How to Backflush a Kitchen Faucet

Try this 10-cent remedy before calling a plumber.

Your kitchen faucet's low water pressure may require a professional plumber's attention -- or it may be a simple buildup of mineral sediment that you can clear out yourself with a method called backflushing. The pipes in your home interconnect; so if you force the water backward from the weak faucet, it will, in many cases, take the buildup with it, through the pipes and out an open faucet in another part of the house.

Things You'll Need

• Tongue-and-groove pliers
• Dime
• Paper towels

Instructions

1. Turn off the main water valve on your hot water heater. This valve is located on one of the pipes that leads into the top of the unit.

2. Unscrew the piece on the end of the kitchen faucet's spout, called an aerator. You should be able to remove it simply by twisting it clockwise with your fingers; if it won't turn, use a pair of adjustable tongue-and-groove pliers to loosen it.

3. Place a dime inside the aerator on top of the parts inside. Screw the aerator back on. The dime will block water from coming out of the kitchen faucet.

4. Plug the drain of a second sink -- preferably a large laundry room sink, though any other sink in your home will work. If the second faucet has an aerator on the spout, remove it. Turn on the hot water tap.

5. Return to the kitchen faucet. Turn on the cold water tap. You will hear the water being pushed backward into the pipe. Check the basin of the second sink; it should have backflushed water with mineral debris inside. If it doesn't, return to the kitchen faucet and turn the hot water tap on, then off, then on again.

6. Turn off the kitchen faucet once the backflushing process is complete. Unscrew the aerator, remove the dime then replace the aerator on the faucet. With the hot water tap still open on the second faucet, turn on the water valve for the hot water heater again.

7. Turn off the water on the second faucet once it runs clear. Drain the water and wipe away any sediment in the basin with a paper towel. Replace the aerator, if applicable.

8. Turn on the kitchen faucet. You should see an improvement in the flow. If the flow is still weak, repeat the backflushing process.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not try and backflush the pipes while the hot water heater valve is turned on.

References

• Plumbing Geek: Back Flush Clogged Pipes
• The Super Handyman: Better Water Pressure For Only Ten Cents
• Home Ec 101: Fix Your Faucet Aerator -- Chores You Didn’t Know Existed