Nothing is more annoying than getting in the shower and just having the water barely trickles out. Or maybe you go to wash your hands and the water pressure is so low it takes forever to wash the soap off?
So I wondered what solutions there might be out there for the average homeowner to boost water pressure in their water lines without having to completely re-do their home’s plumbing.
If your home’s water pressure is low, it may be a leak at the water main, the pipes in your yard or home, or a leaky toilet. You may also see unusually low water pressure if your house is high on a hill since the water has to flow up to get to you. If you don’t have leaks, a home booster unit can increase the pressure.
But there’s more to know about boosting your home’s water pressure, so let’s dig in further.
What is the normal water pressure in a residential home?
Water pressure is how much force is provided to the water pipes in your home from the water main out at the street or in your yard.
Water pressure is gauged in pounds per square inch, usually shortened to PSI. A “normal” home’s water pressure is usually about 30 to 80 PSI, so a certain amount of fluctuation is normal.
Read this guide to learn more about how toilets affect water pressure.
What determines water pressure in a home?
In some communities, water pressure is simply a matter of how tall the water tanks are.
After all, water is heavy and the taller the tank, the greater the pressure since a cubic foot of water weighs about 62 lbs.
If your community has a lot of hills and valleys, it’s not uncommon for there to be a wide range of water pressures in different parts of the area. Lower areas will likely have higher water pressures (maybe as high as 150 psi) and higher areas on hills may go as low as 35 psi.
Most communities keep their water tanks at a consistent level of fullness, so the good news is unless there’s a leak, you aren’t likely to see a lot of fluctuation in your home.
How do I fix low water pressure in my house?
Since there could be a large number of reasons for low pressure in your home, it’s important to go down the list of possibilities one by one to narrow your options.
For instance, low pressure could be from any of the following:
- Leaky water pipes in your yard
- A water leak in the pipes in your walls
- Leaky toilets (or running toilets which are robbing water from the faucets)
If you have any home water filters or softeners, those could be contributing to the problem too.
For leaks in the water main pipes that run from your street through your yard and into your home, leaks will be easy to spot due to puddles of unexplained water in your yard or at the street. The good news is, depending on where the leak is, your water company may be responsible for the repair.
If you’ve checked all of the rest of the problems and still have low water pressure, it’s probably time to consider a home booster unit.
Grundfos pumps, available at Pump Sales Direct, have an extensive range of powerful home booster units that can resolve your water pressure problem.
So when all else fails a home booster unit can be just the thing to fix your home’s low water pressure.
