Are the shower heads in your home weak? Does the water dribble out of your faucet? Is your washing machine taking a long time to fill? If you’re experiencing these issues you might be facing a common problem of low water pressure within your home. When experiencing low water pressure for your residential application, this can be caused by a number of reasons. The goods news is that a resolution to these problems can typically be relatively simple and cost-effective.
Testing your water pressure
The water pressure within your home tends to range between 45 to 80 pounds per square inch (psi). If the psi of your water is 40 psi or below, then yes, you are experiencing this issue and can take steps to correct it. If your water pressure is 80 psi or higher, then you’re violating building codes. So to begin, following are steps you can take to identify if you need to take action.
- Purchase a water pressure gauge. You can get one for $15.95 on Amazon.
- Screw the water pressure gauge on your outdoor hose faucet.
- Turn off any fixture within your home using water (washing machine, shower, kitchen sink, etc.)
- Turn on the outdoor hose all the way for maximum pressure
- Read the results on the pressure gauge
Again, when you run this test, it is very important water isn’t being consumed within your home. If someone is taking a shower or doing the dishes while you perform this test, your results will be skewed and not accurate.
Now that you’ve identified if you’re truly experiencing low water pressure, you can take the next steps and understand how to increase the pressure.
Side note. If the pressure reading came out at an acceptable level, try clearing out any clogs at pipe end points, such as your shower head or kitchen faucet.
Install a residential water booster pump
You may come to find that the issue has nothing to do with you, especially if your home is on city water and not a well. We run into this issue a lot, where a homeowner buys or builds a house on a quiet street and a few years later the water pressure drastically decreases. This is due to new construction and more homes being built causing a higher demand on the city’s main line. A simplex water booster pump is a perfect fit for your residential water pressure needs and will immediately solve your problem of how to get better water pressure in your home.
If your low water pressure is making you scratch your head in confusion and you want to discuss your options, you can send us a message about your specific issues or you can give us a call at (800) 807-9827.
Towle Whitney has been proudly serving our customers for over 25 years and is here to help with all of your water pressure needs, from residential to vertical commercial buildings.