Have you just stepped out of the shower and all you got was a pathetic trickle? Is the cold water at the pressure you expect, but every time you turn on that hot tap nothing much happens? If it’s taking longer than your patience can bear to fill up that bath, that’s called low hot water pressure – but what causes it, and what can you do about it? Let’s take a deep dive into low hot water pressure:
What causes hot water low pressure?
To be honest, you’re probably going to need a local Sydney plumber either way – because hot water low pressure is most likely going to be traced to your hot water system. For example, it could be:
- Sediment build-up: Don’t forget, the hot water coming out of your taps isn’t pure H2O. It’s also full of certain minerals that, over time, can turn into sediment that then builds up in your hot water system – and affects the way that hot water flows into your home.
- Clogged/leaking pipes: It’s also very common that the pipes and fittings in and around that hot water system, or the plumbing it feeds, have become clogged by these mineral deposits as well. Your hot water supply pipes are also prone to the same sorts of plumbing issues that affect your cold plumbing pipes, too, like leaks – that can obviously cause low-flow problems.
- Bad valves: Valves play a critical role in your home plumbing – especially with that hot water system. To cut a long story short, if those valves can’t fully open, the hot water won’t flow as well as it should.
No hot water pressure? Try these 4 checks
Do you have low or no hot water pressure at your place? The best advice is to get in touch as soon as you can with a licensed plumber. Why’s that? Because they’ll know exactly what to do to diagnose and resolve the issue in full compliance with regulations and without doing the sort of DIY damage that these professionals so often have to come and fix anyone – at extra expense to you!
But while you’re waiting for them to arrive, you could always check:
1. The cold pressure
First things first: is it really no hot water pressure you’re struggling with, or no water pressure at all? If the flow from the cold taps is as pathetic as it is from the hot taps, you can rule out the hot water system.
2. Check the shut-off valve
If the hot water system valves are the culprit, the leading candidate is probably the shut-off valve. So check whether it’s fully open or looking in good condition.
But it could also be these 3 offending valves:
- Pressure-reducing valve: Find it near the main water supply line
- Tempering valve: It’s found on the system’s hot water outlet
- Check valve: Also located on the hot water outlet, a malfunctioning one may be allowing hot water to flow back into the system rather than out of it.
3. Check for sediment
If sediment build-up has ground your hot water pressure to a halt, a full system flush can help. Look up how to do it, but basically, all you have to do is completely drain all of the existing water out of your system and then allow it to completely fill up again once you restore the power.
4. Check for leaks
Give the tank, the pipes, the fittings and the valves a check for any signs of leaks. Because even a minor hot water system leak can keep depriving your system of water to such a degree that you end up with low hot water pressure in whole house.
Call us when you have low hot water pressure
Still struggling with that poor hot water pressure? If you’ve tried our 4 DIY checks, it’s time to get the best brains, experience and tools on the job – and the easiest way to do that all across Sydney & beyond is by giving the friendly team at Rapid Service Plumbing a shout. We’ve helped thousands of Sydneysiders just like you with fully-guaranteed workmanship and all the best tools, parts and hot water system repair expertise, so call Rapid Service Plumbing today.
