A loss of water pressure in your home can be a frustrating thing. Nothing disrupts your normal household chores and personal hygiene routines like having to wait too long to fill a dishwasher, sink, or bathtub.

While a professional plumber can help you troubleshoot the issue and get the water running at the normal pressure, there are a couple of things you should check before bringing them on board.

Start the troubleshooting process with the following tips.

Determine which water fixtures are affected by the problem

The first thing you should do if you notice that one of your taps or water fixtures has low pressure is to check whether the rest of the water fixtures in the home also have the same problem. If the problem is exclusive to a specific water fixture, you can focus your attention on that particular water fixture only. 

If all of the water fixtures in the home also have low water pressure, it's most likely that the problem is with your main water supply or the pressure regulator that controls water flow to the entire home. 

Check the water pressure regulator

Water pressure issues throughout your home point to a problem with the mains water supply connected to your house. Check if your home's water pressure regulator is fully open because it can result in low water pressure when partially closed. If this is the case, then you can quickly fix the problem by fully opening the valve.

Check with your neighbors

If you get your water supply from the municipal council or a local water company, it's likely that the water pressure issue you're facing may be due to a scheduled pressure-loss event in your area. 

If your neighbors get their water from the same service provider as you, ask them if they're experiencing a similar issue in their homes. If so, then you should contact the water supplier to find out how long you should expect the disruption to last.

If the disruption to your cold water supply is neither due to a partially closed water pressure regulator or a planned pressure-loss event, one or more of the various components used to supply water to your home may be broken or damaged. In such cases, you may need an emergency plumber to identify the underlying cause of the problem and get it fixed.

For more tips on how to handle common plumbing emergencies in a home, consult an emergency plumbing specialist.