Hi there Tim,
I just bought a house and there is low water pressure in the kitchen and bath sinks, the tub pressure is great. I have searched online and one common suggestion I've come across is to remove and clean the aerators in the faucets. Well, we actually replaced the faucet in the kitchen (namely because the old one was hideous) so if it was an aerator problem, this should have solved it right? But we still have low pressure in the kitchen sink. I will try cleaning the aerators in the bath sinks and see what that does. Any suggestions? THanks so much!!
Rebecca, Washington, DC
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Rebecca,
That is the first place to look. When you install a new faucet the aerator MUST be off when you first turn the water on to see if the faucet works. If you don't, all of the sediment, flux, copper shavings, etc. in the piping gets stuck in the new, clean aerator!
You can test the faucet now by taking off the aerator. If the water flow seems great, you know the problem. If the flow is weak with the aerator off and the valves fully open, then the faucet cartridge is probably clogged with bits of sediment, flux or pipe shavings. Follow the instructions that came with the faucet to remove the faucet cartridge. You should readily see the debris causing the flow problem.
Tim Carter
www.askthebuilder.com
W3ATB