Is your kitchen faucet troubling you with low water pressure? People use the kitchen sink several times compared to other water fixtures in their homes. If the water pressure is less in the kitchen faucet, it’s truly an annoying thing. There could be copious causes behind the low water pressure in kitchen sinks. In general, the kitchen sinks discharge water at low pressure due to clogged aerator. Sometimes, this problem may arise due to pipe leakages, water line ruptures, and other repairs. To fix such problems, one must be aware of the potential causes in the first place. This guide gives you a detailed explanation on how to fix low water pressure in a kitchen faucet. Take a quick look!
Major Causes of Low Water Pressure in a Kitchen Faucet
Low Water pressure in kitchen sink faucets is one of the biggest problems that most people confront in their homes. Before trying to fix the low water pressure issues, you need to find out the main cause behind it. Do you know what causes low water pressure in a kitchen faucet? It is highly essential to figure out the main cause of low water pressure in your kitchen sink faucet. Some of the problems can be easily fixed without the need of a professional plumber. We furnished some of the potential causes of low water pressure in a kitchen faucet. Have a glimpse!
- Blocked Aerator
- Ruptured Water Line
- Pipeline leakages
- Water Shutoff Valves
- Jammed Cartridge
- Press Reducing Valve [PRV]
What is the Normal Water Pressure Range?
The normal water pressure that one can witness in a kitchen sink faucet ranges between 45 and 80 psi. If the water pressure is below 30 psi then, it indicates there is reduced pressure in the water flow. Using a water pressure gauge, you can assess the water pressure of your kitchen sink faucet.
How to Fix Low Water Pressure in a Kitchen Faucet?
At first, you must check whether your kitchen faucet is the only fixture that’s troubling you. Check the water pressure of different faucets present in your home. If the water pressure is normal everywhere then, it’s the problem with your kitchen faucet itself. With simple repairs, you can easily fix the low water pressure problem in your kitchen faucet. We provided the best ways to fix low water pressure in a kitchen sink faucet in this post. Check it out!
1. Clean the Faucet Aerator
A blocked aerator is one of the major causes of reduced water pressure from your kitchen faucet. An aerator is a tiny thing that comes with small holes. It is fixed to the end of the faucet that discharges water at a uniform level. The main benefit of an aerator is to prevent splashes and obstructs the debris present in water. It has the ability to filter the mineral deposits that usually comprises tap water.
Due to such sediments that get deposited in the aerator, it becomes clogged. Luckily, it’s quite simple to fix this clogged aerator problem without any hassle. One can easily fix the clogged aerator by cleaning it properly. By cleaning the aerator, you can revive the water pressure in most of the situations. Follow the simple steps to clean the aerator by removing the deposited debris.
- Remove the faucet aerator by turning it in a counter-clockwise direction. It can be done easily using your hand. Otherwise, you can use a plier to remove it.
- After that, separate the parts of the aerator and place it in a vinegar solution.
- Using an old toothbrush to clean the settled debris or mineral deposits in the aerator.
- If you soak the aerator in the vinegar solution overnight, it mostly removes the debris.
- If the sediments are too hard to come off, you can replace it with a new aerator.
2. Check Faucet Cartridge
If you are still worried about what causes low water pressure in a kitchen faucet, the jammed cartridge could be another cause. The cartridge is another important part of a kitchen sink faucet. When a faucet cartridge gets clogged, it leads to low water pressure in the sink. A cartridge usually regulates the flow of water that comes from the faucet. In simple terms, whenever you turn on the spout, the cartridge opens the valves letting the water come out. Compared to a faucet aerator, it’s pretty complicated to clean the faucet cartridge. However, we will help you in explaining the procedure to clean a cartridge here. Just read on the detailed guide below:
- First of all, lock the shut-off valve and release the water completely.
- You need to perform this activity to make sure that no balance water will be present in the pipeline.
- Shut down the sink’s stopper to ensure that no mineral deposits flee out into the drainage.
- Detach the handle cap with the help of a screwdriver.
- Remove the nut attached to the handle and pull out the cartridge.
- Place the cartridge in vinegar solution mixed with warm water.
- Let the cartridge soak in the solution for some time.
- Check whether the water pressure has improved or not after cleaning the cartridge. Still, the pressure isn’t normal or the cartridge is damaged, you can replace it.
