The water pressure in my entire house suddenly dropped. All faucets and showers have very low pressure. What happened?
A sudden drop in pressure throughout the entire house points to a supply-side issue rather than a fixture problem. First, check if your neighbors have the same problem — if they do, your water utility may be doing maintenance or there is a water main break in your area. Call your water company. If neighbors are fine, check your main shut-off valve and make sure it is fully open. A valve that is partially closed, even slightly, dramatically reduces pressure. Next, check if you have a pressure-reducing valve (PRV) on your main line — it looks like a bell-shaped device on the pipe where water enters your house. PRVs can fail or need adjustment. The adjustment screw on top increases or decreases pressure. Normal residential pressure is 40 to 60 PSI. If you have a water softener, check if it is stuck in the regeneration cycle which can restrict flow. Also check your water heater — if only hot water pressure is low, sediment in the heater may be blocking the outlet. If pressure dropped after recent plumbing work in the area, a pipe may have been damaged or debris may have entered the line.
