How to Fix Water Pressure: Easy Tips for Your Eastbourne Home
- Luke Yeates
- Jul 31
- 13 min read
That sudden, disappointing drop in water pressure can bring your whole day to a grinding halt. When the shower turns into a pathetic trickle or the kitchen tap barely manages a dribble, it’s more than just a minor inconvenience – it’s a clear sign that something’s wrong. Before you can even think about a fix, you’ve got to put on your detective hat and figure out what’s happening inside your Eastbourne home.
The very first thing to do is figure out the scale of the problem. Is it every single tap in the house acting up, or is the issue contained to one spot, like the upstairs bathroom? This is a massive clue. If it’s just one tap, you’re likely dealing with a simple, localised blockage like a clogged aerator. But if the entire house is suffering, the problem is probably closer to where the water main enters your property. For example, a home in the Roselands area of Eastbourne might find the whole house has low pressure, suggesting a wider issue.
Check Hot and Cold Taps Separately
Once you've found an affected tap, test the hot and cold water supplies one by one. This simple test can narrow things down considerably.
Low pressure on the hot water only? This almost always points to an issue with your water heater or boiler. If you have a combi boiler, for example, a common culprit is sediment and limescale building up in the plate heat exchanger, which severely restricts the flow of hot water.
Low pressure on both hot and cold? This tells you the problem isn't your heating system. Instead, the issue lies somewhere in the main water supply pipes themselves.
Here at Harrlie Plumbing and Heating, a frequent problem we encounter, especially in Eastbourne with its notoriously hard water, is limescale accumulation. Over months and years, these mineral deposits slowly build up inside your pipes and clog up components, gradually strangling your water pressure. A slow, steady decline is the classic calling card of limescale.
Pro Tip: A quick chat over the fence with your neighbours in Hampden Park or Willingdon can be incredibly revealing. If they’re all having the same pressure problems, the issue is almost certainly with the mains supply in your street. In that case, your next step should be to check for any reported issues with your local water authority.
This initial bit of detective work is crucial. It helps you understand whether you're facing a quick DIY fix for a single clogged tap or something bigger. If you’re starting to suspect a faulty valve, widespread pipe blockages, or an issue with your boiler, it’s a good sign that it’s time to call in a professional to get a proper diagnosis and avoid making things worse.
To help you get to the bottom of it even faster, we've put together a quick diagnosis table. Just match the symptoms you're seeing to find the most likely cause.
Quick Diagnosis: Common Symptoms and Likely Causes
Use this table to quickly match the symptoms you're experiencing in your home with the most probable underlying cause of your water pressure issue.
Remember, this table is a guide to point you in the right direction. While simple fixes like cleaning an aerator are great DIY tasks, anything involving your boiler, main supply valves, or internal pipework is best left to an experienced and insured professional like the team at Harrlie Plumbing and Heating.
Simple DIY Fixes You Can Try This Weekend
When you're faced with a weak flow from your taps, it’s easy to assume the worst. But before you pick up the phone to a professional to fix water pressure problems, hold on a moment. The solution is often surprisingly simple and something you can easily sort out yourself in an afternoon, saving you a call-out fee.
Let's walk through the most common and straightforward fixes first. These initial checks are incredibly effective and, in our experience across Eastbourne, solve a huge number of low-pressure complaints. Sometimes, the most obvious answer is the right one.
Locate and Check Your Stopcock
One of the very first questions our team at Harrlie Plumbing and Heating will ask when we visit a home in Eastbourne is about your main stopcock. This is the master valve that controls the entire water supply to your property, often tucked away under the kitchen sink, in a utility room, or maybe a downstairs cloakroom.
It’s surprisingly common for this valve to get knocked or partially closed by accident, maybe while cleaning out cupboards or during some other minor work. A stopcock that isn't fully open will throttle your water flow from the very start.
Find the valve: You're looking for a brass tap, usually with a traditional turn-handle, although some modern homes have a simple lever instead.
Check its position: To be fully open, the valve needs to be turned completely anti-clockwise. If it feels a bit stiff, use gentle but firm pressure. Don't force it, but make sure it’s open all the way.
A quick check and a simple turn can sometimes be all it takes to bring your water pressure back to its former glory.
