One fixture only
- Clogged aerator or shower head
- Partly closed fixture shut-off valve
- Worn cartridge
Whole house
- Main valve not fully open
- Pressure reducing valve failing
- Narrowed galvanized pipe in older homes
- A leak somewhere on the system
- Service line problems
Checks you can do
- Clean the aerators and shower heads.
- Make sure the main valve is fully open.
- Ask a neighbour whether their pressure is low too.
- Do a meter test for leaks.
When the Region is involved
If several homes on your street have low pressure, call the Region of Peel. Watermain work can cause temporary drops.
Pressure reducing valves
Some Brampton homes have a pressure reducing valve on the main line, a brass, bell-shaped body sitting right past the main valve. Over time these can fail and reduce flow sharply, or fail open and let pressure climb too high. A simple pressure gauge that screws onto a hose bib tells you the number. Most homes are comfortable somewhere around 50 to 70 psi.
Hot-side-only weak flow is a separate clue. Suspect a half-shut heater valve, sediment in the tank outlet, or a failing mixing valve rather than a city supply problem.
Rather hand it over? Our plumbers handle toilet installation and water softener installation along with everything else on our residential plumbing list.