Water supply is playing important role in the life of every person, because everyone uses a toilet, shower or bath. You also cannot do without water in the kitchen when you need to wash dishes or prepare a delicious dinner. But the supplied pressure does not always meet the needs of residents. Why is this happening? Water flows poorly from the mixer, covering a long path through pipeline networks. And any breakdown or leak in any section of this line can affect the pressure. The problem can also arise in the home itself.
If water does not flow well from the faucet, then this indicates a problem in the pipeline system
The role of high-quality and uninterrupted water supply
Anyone knows that when water does not flow from the tap in their own apartment or house, it brings great discomfort. Especially if the problem drags on for a long time. And does not matter, hot water flows weakly from the tap or cold, or even both. Due to the lack of water supply, people themselves suffer. Any modern household or simple home rests on “two pillars” - electricity and water. And the absence of at least one completely disrupts the rhythm of life.
It’s difficult without water: cooking food and then washing dishes, rinsing cistern toilet, take a shower or bath, wash things. The risk of such problems requires certain actions from a person. The first thing you need is to store a water supply. The second is awareness of such a failure. After all, the problem is not always highway failures. Water may not flow due to internal housing problems. And understand such important things very important. After all, only he himself suffers from this.
Causes of poor water pressure or lack thereof
Man is accustomed to living comfortably in every sense of the word. And even he himself may not notice it, because many things have become everyday. The same thing happens with water. When it flows poorly, the first thing that happens to a person is nervousness.
After all, it takes longer to wait until a pan, kettle or other container is filled. And this often throws you out of mental balance, especially when all household chores require a rush. Sometimes it is possible to eliminate the breakdown. It all depends on the location of the expected breakdown and its nature. Most often, water does not flow or has poor pressure for the following reasons:
Faucet clogged
Clogged filter nozzle - common reason weakening the water pressure
Almost every modern faucet has a special filter located at the end of the so-called “gander”. It traps rust particles and can weaken the pressure over time. This particular problem is easy to identify. If any other mixer copes with its task better, then the accident is often associated with a clog of this liner.
Clogged filters on the pipe
A frequently occurring problem similar to a clogged faucet aerator.
Plug in the pipe
Often occurs when using old metal pipes. These rust from the inside, which reduces their own throughput diameter. And also the quality of the water itself is no less important factor. If it contains particles of silt, the risk of plugging increases.
Accidents on the main line or pumping station
Only utility services can solve such problems. The owner of the home can only wait until the water supply improves.
Water may also leak from old couplings and taps. Such problems often arise due to poor installation of these elements. The “temporary” factor cannot be excluded. Old metal pipes suffer from corrosion, wear out and can develop microcracks.
The consequences of such an accident can be easily seen. The problem area allows water to pass through and puddles form on the floor, wall or furniture. But there is one small but significant “BUT”. The pressure will decrease only when the water no longer leaks, but flows in a large stream. And such problems cannot go unnoticed.
The pressure may also change due to the number of consumers. So, if the taps are opened in houses and apartments connected to the same main line, the pressure will noticeably decrease. This problem often occurs in the evening, when most people return from work.
What measures can be taken?
You can do something on your own to restore normal water pressure from the tap only if the epicenter of the breakdown is located inside the home. IN apartment buildings If there are blockages in the riser, it is very difficult to repair the common pipe. Sometimes, The best way- This is the replacement of the problem area. Inside the housing blockage can be eliminated with a special thin cable. After shutting off the water supply, you can use it to clean the pipes. But, to do this, you need to unscrew the mixer or valve, if possible.
The simplest repair is cleaning the aerator (filter in the mixer).
To do this, you will need an adjustable wrench and a few minutes of free time. After the aerator is removed from the faucet structure, it is washed under running water. From hot water, small holes in the filter can suffer from scale. These can be easily removed with the help of special cleaning products. And also popular folk method– boiling with vinegar or citric acid. To do this you should:
- take a metal container and pour water into it;
- put it on the stove, throwing an aerator into it in advance;
- pour vinegar into the water or add citric acid;
- bring the resulting substance to a hot state and pour into the sink.
Citric acid can clean metal well
After this, the aerator must be rinsed under running water. Lemon and acetic acid works well with fossils on metal. It is not recommended to boil water, as it can deform the thin mesh of the aerator. This method is also suitable for shower spray. It also has small pores on its surface that are prone to clogging and is susceptible to scale.
Cleaning pipeline filters
If in your home there is a problem with water pressure in all faucets, then perhaps some kind of filter on the pipeline itself is clogged. Most often, the very first one, located closest to the riser, suffers. It is located immediately after the central valve and has the appearance of a branch pipe, which extends 1–2 cm to the side. The first thing to do is turn off the water. After this, you can unscrew the clamping nut and remove the filter. He has cylindrical shape, and its surface is porous.
The removed filter must be washed in a previously prepared container with water. After this, everything is put back and the common valve is opened. If the water pressure has returned to normal, then the problem can be considered solved. Otherwise, it is recommended to check other filters as well.