Many of the homes we visit in Eastbourne for low water pressure are fixed in minutes, simply by finding and fully opening the main stopcock. It's the most overlooked "fix" in the book, a lesson we learned quickly when we started our business here.
Descale Your Taps and Showerhead
Here in Eastbourne, we have notoriously hard water. This means our water carries high levels of minerals like calcium and magnesium. While it’s perfectly safe to drink, these minerals leave behind deposits—what we all know as limescale—which can play havoc with your plumbing fixtures.
This limescale build-up is a top culprit for localised low water pressure. It clogs up the tiny holes in tap aerators and showerheads, slowly turning a strong, satisfying flow into a pathetic trickle. Thankfully, cleaning them is an easy and very effective DIY job.
Unscrew the Fixture: Gently unscrew the very end of your tap (this is the aerator) or the entire showerhead. You might need a cloth wrapped around a wrench for a stubborn showerhead to avoid scratching the finish.
Soak in White Vinegar: Pop the aerator or showerhead into a bowl and submerge it in white vinegar. Leave it for a few hours, or even better, overnight. The acetic acid in the vinegar is fantastic at dissolving those stubborn mineral deposits.
Scrub and Rinse: After its soak, grab an old toothbrush and give it a good scrub to clear out any leftover limescale from the little holes. Rinse it thoroughly under clean water before you screw it back on.
You'll often be amazed at the difference this simple bit of cleaning makes. It's a fundamental step in learning how to fix water pressure yourself. If these easy fixes don’t do the trick, it might be time to look into deeper issues, but always, always start here.
Understanding Your Home's Plumbing System
Before you can get to the bottom of how to fix your water pressure, it really helps to know what kind of plumbing system you’re working with. Getting to grips with the basics of your home's setup means you can diagnose problems far more accurately and have a much clearer conversation with a professional when you need one.
UK homes usually have one of a few common systems, and each comes with its own personality and potential pressure quirks. From the traditional gravity-fed tanks common in older Eastbourne properties to modern, high-performance combi boilers and unvented cylinders, your system's design is the first chapter in your water pressure story.
The Impact of Plumbing Age and Design
The age and type of your pipework play a massive role in your daily water flow. It helps to think of your pipes like roads; wide, modern motorways allow for fast, efficient travel, while narrow, old country lanes can cause frustrating bottlenecks.
Many of the beautiful period homes we see around Eastbourne, particularly in areas like the Meads or Old Town, still have their original, narrow-diameter pipework. While they’re packed with character, these old pipes can seriously restrict water flow, acting as a permanent bottleneck on your pressure.
This issue is often made worse by the overall demand for water in the area. With the average daily use in England and Wales sitting between 138.6 to 145.8 litres per person, high demand during peak times puts a strain on the entire network. It's a problem that older pipework can make much, much worse.
A scenario we see all the time at Harrlie Plumbing and Heating is a homeowner who has just installed a powerful new shower in their Eastbourne home, only to be completely underwhelmed by its performance. Nine times out of ten, the problem isn't the shower itself, but the old pipework struggling to supply it with enough water.
The Role of Valves in Your System
It's not just about the pipes. Certain valves are critical for managing your home's water pressure, and one of the most important you might have is a Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV).
A PRV does exactly what its name suggests: it reduces the incoming water pressure from the mains to a safe, consistent level for your home's plumbing and appliances. They’re essential for protecting your system from pressure spikes that could cause serious damage. The trouble is, when a PRV starts to fail, it can secretly sabotage your flow.
Symptoms of a Faulty PRV: A failing PRV often results in pressure that is either consistently too low or fluctuates wildly for no apparent reason.
Location: You'll typically find the PRV installed on the mains water pipe, just after the main stopcock.
Understanding these different elements—from your boiler type to the age of your pipes and the function of your PRV—is key. It helps you grasp why certain heating solutions might be a better fit for your home. For example, knowing your pressure limitations is crucial when weighing up your options, a topic we touch on in our guide to underfloor heating versus radiators. This knowledge makes you a more informed homeowner, ready to tackle any pressure problems that come your way.
