Why don't I have good water pressure in my bathroom sink?

Question

I have good water pressure everywhere except that sink. I had good pressure and all of a sudden, not so great. I'm not a plumber, any ideas, or directions for me to go. My house is 55 years old. Are those particular pipes that corroded inside and no others?

Answer 1

could be a couple things!!! Could be the faucet itself is being clogged up with sediment.... it needs to be cleaned out, remove the "nozzle" from the faucet , check it out and turn on water slowly to see if anything comes out!(both hot and cold)

If pipes have never been changed, could be that they are old galvinized pipes filled with rust, if so the pipes should be replaced by a plumber or someone with a little knowledge of how to do a bit of plumbing!!!

If it is the faucet only??? Hmmmm.... if very old faucet it may be the washers or brass valves have worn out and not letting water through!!! I seen this only a couple times...... Maybe just replace the whole faucet!!!

if you remove old faucet (there should be shut-offs for the thing) have a bucket ready and open shut off to see if you have good water preassure!!! if so you know it is the faucet!!

Answer 2

if the pressure loss effects both hot and cold, it's probably the aerator.  remove and clean it.

if it's only one side, then there's an obstruction somewhere in the line or in the stem/faucet.

Answer 3

55 years is a long time..

Also does it happen only in winter?Might be the metal thinning out and the weather affects it too.

Do you use a water tank?(storage tank) if so, there might be a leak somewhere in the tank.It could be a small hole near the bottom affecting the pressure. Or you have been using the tub and shower and there is low pressure/level in the  storage thus causing the lack of water pressure in the sink as it is still filling up.

The sink mixer might be choked.removing the faucet and cleaning it could help. Also check that it is all in good order.Rinser/spout and inlet source

lastly, has it been like that for a while?If so, consider checking on the pipes and change them once and for all/

Answer 4

may just be a dirty screen.  Unscrew it and check it out

Answer 5

If you look at the faucet (where the water comes out) there will be a piece that unscrews normally clockwise. Remove this piece(called the aerator). Sounds like the screens are clogged with debris such as rust, scale or deposits.

Disassemble and clean(noting the order in which it was taken apart) clean/ reassemble and reinstall. If it's old, in bad shape replace it with a new one from the hardware store (usually a couple of bucks). Make sure to bring the old one with you to match the direction of threads.

If this doesn't correct the problem then you might need to rebuild or replace the faucet itself. Over time the internal washers and mechanisms wear out and my not be opening up all the way to allow UN restricted water flow.

On a side note.... If you cannot remove the aerator by hand use a pair of pliers to get some leverage to unscrew; just make sure you use a rag in between the teeth of the pliers and the aerator itself to keep from gouging into the finish.

While your at it check all the other aerators and clean and or replace as needed.