Fixing Low Water Pressure at Your Kitchen Faucet

A kitchen faucet that dribbles instead of flows is more than an annoyance; it makes washing dishes slower, filling pots harder, and rinsing vegetables impossible. The good news is that low pressure at a single faucet almost never means you need new plumbing. The culprit is almost always sediment or mineral deposits blocking the aerator (the screen at the faucet tip), a partially closed shutoff valve under the sink, or occasionally debris in the supply lines. This guide walks you through the most common fixes, starting with the simplest and working toward slightly more involved solutions. Most homeowners solve this in fifteen minutes with nothing more than a wrench and an old toothbrush.

1. Locate the hidden valve. Crawl under the sink and locate the two shutoff valves on the hot and cold supply lines (they look like oval knobs). Turn both valves counterclockwise one quarter turn to open them fully if they're not already. If one valve is partially closed, that's your culprit. Open it slowly and test the faucet pressure above.
2. Soak and scrub the screen. Unscrew the aerator (the threaded screen at the faucet tip) by hand or with a wrench if it's stuck. Look for sediment, mineral buildup, or debris inside. Soak the aerator in white vinegar for 30 minutes to dissolve mineral deposits, then scrub it with an old toothbrush and rinse thoroughly under running water before reinstalling.
3. Purge trapped sediment. If the aerator was clean but pressure is still low, debris may be trapped in the supply lines. Turn off both shutoff valves, then place a bucket under the faucet and open the shutoff valve on the cold side for 10 seconds to flush sediment. Repeat with the hot side. Close both valves again and reinstall the aerator.
4. Straighten kinked lines. Look at both hot and cold supply lines under the sink for visible kinks, cracks, or loose connections. A kinked line restricts flow just as much as a clogged aerator. If you see a kink, gently straighten it. If a connection is loose, tighten the fitting by hand or with a wrench until snug—don't over-tighten.
5. Test without the aerator. If pressure is still low only from the faucet (not affecting other fixtures), the problem may be inside the faucet body itself. Remove the aerator again and run water directly from the faucet spout into a bucket. If pressure is normal without the aerator, the aerator needs more soaking or replacement. If pressure is still low, the faucet cartridge or valve may be clogged and requires a cartridge replacement.
6. Swap the internal cartridge. If the faucet body itself is clogged, the cartridge (the internal valve assembly) needs replacement. Consult your faucet's manual or take a photo of the brand and model to the hardware store. Close both shutoff valves, remove the handle (usually held by a set screw), unscrew the cartridge housing, and pull out the old cartridge. Install the new one in the same orientation and reassemble in reverse order.
7. Confirm full pressure restored. Open both shutoff valves fully, turn on the faucet at full hot and cold, and verify that pressure returns to normal. Fill a pot at the sink to confirm flow rate. Leave the area dry for 24 hours and check underneath the sink for any new drips that might indicate a loosened connection.