If you can't wash your dishes at the same time that you water your lawn because the water pressure is too weak, you'll need to investigate your home's water supply system.

Water pressure may be low for a couple of reasons. If all of your neighbors have low water pressure, there may not be much you can do except to contact your water supplier and complain about the problem.

If your home is the only one with low pressure'or if only parts of your house have low pressure'then there is probably a constriction in your pipes or valves. The most common problem is older pipes that have become clogged with lime deposits.

1) Request a check by your water supplier. The utility may discover that a supply valve is partially closed.

2) Try to find the constriction by determining which fixtures suffer from low pressure and which don't.

3) If the problem seems to be at a single faucet or showerhead, check for a flow restriction, clogged aerator, or dislodged washer. Remove the showerhead, the aerator from the faucet (if there is an aerator), or the faucet and look for a restrictor'a rubber or brass disk'or a washer that has become dislodged.

4) If the problem persists, contact a plumber to check for obstructions or to solve the problem by adjusting your home's pressure regulator, if there is one, or installing a water pressure booster pump.

5) If this doesn't work, you may have to contact a plumbing contractor who specializes in re-piping houses with copper pipes.

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