No Water Pressure In Shower But Plenty Everywhere Else

Having our household supplied with ample amounts of water is always important. Especially for the areas that use it a lot such as the kitchen and bathroom. But what do we do if only a part of our home doesn’t get water? We’ll investigate the problem of no water pressure in shower but plenty everywhere else.

Identifying the issue

The first step to resolving any issue is finding its cause. With the lack of water pressure in the shower, we can usually find our solution in the plumbing.

Failing that, the shower head itself could be damaged or clogged to a point where it stops water from flowing out into the shower. It pays to work through all of the following potential causes.

1. You have a low-flow showerhead

Not all shower heads are the same. A simple cause may be that you have a low-flow showerhead. If your water pressure is on the lower end, this type of showerhead will barely release any water.

The low-flow showerhead is generally good, as it stops us from wasting water. But in these conditions, it will prove troublesome. The solution is to either switch it out, increase flow, or increase water pressure.

2. Clogged showerhead

Another cause comes from clogs within a showerhead. The clogs are easy to form, affecting either the showerhead hose or the showerhead itself. Sediment accumulation is one of the most common sources of clogs. Closing off any exits that water would come out of.

However, the clogs could come from hair or other materials getting stuck inside as well. These issues will be quite difficult to resolve if they get quite bad.

There’s no water pressure in shower but plenty everywhere else

What could be the problem?

Finding the problems that could cause the lack of water pressure in the shower is the key part of resolving the problem. As with any other issue, there are many possible culprits, we will cover some of the most common ones.

Faulty water pressure regulator

This is a very specific issue that ties to the component that keeps our water correctly pressurized. The water pressure regulator keeps our home around a safe water pressure range which is often between 45 and 60 psi. [1]

However, though it is a very important component, it can still fail. Leading to pressure in our home rising or falling sharply. This can affect the presence of water throughout our home.

If the shower is located in a place where water flow is generally less present, it may receive only small amounts of water.

Closed valve

Another issue that can occur is that our valve is closed. This issue is even more mundane than the previous but something that can realistically happen quite often. Usually by accident, the valve of the plumbing system will get closed.

This in turn causes a lack of flow throughout the household. Especially in the pipes which the valve itself was meant to regulate. [2]

It pays to check all of your valves. There is a chance that a lot of work we’d otherwise invest can be cut short with a quick twist of a valve. Use this opportunity to inspect all the valves and make sure each is properly open.

Leaking pipes

Leaks are one of the most persistent issues or a plumbing system. This issue can come from age, corrosion, damage, improper installation, or low-quality piping.

Regardless, the causes rarely affect the symptoms which include reduced water pressure, pooling of water, and lack of water in parts of the house that the pipeline is supposed to supply. [3]

This can equally affect showers specifically. By having a leak at the connection where the shower is supposed to receive water, we’ll experience low or no flow in the shower. Though this issue could extend to other parts of the bathroom if the leak we have keeps getting worse.

What causes the loss of water in shower?

The loss of water in our shower can be a symptom of some of our components malfunctioning. Furthermore, it could symbolize clogs or even the breaking of certain parts in our shower or showerhead. To resolve these issues, we need to know how to deal with their causes.

Removing sediment

As mentioned before, the accumulation of sediment is one of the most common ways our showerhead gets clogged. The frequency of the issue makes solutions to it quite important. Although one will usually do fine, it’s good to have a few solutions on hand just in case.

The most common solution is to immerse the showerhead in vinegar. Leave the showerhead to soak for a while, the vinegar won’t damage the showerhead so leaving it for a longer period of time is fine. This will clear out the limestone deposits from inside easily, leaving us with a clean showerhead. [4]

You can also clean the filter screen. Unscrew the shower head’s components and scrub them out one by one.

This will break apart some harder sediment deposits, allowing you to flush them out easily. That way, we can take care of any problems that may be deeper in the composition of the showerhead.

Dealing with leaks

As noted before, leaks are one of the most common issues our plumbing will run into. To resolve them, we’ll need to take some action. Considering how leaks can spread, affecting more of our homes, it’s suggested you take action early.

The showerhead itself can leak, which can further reduce our pressure. If the leak is particularly big, it’s possible to lose out on most of the water that flows into the shower.

However, the issues do not stop there. It’s possible to end up with a leaking shower hose, which is guaranteed to leave us without water. Thankfully, there are solutions that we can take to stop this issue.

Replacing worn washer

The washer in showerheads is part of the showerhead that’s used to connect the hose to the head, sealing the space between the two. Replacing worn washers is an approach you may consider.

Especially if your showerhead is on the older side. It’s a problem that comes with age, so the older your item the higher the chances of it going bad are.

Should a washer get worn out, it’s the seal between the showerhead and the hose that will loosen. Allowing water to leak out and reducing the general water pressure of the showerhead. Thankfully, replacing this component is quite easy and cheap, as new washers can be purchased at any hardware store.

Diverter valve replacement

This component is another simple one. It’s the lever, or sometimes a knob, that switches the direction of the water. Making the water flow out of the showerhead instead of the faucet. The malfunction of this component will disallow us from shifting between the two, rendering our showerhead waterless.

The diverter valve isn’t too tough to replace either and is equally as common of an item to find. First, you have to remove the lever or knob on top of the diverter valve.

After that, inspect the component. If it’s merely clogged from sediment, clean it with white vinegar. Otherwise, it may be worn out and require replacement. The whole assembly is quite simple to unscrew and replace, as long as you purchase correctly sized materials.

Cartridge valve issues

The water faucet may have issues with the cartridge valve. This is what initiates water flow and allows us to switch from hot to cold water. There are quite a few variants to the way this whole component operates. Though some are more common than others, the function of a cartridge valve stays the same. [5]

Accessing the cartridge valve can be a bit harder to do, as the valve is located under the general components of a faucet. However, removing a faucet handle should expose the cartridge stem. The cartridge will be visible from here, its replacement is quite straightforward. Simply remove the old one and install a new one.

No water pressure in shower but plenty everywhere else

These are the most frequent causes of our shower not working due to the malfunctions that affect it directly. Though other issues we’ve listed before can still cause problems, these are always best to check first.

The water pressure can also suffer due to our showerhead not being cleaned for a while, so applying the vinegar solution to our shower is a good way to retain its health.

Read Also: House Water Pressure at 100 psi

Conclusion

The problems of the showerhead having no water while the rest of the household does can often be attributed to localized problems it experiences.

Among these, sediment buildup and malfunction of its components are the most common. Though these issues can stem from a variety of other factors, it’s the shower that we should inspect first and foremost.

Thankfully, each of these problems does have a pretty direct solution. Most of which we can apply ourselves with a bit of time and proper tools.

Though if you suspect the problem may not come from your house then calling the water services from your municipality is the best way to go about it.