If you’ve found that the water pressure in your bathroom sink is low, the first thing you should do is check the pressure in your shower and other areas of the home.
If you find you have low hot water pressure in the bathroom sink only and all your other water sources seem to be fine, then you can’t adjust the home’s pressure regulator to resolve the issue.
You’ll have to identify the specific issue isolated to your bathroom sink and address it.
We’ve covered the causes of low water pressure before, as well as how to increase your home’s water pressure, but in this article, we’ll cover what the possible causes are for low or no water pressure in your bathroom sink specifically and how you can fix it yourself.
Causes of Low Water Pressure in a Bathroom Sink
Clogged Water Supply Lines
Trapped dirt and debris can cause low water pressure in bathroom sinks, or even no water pressure in bathroom sinks.
This tends to be a more common issue in homes where construction debris has made its way into the pipes before being installed into the home’s plumbing, but it can also happen in older homes or homes in areas of hard water with a lot of minerals.
If minerals in the water build up, they can narrow the water supply lines over time, eventually causing low pressure in bathroom sinks or low water pressure in other various areas of a home.
If you find that you have low pressure in your bathroom sink and it’s due to mineral build up, the water supply lines to your showers, kitchen sink, and other lines could be close to having similar issues.
You can flush and clean your water supply lines on your own, but an issue like this could require attention from a professional plumber.
Clogged Water Aerator
The water aerator is made of wire mesh and sits at the end of your faucet. Its purpose is to break up the flow of the water, aerating it to provide a more consistent flow, and also to serve as an extra filtration for your water.
The aerator collects any dirt and debris that may have gotten to the end of your water supply. This means the aerator can clog, potentially causing low pressure in the bathroom sink.
The Flow Restrictor
A flow restrictor is a plastic disc that sits inside the aerator mesh and plugs the faucet. It only has small holes in it to allow water through.
They are meant to do exactly what they are named for: restrict the flow of water, helping to regulate it.
This can create a problem and cause low or no water pressure in the bathroom sink for one of two reasons: the hole could be too small and be preventing too much water from flowing, or the hole could be plugged and need a good cleaning.
Shut-Off Valves Aren’t Open Fully
The shut-off valves for your bathroom sink are different from your home’s main shut-off valves, but they could be the reason your bathroom sink is suffering from low water pressure.
Your issue of low water pressure in your bathroom sink could be due to the shut-off valves being closed or not fully open. This can happen if you’ve had your plumbing system serviced recently or had your water turned off for some reason.
A fallen shampoo bottle under the bathroom sink could be enough to knock the valve slightly closed.
Fixes for Low or No Water Pressure in Bathroom Sink
If you’ve found that your bathroom sink has low water pressure, then you’ll likely want to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. In most cases, the issue can be solved by following a few simple steps:
- Flush the water supply lines, clean the water supply lines, or have a professional plumber replace your water supply lines.
- Remove and clean the faucet aerator thoroughly, or replace it with a new one.
- Remove and clean the flow restrictor, increase the size of the flow restrictor hole, or remove it entirely and replace the aerator without replacing the flow restrictor.
- Check the water supply shut-off valves under the sink and be sure they are all fully open.
Is it Time to Call a Plumber?
If you’re facing low hot water pressure in the bathroom sink only, but none of these quick fixes worked to fix the issue, Call (703) 214-5611 or contact John C. Flood to get the problem solved right away.
Our skilled, licensed technicians can check for leaks, test your water supply, examine your water supply lines, and resolve any low water pressure problems quickly and professionally.
