Water pressure issues will occur in the ownership journey of every home or property holder. While a plumbing contractor will tell you there is a science to what they do to identify water pressure problems, some of the tip-offs are quite obvious.

Leaking faucets, poor flushes of the toilet, and weak shower spray are all symptoms of water pressure problems. These issues can be caused by something as simple as a blockage in the faucet or something more serious like burst water pipes within the plumbing system. Here are 3 tip-offs that point to impending water pressure problems:

Low water pressure in the faucet

Check all the faucets in the house to see the amount of water pressure in each. This should include the faucets in the:

• Kitchen

• Bathroom

• Toilet

• Outdoors

• Basement

In addition, turn on both the cold and hot water to rule out trouble with your water heater if only the hot water is problematic.

Water Leaks

Check the areas with significant plumbing for leakages. The most obvious places, to begin with, are the bathroom, toilet, underneath the kitchen sink, and in the basement. You can tell if your toilet is leaking by placing a dye into the water in the tank and leaving the toilet unflushed for at least an hour. If you find the colored water in the bowl, there is a leak in your tank.

Also, check the service meter after every hour to see if there is a change in the readings. A change indicates that you have a leak in your service line.

Dripping sounds are an indicator of minor leaks but bigger puddles are a point of major concern as they are generally a sign of substantial damage to the water pipes.

Poor Performance of Valves or the Pressure Regulator

Check the pressure regulator and supply valves. A faulty pressure regulator will either allow too much pressure into the pipes or reduce the pressure drastically. The pressure regulator is a gadget that controls the input of pressure coming into your plumbing system. It regulates the pressure of the water to safe and manageable levels that your pipes can handle.

You can tell a pressure regulator is faulty if the reading on the gauge exceeds the normal setting of 60 psi. The normal reading should be set between 45 to 50 psi although some people prefer to set it to as high as 75 psi or as low as 25 psi.

Valves, on the other hand, are fixtures that allow the water to flow into the various faucets. While they have nothing to do with the regulation of the water pressure they can suffer blockages or mechanical malfunctions which will affect the pressure of water reaching the faucets

Failure of the pressure regulator manifests itself in all the water outlets in the house while a problem with a valve will affect the specific faucet supplied by the valve.

A plumbing contractor is always the best option when it comes to fixing water pressure repair issues, magnitude notwithstanding. Not only will they properly diagnose the problem and have the equipment to rectify it, they also have liability insurance that will protect your property from any damage as they work on it.

However, before calling in one, it is important to ascertain that you really do have issues with your water pressure. These tips are a sure way to do that.