This is Page Five of Plumbing Advice and Tips from Stanley Searles, your Mill Valley Plumber

You have poor "pressure" or flow at a faucet.

You may have two different types of faucets. There are faucets with one solid spout in your bathroom and maybe in your kitchen. The other is a pull-out spray kitchen faucet, which I'll cover in a later page.

You may follow these steps for your solid-spout faucet in your bathroom or kitchen

You will see your aerator at the tip of the spout. It's the last piece, just where the water comes out. The good news is, you can unscrew your aerator yourself, usually by hand.

First plug your drain so no small pieces will fall into it. Wear a thin rubber glove to help you get a good grip. As you unscrew and remove your aerator, note that there is a rubber washer inside on the top. Be sure to save it.

Set your aerator aside. Turn your faucet on. Try hot and try cold water. Is there sufficient flow now? If not, call me.

If your flow is fine when your aerator is removed, clean the aerator by rinsing it. You can also brush it under running water, using an old toothbrush. Put the top washer back into the aerator. The aerator should screw in easily; don't force it! If you can't get it back in EASILY, call me.

Check the flow now, with the aerator screwed back in. If the flow has slowed again, either buy a new aerator or call me.

Phone Stanley Searles in Mill Valley (415) 388-8260