of the water.
- 3
Pressure reducer or filter after the meter
In some systems, after the meter, there is a reducer (a valve that lowers the mains pressure) and a filter that catches sand and rust. If the filter is dirty or the reducer is set low, the whole house suffers.
- 4
Building booster pump or mains
In tall buildings water reaches the upper floors thanks to an autoclave, a pump with a tank that pushes water upwards. If it fails, or if the utility is working on the network, pressure drops for everyone.
- 5
Hot water side
If only the hot water is weak, the bottleneck is often the water heater or the boiler heat exchanger (the part where the water is heated) full of limescale, or the mixer cartridge clogged on the hot side.
What you can safely check yourself
- Ask a neighbour, ideally on the same floor: if they also have little water, the problem is in the building or the mains and not in your home.
- Unscrew the aerator by hand, or with pliers wrapped in a cloth so as not to scratch it, leave it for a few hours in white vinegar, rinse it and refit it.
- Open the same tap first on hot and then on cold: if only one of the two weakens, the cause is on that side.
- Check that the main valve and the small valves under the fixtures are fully open: the levers must sit parallel to the pipe.
- Time how long a 10-litre bucket takes to fill in the kitchen and in the bathroom: it is a simple figure that helps us compare the points of the house.
Never open the boiler or the gas water heater, and always switch off the power before touching an electrical appliance. If in doubt, call us.
When you need a technician at home
- Pressure is low in the whole home but your neighbours are fine
- The pressure reducer needs adjusting or replacing
- Old galvanised iron pipes are encrusted and must be redone in sections
- Hot water only trickles and the boiler or water heater exchanger needs descaling
Low pressure in the whole house
When all the taps are equally weak, the problem is upstream: main valve, filter, pressure reducer, incoming pipe or public mains. The first check is to ask the neighbours, the second is to look at notices from your utility, which usually reports planned works and interruptions.
If the building has an autoclave and pressure is missing only on the upper floors, or comes and goes, the fault is probably there: the pump, the pressure switch (the switch that starts the pump when pressure falls) or the tank. It is a shared system, so the administrator must be told.
In homes with galvanised iron pipes, over the years the inside of the pipe narrows with rust and limescale. No cleaning works there: the worst section is replaced, usually the one that carries water to the bathroom and kitchen.
Hot water not reaching the shower
If in the shower cold water comes out well and hot does not, look first at the mixer. The cartridge or the thermostatic valve (the mixer that holds a fixed temperature) have small filters on the inlets that clog with limescale.
If hot water is weak throughout the house, the bottleneck is where the water is heated: a scaled-up boiler heat exchanger or water heater. Under some boilers there is also a filter on the cold water inlet that needs cleaning.
A boiler that gives little hot water, or that switches off while you wash, can also have other causes. You will find them on the page about the boiler that does not give hot water.
Want to know what it is first? Show us
On a video call we compare the taps in the home, hot and cold, and check the valves and the pressure reducer, if there is one. We guide you to unscrew the aerator and shower head and to check the main valve. If the problem is in the building, we tell you what to report to the administrator.
Video consultation, up to 15 minutes: €9.90 (€14.90 on Sundays), deducted from the bill if we then come to your home.
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Frequently asked questions
Why is the water pressure low in my whole house?
The most frequent causes are a main valve that is not fully open, a dirty filter or pressure reducer, a faulty building booster pump or works on the mains. If your neighbours have the same problem, the cause is not in your home.
Is the aerator in vinegar really enough?
For limescale, yes, in most cases. Leave it to soak for a few hours, then brush the little holes with an old toothbrush. If it is damaged it costs little to replace: take the old one to the hardware shop for the size.
Can low pressure depend on the building's booster pump?
Yes, especially on the upper floors. If pressure comes and goes, or is missing for everyone at the same time, report it to the administrator: the autoclave is a shared system and its maintenance is the condominium's concern.
How much does it cost to solve a pressure problem?
It depends a lot on the cause, so we do not quote figures in advance. Often it is enough to clean an aerator or open a valve, and the 9.90 € video call is the only cost. If a reducer or a section of pipe has to be changed, we tell you the price before we begin.
Why is pressure low only in the morning and evening?
Those are the hours when the whole neighbourhood uses water, and the mains or the booster pump struggle more. If the drop is large or gets worse over time, it is worth reporting to the utility or the administrator.
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