Messages and Online Forum Q&A

Re: Weak Cold Water Pressure

From: info@builderswebsource.com
Category: Plumbing
Remote Name: 63.198.181.43
Date: 03 Jan 2002
Time: 10:10 PM

Comments

Your kitchen cold water pressure is low and your hot water pressure is fine and you have no pressure problems anywhere else in the house. Most likely, there is a blockage somewhere in your cold water supply or valve. Anything from a crimped pipe to a small stone jammed into a valve could cause this.

Here's a quick test to help isolate the problem. Go underneath your sink and shut off both water supply valves. Next, switch the hot and cold water supply tubes at the shutoff valves (assuming they're flexible and can reach). Turn on your shutoff valves again...and try your kitchen faucet. If the water that's cold to the touch still has low pressure, then the problem is probably not your kitchen faucet or supply tube (since you're now using the known good hot water side). The problem may be in the shutoff valve or behind the wall somewhere (such as a rusty or corroded pipe). Conversely, if the cold water now has plenty of pressure but the hot water is weak, then the problem is most definitely in your faucet or supply tube. Since the faucet valve is the most likely culprit in this case, you may need to remove the valve and clean it out...or replace a washer or cartridge. The key is to isolate the problem so you know where to focus your attention. Let us know what happens so we can help further if necessary.

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