"Turns out, the real culprit was actually my pressure regulator valve."
Interesting you mention that—I had something similar happen last year. Spent a good chunk of time (and money) replacing showerheads, faucets, and even sections of pipe thinking it'd improve water flow. Nope. Eventually found out my pressure regulator valve was set way too low from the previous owner. Adjusted it myself and saw an immediate improvement.
Makes me wonder how often these valves are overlooked? They're pretty cheap compared to other plumbing fixes, so checking or replacing one early could save folks a lot of headache down the road. Wish I'd known sooner... would have saved me some cash and frustration. Did you end up DIY-ing yours or call someone in?
Had a similar issue a while back, but mine was actually set way too high—didn't even realize until my dishwasher started leaking. Apparently, too much pressure can mess up appliances and waste water. Adjusted it down myself after watching a couple YouTube vids, and things have been fine since. Makes me wonder how many people are unknowingly wasting water because of incorrect valve settings... anyone else checked theirs lately?
Good catch on that one—high water pressure is sneaky since most folks think more pressure is always better. Seen plenty of flooded kitchens thanks to this. Glad you tackled it yourself, though... YouTube saves the day again, huh?
Good point about YouTube—it's handy, but I always caution folks to double-check the info they find there. I've had customers who followed DIY videos and ended up making a bigger mess. High water pressure issues are common, and installing a simple pressure regulator can help prevent future headaches. It's not too pricey and relatively straightforward to install... just make sure you pick the right size and specs for your plumbing setup.
Have you ever tried installing one yourself? I've put in a couple pressure regulators over the years, and you're right—it's pretty straightforward, but sizing can trip you up. Had one tenant complain about weak showers after I installed one, turns out I went a bit too conservative on the pressure setting. Had to tweak it a bit, no big deal, but definitely learned my lesson. Any advice on finding that sweet spot between "firehose" and "dribble"?