3. Pipe Leakages
The water pressure may be reduced if there is any pipe leakage problem. One may not figure out the leaking pipes easily as they may not be visible. Try to look closely at the basement for any potential watermarks near the pipes. Perform a thorough checking near the faucets and at each connector for leakage issues. If you can’t find any leakage issues, try to use a water meter. You can do that by shutting off the water supply from the main valves. If the outcome is more on the water meter, it indicates your faucet has some leakage problem. Try to contact a plumber to get your pipeline repaired. In some cases, you may need to install a new pipe replacing the old damaged pipe.
4. Check the Pull-out Spray Head
If your kitchen faucet comes with a pull-out spray head, you need to check it as well. Sometimes, the water pressure problem may arise from the side of the pull-out spray head. To ensure that, try to remove it from the hose. Turn on the faucet and check the pressure. If there are any mineral deposits in the spray head, the flow might be reduced. To resolve this problem, simply clean the mesh using vinegar and warm water.
5. Water Line Disruptions
Waterline breaks may be caused every once in a while. It’s not so simple to find out this sort of problem. If you have low water pressure only with your kitchen sink faucet then, it could be likely due to water line rupturing. By taking meter reading, you can understand whether there is a break in the water line or not. You can take the meter reading only after closing all faucets and water pipes. After giving a gap of at least 4 hours from the 1st reading, take another meter reading. Notice the change in the readings. If there are changes then, it indicates that there is a specific leakage problem due to the water line break. In that case, the only solution is to contact an expert plumber to repair it.
6. Closed Shutoff Valve
Looking for a solution on how to fix low water pressure in a kitchen faucet? Just follow this guide to ensure you resolve the problem of reduced water pressure from your kitchen sink faucet. Shutoff Valve is situated under the kitchen sink. It closes the water flow that directs to the kitchen sink. There is no need of operating this shutoff valve every time.
As a result, increased mineral build-up might be formed near this valve. It eventually leads to leakages near the valve in some cases. Check the status of the shutoff valve. In case, your kitchen sink faucet has two shutoff valves [one for cold and another for hot water], check both. Rather than repairing the defective shutoff valve, just replace the valve. It’s pretty simple to replace the valve instead of fixing the older one.
- At the time of setting up a new shutoff valve, ensure that you turn off the main water line.
- Detach the water line that’s connected to the shutoff valve using a wrench.
- Turn the compression nut in an anti-clockwise direction and remove it.
- Take out the shutoff valve and replace a similar valve in the same place.
- After fixing the shutoff valve, tighten the nut making sure that your new shutoff valve is protected.
- Lastly, once again connect the water supply line and tighten the screws properly.
7. Check PRV
PRV is nothing but the Pressure Reducing Valve. It appears in a bell shape situated on the waterline. Try to make a slight adjustment to PRV to see whether there is any effect on the water pressure. By tightening the screw of this valve, the water pressure increases. To tighten the screw, just turn it in a clockwise direction. To reduce the pressure, simply turn the screw in an anti-clockwise direction to make it free. In case, the PRV valve has been damaged, just replace it.
8. Contact a Professional Plumber
If your kitchen sink faucet discharges both hot and cold water, you need to check the water heater. Sometimes, the reduced pressure of hot water in the kitchen sink could be due to mineral deposits in the water heater. In case, you confront this problem only with your kitchen faucet, it could be due to the blocked valves. Check the valves by opening them. Also, figure out whether there are any blockages in the hot water faucet’s cartridge.
A qualified plumber can resolve the reduced hot water pressure issue in your kitchen sink faucet. An experienced plumber will be able to implement effective methods in clearing the blockages. The plumber can assess the status of the water lines and heater. Based on the level of the problem, the plumber will decide whether to replace it or not.
Final Words
Hopefully, this guide on how to fix low water pressure in a kitchen faucet has is helpful. If you still have any doubts, drop them in the comments section. This in-depth guide has explained everything about the key causes and ways to fix the low water pressure in the kitchen faucet. Whenever you confront low pressure in your faucet, try to determine the potential cause of it. As mentioned earlier, the low pressure could be primarily due to a blocked aerator, malfunctioned cartridge, and water line blockages. Mostly, low water pressure issues can be resolved through simple DIY techniques as mentioned in this post. The need for an expert could be essential when the problem is too complicated. Stay tuned to this website to get more kitchen faucet related information.