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Sudden weak stream at one faucet: where would you start?
When one faucet’s flow drops suddenly, what’s the most useful way to tell whether the aerator is clogged or the restriction is farther inside the fixture? Does the change affecting only one faucet, rather than other fixtures too, help narrow it down?
If removing and rinsing the aerator doesn’t restore the stream, what signs would make you look at the cartridge or supply path next? I’d like to understand when cleaning is a sensible first check and when it’s unlikely to help.
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If only one faucet changed while other fixtures still flow normally, that points to a local restriction, though it doesn’t identify the part. Remove and rinse the aerator; a brief test with it off can confirm whether it’s the bottleneck. If flow is still weak, compare hot and cold: weakness on just one side points toward that side’s supply path, while both being weak suggests a shared restriction such as the cartridge. Turn the faucet off before removing the aerator.
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