Don’t get soaked when it comes to water woes

There are a lot of systems in your home that you probably don’t think about very often — until things start to go wrong. When the lights stop working, your furnace conks out, or your water pressure dies, you’re going to feel the effects immediately.

While you can fix some cases of low water pressure yourself, certain tasks should always be left up to a licensed plumber.

If your water pressure takes a dive, here are some common problem areas that you should address.

First off, what can you figure out on your own? Is it happening in one fixture, or throughout the whole home? Does it happen when other appliances that use water are in use?

If you can figure that out on your own, you may be able to do some small fixes, or you’ll at least be able to point your plumber in the right direction. Here’s what to look out for.

WHEN IT’S ONE FIXTURE

When you notice that one fixture in particular, such as your kitchen faucet has lost most of its water pressure, there are a few potential causes — some of which you can fix yourself.

First — the aerator in the tap could be in need of a good cleaning. Before you do this, put the stopper in the sink in case any of those little parts slip out of your hands.

Then, start by removing the cap of the faucet, pull out the aerator, give it a good rinse and scrub with a toothbrush, reposition the rubber washer so that there’s no damming effect, and put it all back into place.

If the aerator is really caked over with debris, you may need to soak it in boiling vinegar, or dislodging blockages from each hole with a small pin, but this is something you can handle on your own.

If the sink features separate nozzles for hot and cold, then it’s likely they use a cartridge system that could also be affecting your water pressure. Before you check the cartridges, plug the sink, and shut off the water valve underneath. You’ll need to remove the faucet handle to get at the cartridge. Once you’ve removed that, simply give it a good clean, replace it, and see if your water-pressure issue is solved. In certain models, you won’t be able to remove the cartridge, so instead, call the manufacturer to see if you can get a replacement.

If neither of these options works, it’s possible the fixture itself is no good. I see homeowners try to cut corners on fixtures all the time to save a few bucks — but you really do get what you pay for. When you buy cheap fixtures, they tend not to work well for very long.

WHEN IT’S THE WHOLE HOME

If the problem has hit the entire home, you’ve got a bigger problem on your hands, and this is when it’s time to call in the pros.

There are a few reasons you could be experiencing a drop in pressure throughout your entire home. If you’ve had a plumbing job done recently and you’re experiencing low water pressure, chances are good that either the water-meter valve or the main house shut-off valve are partially closed. If they are, they could be the culprit.

It could also be a faulty pressure regulator — this is designed to keep water pressure at a level that won’t damage your pipes as water travels through the home. When the regulator starts to fail, you’ll see an effect in the water pressure throughout your home. This is a relatively simple fix; your plumber will be able to do a test of your regulator and replace it if necessary.

Unfortunately, low water pressure could also be a result of corroded pipes that are restricting your water flow, which is something you may see in older homes. This is not a cheap fix, and would involve replacing your old steel pipes with plastic piping.

This corrosion happens gradually over the years, so you may not notice the water pressure lessening. But if it doesn’t seem as effective as it used to be, I’d certainly call a plumber to come in to check things out.