Low water pressure at home: causes and solution
A weak stream from the shower or a tap that won't come up to pressure? Low water pressure often has a simple cause — but sometimes it points to a leak or limescale build-up.
Water pressure can be low throughout the house or just at one tap. That difference helps identify the cause — from a clogged aerator to a leak in the pipe.
Why your water pressure is low
From simple to solve yourself to work for a tradesman.
One tap or everywhere?
One tap → local problem (aerator or tap). Everywhere → mains pipe, pressure regulator or a leak.
Scaled-up aerator
The filter on the tap gets clogged with limescale. Cleaning or replacing it often solves the problem immediately.
Silted-up pipes
Old galvanised pipes can scale up internally and restrict the flow.
Pressure regulator or stopcock
An incorrectly adjusted pressure regulator or a half-closed stopcock lowers the pressure in the house.
Hidden leak
A leak draws pressure from the system. Is the water meter running whilst everything is turned off? Then leak detection is needed.
Multiple taps at once
With a small pipe diameter or old installation, the pressure can drop if you use several taps at the same time.
Find the cause of low water pressure yourself, step by step
With a few simple checks you can often get quite far. You don't need any tools, just a bucket and some patience.
Check this first
- Is it everywhere or in one place? Turn on different taps, cold and hot. If only one tap or shower is weak, the problem is almost always in that tap, the aerator or the shower head.
- Is the stopcock fully open? After a job, the stopcock is sometimes only turned half open. Turn it fully open gently.
- Do the neighbours have it too? Ask around. If the whole street has low pressure, it may be a fault or maintenance work by the water company.
- Only hot water weak? Then the cause is often with the central heating boiler, the water heater or the gas water heater, for example due to limescale in the heat exchanger.
- Do the bucket test. See how long it takes to fill a bucket at the kitchen tap. Do it again after a repair and you'll see if it makes a difference.
What you can safely do yourself
Unscrew the aerator from the tap and put the shower head in vinegar or descaler. Rinse thoroughly afterwards. A water-saving shower head deliberately gives less water; that's not a fault. Also check whether there's a filter at the water meter or in the pipe that's dirty. If in doubt, leave it alone.
When a plumber is needed
- The pressure is low throughout the house while the neighbours have normal pressure.
- The water meter keeps running while all taps are off. Then water is leaking somewhere.
- You live in an older house with old pipes. Older properties sometimes still have lead or galvanised steel pipes that fur up from the inside.
- The pressure drops as soon as someone else in the house turns on a tap.
A plumber measures the pressure at the mains stopcock and at the taps. This shows where the pressure is being lost. He then replaces, for example, a faulty pressure regulator, a clogged tap or an old section of pipe. If there's a hidden leak, we first locate it using leak detection. If you live in a flat with a communal pressure booster, that's a matter for the owners' association (VvE) or the landlord. You can read more about pipework on the water mains page.
Related services
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Good to know
Short answers to questions we're often asked.
Ask if the neighbours also have low pressure and check on your water company's website if there is a fault. If it's only at yours, the cause is usually in your own pipes or taps.
Then the cause is often with the central heating boiler, water heater or gas water heater. Limescale in the heat exchanger or a dirty filter slows down the hot water. Have that checked by a tradesman.
Yes. A leak draws water and pressure out of the system. Turn off all taps and watch the water meter. If it keeps running, water is leaking somewhere and leak detection is advisable.
Sometimes. A limescale-clogged or water-saving shower head delivers less water. Descaling or fitting a different head will help. If the pressure is low at all taps, a new shower head won't solve it.
High-rise flats often have a communal pump that boosts the pressure. If it's not working properly, the upper floors will notice it most. Report it to the owners' association (VvE) or the landlord.
Need help in The Hague or the Randstad?
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