Are you suddenly experiencing water pressure issues in your home? If so, you could be dealing with one of two things. Either there is a leak in your indoor plumbing pipes, or you are experiencing low pressure at the water mains. Both issues have different remedies. If you have a plumbing leak, you need to fix it. Conversely, you can solve pressure issues at the water mains by investing in a pressure booster pump. Below are three tips for ascertaining the cause of low water pressure in your home.

Talk to your neighbours

Water pressure issues associated with the main supply line aren't localised. Thus, there's a chance your neighbours are experiencing the same problem too, especially if you all receive water from the municipal council. Thus, your first step should be to ask your neighbours whether they are experiencing low water pressure. 

If they are, the chances are that the problem is resulting from your water supplier. In this case, you need a booster pump to increase water pressure in your home. However, if you're the only person experiencing low water pressure, check your plumbing system for leaks, especially at the water mains.

Monitor water pressure in fixtures

Plumbing leaks affect water pressure depending on their location. Conversely, low water pressure affects all the plumbing fixtures in the home. Therefore, you can distinguish these two problems by monitoring the pressure in the various fixtures. Does the water have high pressure when you're running one fixture? Are you experiencing problems only with your upstairs bathrooms?

If pressure decreases when you run multiple fixtures such as the showerheads and washer, you have a whole-house pressure issue. This is also the case if the ground floor fixtures have high water pressure, but the upstairs ones have low pressure. A pressure pump can boost water pressure in the entire home and prevent these inconveniences. However, if pressure issues are only affecting individual fixtures, there could be a leak in the specific piping.

Check outdoor plumbing fixtures

You can distinguish between plumbing leaks and water pressure issues by running your outdoor plumbing fixtures. These include garden taps and irrigation systems. Most outdoor fixtures use independent plumbing pipes that are connected to the mains. Thus, if the water pressure in the outdoor fixtures is normal, you probably have a leak in your indoor plumbing pipes.

Conversely, if your sprinklers, garden taps and outdoor shower have low pressure, the problem could be at the supply line. You need a booster pump to increase water pressure in both your indoor and outdoor plumbing fixtures. 

A small plumbing leak is less likely to cause low water pressure throughout your home. Therefore, consider installing a pressure pump to resolve this problem. For more information about water pressure pumps, contact a plumber.