You’re in the kitchen on Sunday morning, trying to make coffee, and your kitchen faucet has no water pressure. What could it be? A few possibilities may run through your mind. Is there a broken water main somewhere in the neighborhood? Has the city shut off the water to make repairs? Being a problem solver, you try another faucet—maybe in the bathroom—and the water pressure from that faucet seems fine. You realize that the problem isn’t the water pressure, it’s your faucet. If you’re experiencing low water pressure at only one water source, such as the kitchen sink, you might have a clogged aerator or a blocked cartridge.
Homeowners with hard water will likely experience mineral build-up, but it can happen even if you have soft water. But whether your water is hard or soft, mineral build-up is the likely culprit behind clogged aerators. An aerator is the mesh screen right at the tip of your faucet. To fix your own aerator you’ll need a towel, a psi gauge, and possibly a set of faucet pliers.
Once you’ve removed the mesh screen, check your water pressure with the psi gauge. Your water pressure should be between 45 and 55 psi. If the pressure registers as normal, then you know a clogged aerator is the problem. Clear out any debris you see in the aerator with hot water. If the aerator doesn’t come clean easily, don’t scrub with a bristle brush or use abrasive cleaners that might damage the screen. Instead, soak the aerator in a 1:1 mixture of warm water and white vinegar overnight. If you do not have white vinegar, then lemon juice (citric acid) will work just as well. Once the aerator is clear, put it back onto the faucet and you're done!
If your aerator is clean and you’re still experiencing poor water pressure, the sink’s cartridge may be the problem. Your sink’s cartridge is found deeper within the faucet mechanism and lives near the hot and cold valves. To replace the cartridge, you’ll need a hex key wrench, your psi gauge, and a couple of plastic bags to keep loose parts together.
To disassemble the cartridge, turn off the water to the faucet using the two shut-off valves under the sink. If you can’t locate these valves, shut off the water at the main shut-off valve.
Once the water is off, use a hex key wrench to remove the faucet handle. The faucet handle is the screw cap and screw that hold down the faucet handle. You’ll see a round or hexagonal cap, and that needs to be removed too. Now you should be able to lift out the cartridge, but some faucet models may be secured with more screws that need to be removed. Take the cartridge you removed to the hardware store, find a matching replacement, and follow the instructions for installation.
When the cartridge has been installed and the faucet is reassembled, before you call it a day, check your water’s psi one more time. Make sure it’s still between 45 and 55 psi, since high pressure can damage your pipes.
Let us help!
If all of this is sounding a little daunting, give us a call at (204) 452-9424. Legacy Mechanical Services is happy to provide service across Winnipeg and to surrounding areas. Schedule a service call with us and we’ll get that faucet fixed as soon as possible, so you can get back to making that fresh pot of coffee.