A sudden drop in water pressure is often caused by something outside your home, such as a burst main or repair work in the street, but it can also come from a stopcock that has been partly closed, a leak on your own pipes, or a fault at a single outlet. Checking whether the whole home is affected, and whether neighbours have the same problem, is the quickest way to narrow it down.
A sudden change is different from pressure that has always been low. It usually points to something that has just happened.
Check Whether It Is Just Your Home
Ask a neighbour whether their water has also dropped. If several homes are affected at the same time, the cause is more likely to be on the public supply, such as a burst main, planned work or high demand in the area.
Your water company’s website or service updates may show known problems near you. In Oxford, that is Thames Water. If nothing is reported, you can contact them to ask.
Things Inside Your Home to Check
If only your property is affected, look at your stopcock. Has anyone worked on the plumbing recently, or turned the stopcock and not opened it fully? A valve that is only partly open can reduce flow to every tap.
Next, check whether every outlet is weak or just some of them. If the cold kitchen tap is fine but the bathroom is weak, the issue may be on a particular pipe, valve or the hot water system rather than the incoming supply.
A sudden drop with no obvious reason, especially alongside water you cannot account for, could be a sign of a leak or a burst pipe. Look and listen for running water, damp patches or a water meter that moves when nothing is in use.
What It May Not Mean
A sudden drop does not necessarily mean your pipes are damaged or that you have a leak. Supply problems in the street usually return to normal once the work is finished.
Equally, low pressure is not always the water company’s responsibility. If the cause is on your side of the boundary, such as a leak, a valve or a blockage, it is usually up to the property owner to sort out.
When to Get It Investigated
If the pressure has not returned after any reported work, or only your property is affected, it is worth having it looked at. If you suspect a hidden leak, leak detection may help find it.
If you rent, let your landlord or letting agent know about the change in pressure, even if it seems to have settled again.
It can also help to note the time the drop started and whether it affects hot water, cold water or both.
For a sudden drop with no clear cause, we can provide help with water pressure problems in Oxford, starting with valves, pipework and outlets to find where the flow is being lost.