Glossary · Plumbing and water
Why is my water pressure low?
Low water pressure means water comes out of your taps or shower more weakly than it should. The cause may be on the water company's side, such as works or a burst main, or in your own plumbing, such as a partly closed stop tap, trapped air, a frozen pipe or a leak. A few checks usually show which.
Key points
- If only some taps are weak, the fault is in your home's plumbing. If every tap is weak, check for works or incidents in your area first.
- Yorkshire Water says its aim is a flow of 9 litres a minute or more at your main cold kitchen tap.
- Trapped air or sediment behind the internal stop tap can cut pressure. Yorkshire Water gives a stop tap routine that often clears it.
- Low pressure can be a sign of a leak, or of a frozen pipe in cold weather.
- Water pressure after an interruption can take several hours to build back up, especially at the top of a hill.
What causes low water pressure
Low pressure has two broad sources: the water company’s network, and your own pipes. Working out which is the first step.
Yorkshire Water says low pressure might be caused by work going on in your area, and that a burst water main near you is another possibility.[1]Yorkshire Water, No water or low water pressure? After an interruption, pressure can take a while to come back. Thames Water says it may take several hours to fully return, and that customers at the top of a hill are likely to wait longer than those at the bottom.[3]Thames Water, After an incident happens Spluttering taps at first are normal and should clear if you run the taps for a couple of minutes.[3]Thames Water, After an incident happens
If the problem is in your home, the usual suspects are a partly closed or blocked stop tap, trapped air, a frozen pipe or a leak. Yorkshire Water includes all of these in its checklist.[1]Yorkshire Water, No water or low water pressure? A weak stream from taps or a shower is also on its list of signs of a leak.[2]Yorkshire Water, Do I have a leak?
What you can check yourself
Work through these in order. They follow the Yorkshire Water checklist.[1]Yorkshire Water, No water or low water pressure?
| Check | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Planned works or incidents in your area | The cause may be the network, not your home |
| Do all taps run weakly or only some | If only some are weak, the problem is in your home’s plumbing |
| Ask your neighbours | If they are fine, the cause is on your side. A neighbour’s work may also have closed a shared stop tap |
| Frost on the pipes | A frozen pipe can reduce flow in cold weather |
| Signs of a leak | Damp patches, high bills or a moving meter dial |
Then try the stop tap routine. Turn on the main cold kitchen tap. Turn the internal stop tap off and on three or four times. Make sure it is fully open, then turn it back slightly to avoid seizing. The water may cough and splutter, and this often brings the pressure back.[1]Yorkshire Water, No water or low water pressure? See stopcock for where to find it.
Finally, test the flow. Make sure all taps and appliances are off, run the main cold kitchen tap fully and time a 1 litre jug. Six seconds is 10 litres a minute. Yorkshire Water’s aim is 9 litres a minute or more at that tap, and it points out that many newer taps are designed to give less than 9 litres a minute to save water.[1]Yorkshire Water, No water or low water pressure?
When to call for help
If only some taps are affected, or you find a leak, the problem is in your home. Yorkshire Water says to call a plumber or your landlord, and points to the WaterSafe list of qualified plumbers.[1]Yorkshire Water, No water or low water pressure? Do not take pipework apart yourself if you do not know what you are doing.
If your neighbours have the same problem, or your flow test is below 9 litres a minute with the stop tap fully open, contact the water company.[1]Yorkshire Water, No water or low water pressure? If your neighbours have water and you have none after an incident, Thames Water says you may have an airlock and offers a technician visit.[3]Thames Water, After an incident happens There is more on that in airlock in pipes.
Example
Daniel in Keighley finds the shower running weakly on Tuesday morning. The kitchen tap is also weak. He checks the Yorkshire Water incident map and sees nothing. He cycles the internal stop tap three times with the kitchen tap running, and the water coughs, then runs strongly. If it had not, his next step would be the flow test, then a call to the water company.
What people get wrong
Many people blame the water company at once or, equally, assume their own pipes are at fault. The checklist exists to separate the two. If only some taps are weak, it is your plumbing. If every tap is weak and neighbours are affected, it may be the network.
Another mistake is to read a low flow from a new tap as a fault. Yorkshire Water notes that many newer taps are designed to give less than 9 litres a minute.[1]Yorkshire Water, No water or low water pressure?
The bottom line
Low water pressure comes from either the network or your own plumbing. Check for works, check whether all taps are affected, try the stop tap routine and measure the flow against 9 litres a minute. Call a WaterSafe plumber for faults in the home and the water company if the supply to the property is below standard.
Common questions
Why has my water pressure suddenly dropped?
Check for planned works or an incident first. Yorkshire Water says low pressure can be caused by work in your area or a burst main. If your neighbours are fine, the cause is on your side of the boundary.
How do I test my water flow?
Turn off all other taps and appliances, run the main cold kitchen tap fully and time how long a 1 litre jug takes to fill. Yorkshire Water says 6 seconds equals 10 litres a minute, and its aim is 9 litres a minute or more.
Can a stop tap cause low pressure?
Yes. Yorkshire Water says air or sediment can become trapped behind the internal stop tap after work is done. Its routine is to turn the stop tap off and on three or four times with a cold tap running.
Is low pressure a sign of a leak?
It can be. Yorkshire Water lists low pressure among the signs of a leak, alongside damp patches, high bills and a moving dial on the water meter when you use no water.
Sources
We cite the original source for every figure: government, regulators, standards bodies and manufacturers' own documents. Each one shows the date we last checked it.
- Yorkshire Water. No water or low water pressure?. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Yorkshire Water. Do I have a leak?. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩
- Thames Water. After an incident happens. Checked 11 November 2026. ↩