Water wells are susceptible to environmental changes that could leave you with low water pressure. The good news is that you can hire a professional to troubleshoot the problem. In some cases, your water pressure will return to normal on its own with little effort on your part, but in other circumstances, you may need to take drastic action to restore your well to a healthy flow.
Troubleshooting Water Pressure Problems
There are three principal causes of loss of water pressure in a home. Any one of these could cause your faucets and shower heads to perform with less force.
Increased Water Usage
Low water pressure can be due to the addition of increased water consumption from more people, appliances or rooms in the house. For instance, a new bathroom or a new irrigation system for the yard.
Drought
Sustained periods without rain or snow can leave your water well low on resources. Most wells can last a lengthy period without rain before drought results in a low pressure or yield problem, but if your well is already running low, even a small drought could leave you without water.
Mechanical Failures
Your water well relies on a pump, a pressure regulator, and clear pipes to function properly. Variable pressure regulators can accidentally be set to a lower water pressure. Sediment build-up on pipe walls could cause a partial blockage of your system.
These are the three top reasons for low water pressure. It is likely that you will notice low water pressure on and off for a period before it becomes a permanent problem in your household. You should contact a specialist as soon as you start noticing the issue to have it properly diagnosed before it becomes a more serious problem.
Restoring Water Pressure
There are several ways to improve your well's water pressure no matter what the cause of your problems. One of the most popular fixes is the addition of a constant pressure system. This system is meant to offset the heavy use of water by regulating the pressure of all kitchen, bath shower and outside fixtures consistently. This is done by keeping the pressure tank at a set level and continuing to draw water from the well to supplement the system. It is a quick and cost effective means of managing water pressure.
You may also want to have your pressure tank adjusted. The gauge on your pressure tank tells the pump when to draw more water from the well. If the threshold is too low, you could be outdrawing your tank unintentionally. You can set your pressure tank to a higher pressure, allowing your pump to draw water more freely and keep more water available to you up front.
In some cases, the problem may be with the well itself and not with the water pressure. This can cause a low flow situation where there is simply less water available to draw into the house. This may require extensive work including lowering your pump or deepening your well. Only a trained expert can accurately diagnose this condition. If you have turned up your water pressure at the regulator, but you still aren't getting much out at your faucets, it's a sign that the problem is bigger than just water pressure.
Low water pressure can be a frustrating problem for any homeowner, but it isn't always a sign of a costly repair. If the problem is just water pressure, there are many inexpensive ways to restore pressure to your faucets. However, if low water pressure is a symptom of low flow volume, you may need to consider more extensive work.
If you'd like to learn how to improve your home's water pressure, contact us. At Skillings & Sons, we service water wells. Our experts can determine the problem and will solve low water pressure problems.
