I had pretty similar results after descaling mine. Definitely noticed some gritty sediment coming out for a day or two, which was kinda gross but made sense after reading this:
"Sometimes the loosened minerals from your pipes end up there, actually making things temporarily worse."
My hot water pressure was noticeably weaker afterward, while cold seemed mostly unchanged. I was skeptical at first, thinking maybe I'd messed something up, but after a few days it evened out again. Guess it just needed time to flush everything through the system? Not sure if that's always the case, but it was for me.
If yours stays uneven longer than a week or so, though, maybe there's something else going on. Plumbing issues can be tricky—I'm still figuring things out myself as a first-time homeowner. Hang in there, you're definitely not alone in this!
Had a slightly different experience myself—my hot water pressure didn't bounce back after a week. Turned out some sediment got stuck in the faucet aerators. Quick tip: unscrew those little screens and rinse 'em out...worked wonders for me. Worth a shot if yours stays weak.
Had a similar issue last summer, but cleaning the aerators didn't do much for me. Turned out the main culprit was mineral buildup in the water heater itself. Ended up flushing the tank thoroughly—tedious, but it restored pressure nicely. Might be worth considering if aerators don't help...
Good call on the water heater flush—it's often overlooked. Had a similar headache myself a couple years back. Aerators were clean as a whistle, but pressure was still weak. Turned out sediment had built up pretty badly in the tank. Flushing it was indeed tedious, but it made a noticeable difference afterward. Definitely worth the effort if you're comfortable tackling it yourself... just be prepared for a bit of mess and patience-testing moments along the way.
Flushing the tank can help, sure, but honestly, if your heater's older, it might not be worth the hassle. I tried flushing mine once—ended up with a leaky valve and had to call a plumber anyway. Sometimes it's safer (and cheaper in the long run) to just bite the bullet and replace it, especially if you're not super handy or comfortable messing with plumbing... Just my two cents.
