LOW SHOWER PRESSURE: DOES THAT BOOSTER PUMP REALLY WORK?

Ever had a situation where you swapped out the shower cartridge and it made zero difference? I’ve run into that a couple times, even after cleaning out the aerators and double-checking the shutoff like you mentioned.

“Pumps do work, but only after you’ve ruled out the basics.”

Curious if anyone’s actually traced low pressure back to a hidden leak or corroded branch line instead of just filter gunk.

Definitely seen it traced to old galvanized pipes more than once—corrosion can choke off flow way before you’d expect. Pumps won’t help if the line’s basically clogged. Ever checked for that with a magnet or cut a section? Sometimes it’s not obvious until you open the wall.

Had a tenant swear up and down it was just a clogged showerhead, but nope—turned out the old galvanized line was basically a rust straw. Like you said,

“corrosion can choke off flow way before you’d expect.”

LOW SHOWER PRESSURE: DOES THAT BOOSTER PUMP REALLY WORK?

That “rust straw” description is spot on. I ran into something similar when I bought my place last year—thought it was just a weak showerhead, but after swapping it out and still getting a trickle, I started digging deeper. Here’s what worked for me, step by step:

1. **Check the obvious stuff first**: Cleaned the aerators, unscrewed the showerhead, ran water straight from the pipe. Still barely any flow.

2. **Test other fixtures**: If the sink and tub are also weak, it’s probably not just the shower valve or head.

3. **Inspect visible pipes**: My house has a crawlspace, so I checked for leaks or obvious corrosion on exposed lines. Didn’t see much, but that doesn’t mean the inside isn’t gunked up.

4. **Magnet trick**: Like you mentioned, a magnet will stick to galvanized steel but not copper or PEX. Mine stuck everywhere... not a great sign.

5. **Pressure test**: Bought a cheap gauge at the hardware store and screwed it onto an outdoor spigot. Pressure at the main was fine—so the issue had to be inside.

6. **Cut a small access hole**: This is where things got messy. Cut open a bit of drywall behind the shower and found pipes that looked okay outside but were basically clogged with rust inside.

Honestly, I considered a booster pump too, but after reading up (and talking to a plumber friend), it sounded like putting one in would just stress out already failing pipes and maybe even stir up more rust flakes. Ended up biting the bullet and replacing about 20 feet of pipe with PEX in that section—night and day difference.

If you’re dealing with old galvanized lines, boosting pressure is like cranking up the volume on busted speakers... might get louder for a second but you’re not fixing what’s broken underneath. Sometimes there’s no shortcut around opening things up and replacing what’s shot.

Not saying pumps never help—they can if your supply pressure is genuinely low from the street—but if your pipes are choked off inside, it’s probably money better spent on new lines than gadgets. Just my two cents after learning it the hard way...

LOW SHOWER PRESSURE: DOES THAT BOOSTER PUMP REALLY WORK?

That’s a super helpful breakdown—thanks for sharing all the steps you went through. I’m in a similar boat with my 60s-era house, and I keep going back and forth about whether it’s worth trying a pump or just biting the bullet on new pipes. My pressure at the street is solid, but inside it’s like a sad drizzle, especially upstairs. I’ve cleaned everything I can get to, but haven’t checked behind the walls yet.

Did you notice any difference in water quality after swapping to PEX? Like, less rust or weird taste? I’m a little nervous about opening up drywall since I’m not exactly handy with patching it up after... but if it means actually getting a real shower again, maybe it’s worth it. Also, did you do all the pipe replacement yourself or bring in a pro for that part? Just curious how tough that was if you’re not a plumber by trade.