A plumbing element such as a faucet often fails because the load on it is quite high. Faucets are installed in the kitchen and bathroom.
In most cases, it is enough just to replace the gasket or seal. Anyone can do this kind of work, and there is no need to call a plumber.
Mixer device
What is a mixer? This device is designed to mix cold water and hot. There are two main types of mixer:
- mixer with valves;
- mixer with cartridge.
In the first case, supply of cold and hot water regulated by two valves.
When with cartridge, there are no valves on the device. They are replaced by a pen connected to a device called a cartridge. Different positions of this knob control the water flow.
Another reason that water does not flow through the faucet jaw may be that the rubber gasket on the faucet axle has torn and blocked the water. To check, you need to unscrew both valve axle boxes and check them. And finally, some dirt may simply get into the mixer. The device is removed, disassembled and washed.
Different types of leaks
Leaking from the valve
The reason is the wear of the o-ring. You need to unscrew the valve axle box, replace the ring and screw it back in.
Leaking from under the gander
This also occurs due to wear on the O-ring. The gander is unscrewed, the ring is replaced, and the gander is screwed into place.
Leaking from the mixer body
Most likely there is a crack in the housing. This mixer needs to be completely replaced. If the device is dismountable, and it is possible to buy the mixer in parts, then only the damaged part is replaced.
There is a crack in the body of the structure - it’s time to replace it
In addition to all of the above, if the faucet is connected to the water supply with flexible hoses, water may leak at the junction of the hoses with the mixer or with the water supply pipes. In this case, it is usually enough to slightly tighten the nut.
Water flows when it is blocked
Here, the repair of a faucet with valves and a faucet with a cartridge differs. In the first case, you need to unscrew the valve axle boxes and replace the rubber gaskets on them. Gaskets can be purchased at any plumbing store. When purchasing a faucet, both gaskets and O-rings are often included. They need to be preserved.
Replacing the O-ring
If water flows through a closed cartridge, then . It is necessary to take into account that they are different sizes, so in order to buy a new one, it is advisable to take the mixer with you to the store.
Check the integrity of all gaskets
Healthy. Read the review on our website: “” — different variants solving the problem.
Valve mixer repair
Shower repair
Shower switches can be different types. - read in a separate review. Typically, the water is turned off either using a button or a lever switch. The spring in the button often breaks. You just need to install a new one. In both the button and the switch, rubber gaskets and O-rings, which are very easy to change, can also fail. The rubber tube in the shower hose, which is located under the metal braid, may break. In this case, either buy a new shower hose assembly or change the rubber tube.
That's all the main problems with this device. From the above review it is clear that there are no difficulties with repairs. To repair a faucet with your own hands, you will need the following tools:
- adjustable wrench;
- pliers;
- screwdriver.
You may also need FUM tape, which needs to be wound around the thread to prevent water from flowing through the thread.
In order to remove the valve axle box, you must first remove the valve wing. To do this, remove the plastic cover that covers the fastening screw. The screw is unscrewed and the wing is removed. After this, the crane box is turned out using pliers or a key.
Unscrew the locking nut and remove the cartridge
In order to remove the cartridge, you must first remove the switch tap. To do this, unscrew the mounting bolt on the side of this tap. A thin screwdriver may be needed for this.
simplicity of operation - easy
time - 5-10 minutes
costs - 10-50$
pollution level - low
2. You need to clean the small filter
(that yellow appendix next to the valve) if there is no large flow filter. Turn off the water and unscrew the filter nut with a wrench. Remove the mesh from the nut and shake out any rust or other debris. When you put the nut in place, make sure that the gasket is not lost.
time - 10-30 minutes
costs - 0$
pollution level - low
effectiveness - helps for 1-2 years.
3. It is necessary to clean the screens on the faucets
If you don't have any filters or the water still flows poorly. The nets are unscrewed by hand or with a wrench. To avoid scratching the nickel or chrome plating of the mesh, use a soft cloth and an adjustable wrench. A needle is useful for cleaning the mesh.
simplicity of operation - easy
time - 10-30 minutes
costs - 0$
pollution level - low
effectiveness - helps for 6-12 months .
4. Try power flushing the pipes
If none of the above helps. To do this, you need to turn off the water with the valve located near the filter, unscrew the flexible hoses or completely unscrew the mixer if it is wall-mounted, and make sure that the water that flows from the pipes ends up in a bucket or drain. It is advisable to do this with an assistant. Turn the valve on and off quickly for a few seconds.
ease of operation - medium complexity
time - 10-30 minutes
costs - 0$
pollution level - low, possibly medium
effectiveness - helps for 1-2 years .
5. If all else fails, it means the section of pipe from the riser to the valve is clogged
Sometimes you can clean it with a cable, but it’s unlikely that you have a cable and you can’t do this without the services of a qualified plumber.
If the water is flowing It’s very bad for you and your neighbors above or below, which means the riser is clogged. It is almost impossible to clean the riser, it is just stupid to change it. Discuss this possibility with your neighbors, then call a plumber.
