5 Ways to Increase Water Pressure in Kitchen Faucet!

If you have used the same kitchen faucet for many years, there comes a time when your water pressure drops drastically for some reason.

The problem is extremely troubling and it gets bothersome to use a faucet that struggles to deliver water.

So, how to increase water pressure in kitchen faucet in such situations?

There are many solutions. You can turn off the other faucets at home, clean your aerator, check for leaks, or play with the shut-off valve. And you need to identify where the problem lies first and then proceed to fix it using one of these methods.

In this article, I will give you many more details about why this low pressure happens and how you can fix it.

What Causes Low Water Pressure in the Kitchen Faucet?

Getting low water pressure from your spout can be very annoying. Appropriate water pressure is a must-have in the kitchen. Otherwise, no matter how much water you use, it may not affect productivity.

But why does this sudden pressure decrease in many faucets happen? I have explained below some of the major reasons for this problem. Find them out below:

1. Dirty And Blocked Aerators

In spouts, the aerator is a mesh disc-like object that sits at the opening of every spout to keep the flow of water at a moderate amount. It mixes water with air to make it softer and filter it from pollutants.

One of the top reasons faucets get low-pressure water is their aerators get dirty over time. They accumulate a lot of mineral debris, sediments, and other impurities from the main line water.

These sediments block the pathway of water flowing out. And as a result, less water flows out, and it also has low pressure.

2. Leaking Faucet

A leak in the water line may also cause your faucet pressure to drop. The leak often happens under the kitchen cabinet or the faucet itself. You may also have a leak in your main water line.

In that case, water constantly drips through the leaking part and drops pressure near the spout. If the leak is too big, the amount of water you receive through your spout may also drastically decrease.

3. Impurities Are Clogging Your Main Line

Your water pressure could decrease due to any connecting pipes in your main water line getting blocked. This is natural as a larger impurity can get into our water tank.

They then come through the pipes and get stuck, causing the force of water to drop drastically. As a result, the pressure also decreases. 

4. The Shut-off Valves Are In The Wrong Setting

Shut-off valves are like the main switch to your faucet. These valves can completely turn on or off an individual faucet’s water supply and are generally located underneath the kitchen sink. 

Another thing the shut-off valves do is control the water pressure in your spout. 

They’re like a regulator that you can rotate to regulate the pressure. Hence, sometimes, you may mistakenly end up rotating the valve to the wrong setting. This can also cause a pressure drop.

How to Fix a Low Water Pressure Kitchen Faucet?

In kitchen faucets, you need a lot of pressure to get that grease off plates. But when the pressure becomes low, there’s barely any point in using the water. 

Now that you know what causes the drop in pressure in kitchen spouts, it’s time to get aboard and fix it.  

Below, I have given some of the core solutions to the pressure problem. Take a look.

Purchase Faucets That Follow the Old Energy Laws

During President Trump’s administration, he got frustrated with the country’s low-pressure spouts and introduced a new law. The Energy Department said that faucets could now use a 2.5 gallon-per-minute flow rate per nozzle, which was before set to the total output.

That meant that if any faucet had more than one nozzle, its total water output and pressure would increase much more. At that time, many brands introduced new products to follow this law.

President Biden has now again changed the laws, which can be one of the reasons why you’re facing low water pressure all of a sudden. 

However, if you manage to get one of the faucet products from President Trump’s time that had the increased pressure system, you might be able to elevate your faucet pressure. Some of them can still be found in the market, so try purchasing one.

Clean Aerators

To increase the pressure of your spout again, you need to clean this small piece of tool.

Cleaning it is an easy procedure. 

Check the Shut-off Valves

If the shut-off valves have become loose, you may lose pressure in the faucets. Having it in a midway setting can decrease the pressure to a low enough degree. In such a case, you have to tighten your valves again to revive the pressure.

Rotate the valve fully to the highest setting, and you will notice a difference in the water force. 

Clean Any Clogs In the Pipe or Tank

As you may already know, your water tank may have large impurities that can block the water pipes. In that case, you have to first figure out where the clog is situated. You can do it by checking the pressure in all the faucets of the house.

If they all get low pressure, the problem is coming from the pipes outside the house. To remove or clean the lines, you can call the municipality or a local plumber.

They know very well how to fix these problems and reach that part of the line. So, there is nothing to worry about. Get them to clean the tank as well, as it can gather dirt over time.

Resolve Any Leaks

If you find a leak in the faucet, you need to fix the leaking part immediately to not waste any water. If the leak is someplace else within the main line, look for wet or moist spots and immediately contact a plumber. 

Whether to replace or repair the leaky faucet remains a confusion. This depends on the extent of the damage. If your plumber says the repair wouldn’t cost much, you should go for it.

However, if the leak is unrepairable or would cost as much as purchasing a new faucet, you should opt for a replacement instead.

Turn off All the Other Faucets

Another reason your water pressure may often decrease is that the main water supply line supplies water to multiple other faucets simultaneously. 

The water traveling in so many directions reduces its amount, resulting in a decrease in the pressure.

So, if no other solution works, a way to increase the water pressure is by turning off all the other faucets/showers/hoses and only running the one in the kitchen. You will instantly notice the difference in the pressure.

The kitchen spout will then flow water with more strength, and you can comfortably do your washing.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How much psi pressure should a home faucet have?

The ideal pressure in home spouts should be 40 to 60 psi. You can measure this by getting a water pressure gauge. If the pressure is under 40 psi, you need to get some fixes done.

2. Which type of leak in the faucet is repairable?

If it’s a leak in the cartridge, it’s possible to repair it. But if the leak is due to body damage in the faucet, you will need to replace it.

3. What is the debris that blocked my aerator and reduced pressure?

The water that we receive has a lot of minerals in them. Over time, as aerators pass water so much, they have buildups of these minerals. These then block the mesh holes. Other dirt and pollutants may also clog the aerators.

4. Can I increase my water pressure by replacing the faucet?

You cannot be sure that the problem lies in your faucet. It can be in any other part of your waterline as well. So be sure that the tap is at fault before replacing it.

Final Words

Water should come out of a faucet with powerful force. That’s actually one of the reasons why we use a faucet instead of just getting a hose.

If you are one of those unlucky people whose faucet suddenly dropped its pressure, I know how it feels.

That’s why, in this article, I have given you the solutions to how to increase water pressure in kitchen faucet.