How to Find and Address Hidden Water Leaks
That slow, mysterious drop in your water pressure often points to a silent culprit: a hidden leak. This is more than just a minor annoyance. A persistent leak wastes a staggering amount of water, sends your bills climbing, and can quietly cause serious structural damage over time. The good news is that you can play detective and check for this yourself.
The most reliable way to confirm you’ve got a hidden leak is to perform a water meter test. It’s a simple check, but it’s the definitive way to see if water is being used on your property when everything is supposedly turned off.
First, make sure every tap, shower, washing machine, and dishwasher is completely off. No water should be flowing anywhere in or outside your house. Next, find your water meter, which is usually under a small metal or plastic cover at the boundary of your property, often near the pavement. Now, take a close look at the meter’s dial. If you see it spinning, even very slowly, you've got a leak somewhere.
Common Hiding Spots for Leaks
Once you’ve confirmed a leak with the meter test, the real hunt begins. Leaks can happen anywhere, but our Harrlie Plumbing and Heating engineers have found they have a few favourite hiding spots in Eastbourne homes.
Under Sinks: Check the U-bend and the flexible supply lines for any drips or tell-tale signs of moisture in the cabinet below.
Behind Toilets: The connection where the cistern meets the bowl is a classic offender, as is the water supply line feeding it.
The Main Supply Pipe: The underground pipe running from the street meter to your house can be a major source of leaks, especially in older homes.
Here in Eastbourne, our coastal geology and chalky ground can cause subtle ground movement. This puts extra stress on those buried supply pipes, making them far more susceptible to cracks and leaks over time. In fact, many of the [common plumbing issues in older Eastbourne properties](https://www.harrlieplumbing.co.uk/post/common-plumbing-issues-in-older-eastbourne-properties-and-how-to-address-them) we see stem from these exact underground problems.
At Harrlie Plumbing and Heating, professional leak detection is something we take very seriously. Finding and fixing these issues is absolutely crucial for restoring your pressure and, just as importantly, conserving water.
Tackling leaks is a key strategy for maintaining stable water pressure not just for one home, but for entire communities like ours in Eastbourne. A hidden leak isn't just a personal problem; it’s a national one.
Managing leakage is critical for maintaining supply across the whole country. According to Ofwat, water companies in England and Wales have invested over £700 million between 2020 and 2024 to combat this very issue. Even so, leakage still averaged a hefty 48.8 litres per person per day in 2023-24.
If your detective work points to a leak you can't see or reach, that’s your cue to call in professionals like our team.
When You Should Call a Professional Plumber
While tackling a bit of DIY can feel incredibly rewarding, there’s a fine line between a satisfying home fix and a risky gamble. Some plumbing jobs are simply too complex or hazardous for a weekend project and really demand the trained eye of a certified professional. Knowing when to put down the wrench and pick up the phone to Harrlie Plumbing and Heating is the key to protecting your Eastbourne home from further damage and finally solving your water pressure problems for good.
If you’ve tried the simple fixes and your pressure is still stubbornly weak, or if you suspect a deeper issue like a faulty Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV), it’s time to call for backup. Adjusting or replacing a PRV isn’t just a case of twisting a dial; it requires precision and a solid understanding of your entire plumbing system. Get it wrong, and you could end up with dangerously high pressure that wrecks your appliances or, just as bad, a permanent trickle that makes a decent shower impossible.
Complex Jobs Need an Expert Hand
Other scenarios also fall squarely into the "call a professional" category. These are the jobs where specialised equipment and certified knowledge aren't just helpful—they're essential for safety and compliance.
Consider these situations your clear signal to get an expert involved:
Replacing Old Pipework: Many older properties in Eastbourne still have outdated lead or very narrow-gauge pipes. Swapping these out is a major undertaking that’s best left to a professional team like ours at Harrlie Plumbing and Heating.
Installing a Booster Pump: A water pressure booster pump can be a fantastic solution, but only if it’s correctly specified for your home and installed properly. A professional diagnosis from us is crucial to ensure it’s the right fix for your specific problem, not just a plaster on a bigger issue.
Persistent or Worsening Issues: If your water pressure continues to drop despite your best efforts, it often points to something more complex. This could be a hidden leak somewhere in your walls or floors, or a significant blockage that needs professional leak detection services to find.
