Poor water pressure in kitchen

[milkmansdaughter]

Hi all,
We recently started getting poor water pressure out of our kitchen faucets. The shower in the bathroom works fine but gets a LOT of sediment and I have to constantly clean out the shower head. And lately, the hot water heater has been shutting off. I'm thinking our water heater needs to be drained. Im hoping it does not need to be replaced. Any suggestions of what to look for or how to restore the pressure in the kitchen (there is no screen at the end of the faucet, so if it is sediment blocking the pipe, it's further back in the pipe.) We checked, and saw no evidence of a leaky pipe under the house. Thanks in advance!

 

[Marianne]

My guess is that you're getting a lot of hard water sediment build up in the faucet, or even the plumbing to it.

We have really hard water - - well to filter to water softener to faucet...and STILL get build up. When we first moved out here, I was stunned at how much mineral deposits were in the critter water pans.

Oops, forgot to add that it might be the same problem with your water heater. There was one dumped at the back of our property that had two inches of sediment build up.

 

[Beekissed]

MMD, I'd drain and flush your HWT and then take your faucet apart...usually if you have sediment build up it's in the inner workings of your faucet, particularly if you have removed the screens already. Somewhere in the area where the water comes up into the faucet from your pipes and diverts into the faucet could lie the problem. May even need to replace the whole faucet to fix that or just clean out that valve.

If you have build up there, I'd also check any screens on your washing machine...or at least, check how the water flows in there also. If low flow, I'd clean all screens in hoses there also.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I had to soak the head for the faucet in our bathroom because the hard water deposits had almost completely clogged the holes. But that made the water spray out in every direction, not low water pressure.

I remember helping my Dad clean out our hot water heater once. He turned it off and drained it, then I spent about an hour with a piece of metal scraping the deposits out through the drain hole near the bottom. He had to replace the bottom heater element about 6 months later.

Good luck finding the cause of your low pressure.

 

[Mini Horses]

Do you have a pressure tank between well and house?

ANY chance the well is drying up? Most of us have had so much rain that ground is saturated but, if the well tip is bad, you may be getting junk that way.

Do you have an outlet near the well, in line before going into your house plumbing? If so, you could turn that on & let it run a few and see if pressure is good there....then pretty much leaves the well itself in good stead.

All other suggestions, yep..sounds like plan. Have fun.

 

[wyoDreamer]

The poor water pressure in the kitchen - is it both hot & cold water or just the hot?
If just the hot it may be a hot water tank issue.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

Both hot and cold, and we have city water, not a well.

 

[Mini Horses]

we have city water

WHAT?? You live "in town" With acreage? interesting.

Heck, I can't even get most internet where I am and I don't consider myself terribly "rural". No trash pick up, either. I mean nice little town 5 miles away, larger ones 20 and then over crowded 30 and beyond. Mail delivery at road though

 

[Lazy Gardener]

Check the shut off valves leading to the kitchen faucets. My son had this issue with his kitchen. New house, new faucet with integrated mixing valve in faucet. Good pressure everywhere else. He was getting ready to replace this faucet when they discovered that the shut off valve was only open part way.

 

[tortoise]

Check the shut off valves leading to the kitchen faucets. My son had this issue with his kitchen. New house, new faucet with integrated mixing valve in faucet. Good pressure everywhere else. He was getting ready to replace this faucet when they discovered that the shut off valve was only open part way.

I like the sound of this - easy free solution! I do not enjoy plumbing problems, they can be so.... complicated.