A professional diagnosis from an experienced plumber does more than just identify the problem. It saves you from costly trial-and-error fixes that could damage your plumbing system and lead to much bigger repair bills down the line. We often see this in Eastbourne when homeowners have tried to fix things themselves first.
Sometimes, the problem isn’t even inside your home. Broader environmental factors can affect the municipal supply, especially here in the UK where weather patterns can impact water availability. For example, during the dry summer of 2022, below-normal river flows across the country led to lower reservoir levels and reduced pressure in the mains network. A professional can help distinguish these external issues from problems within your property.
When you do decide to call a plumber in the Eastbourne area, it’s vital to choose a reliable one. Knowing what to ask can make all the difference. For guidance, [check out our essential tips for finding the right plumber or heating engineer in Eastbourne](https://www.harrlieplumbing.co.uk/post/essential-tips-for-finding-the-right-plumber-or-heating-engineer-in-eastbourne) to ensure you get qualified, trustworthy help.
Your Eastbourne Water Pressure Questions Answered
We've walked through the common culprits and fixes for poor water pressure, but there are always a few specific questions that pop up. As Eastbourne’s local plumbers, our team at Harrlie Plumbing and Heating gets asked the same things by homeowners all over the area. So, we've gathered them here to give you the answers you need.
What Is Considered Good Water Pressure in the UK?
This is probably the most common question we hear, and it really has two parts. First, your water supplier is meant to deliver a minimum of 1 bar of pressure to the edge of your property. That’s the official baseline.
But what really matters is what’s happening inside your home. For that, we look at flow rate. A flow rate between 10 to 15 litres per minute from your taps is what most people would consider good, comfortable pressure for daily use. If you do a quick bucket test and you’re way below that, it's a sure sign something’s not right and needs a closer look.
We often see Eastbourne properties with technically "acceptable" mains pressure at the boundary, but poor flow inside due to old pipework or limescale. Understanding both pressure and flow is key to a proper diagnosis, which is a core part of our service at Harrlie Plumbing and Heating.
Why Is My Water Pressure Low Only in the Shower?
If it's just your shower that's disappointingly weak, you can probably stop worrying about a major mains supply problem. The issue is almost certainly happening right there in the bathroom.
In our experience helping Eastbourne residents, it usually boils down to two things:
A Clogged Showerhead: Hard water deposits are a fact of life here in Eastbourne, and they love to block up the tiny nozzles in a showerhead. Giving it a good, thorough descaling is the first and easiest thing to try.
A Faulty Mixer Valve: That thermostatic valve blending your hot and cold water can get clogged with bits of debris or just wear out. When it does, it chokes the flow. This is one of those jobs best left to a professional from our team to sort out.
Will a Water Pressure Booster Pump Fix My Problem?
A booster pump can seem like a silver bullet, and in the right circumstances, it absolutely is. These pumps give your home's internal plumbing a serious kick, transforming a frustrating trickle into a powerful flow.
But, and this is a big but, they aren't a cure-all. A booster pump is only effective if the problem is low pressure originating within your property—maybe you have an old gravity-fed system or live on a hill near Beachy Head. It’s not going to fix hidden leaks or an issue with the mains supply coming into your street. It’s really important to get a professional opinion from a team like ours at Harrlie Plumbing and Heating before you invest, just to be sure it's the right move for your home.
Could My Combi Boiler Be Causing Low Hot Water Pressure?
Yes, absolutely. This is something we see all the time in our work across Eastbourne. Combi boilers are brilliant for on-demand hot water, but they have their limits—they can only heat a certain amount of water at once, which affects the flow rate.
If your pressure problems are only with the hot taps, the trail often leads straight back to the boiler. A very common culprit is the plate heat exchanger inside the unit getting clogged with limescale, which restricts the flow of hot water specifically. Tackling this is a job for a Gas Safe registered engineer to make sure it’s diagnosed and fixed safely.
If you've tried the simple fixes and you’re still putting up with sad showers and trickling taps, don't just live with it. The team at Harrlie Plumbing and Heating is here to give you a proper diagnosis and a solution that lasts. Visit our website to schedule your free quote today.
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