When you’re trying to take a shower but there’s only a slow dribble of water coming out, it’s annoying and barely useful. The issue could be with the city water supply, or it could be within your home. In this guide, we provide a few troubleshooting tips to help increase the water pressure in your home.
Check Water Pressure in the Whole House
Before tackling the shower, consider the water pressure in the rest of the house. To check this, you can buy a water-pressure gauge—they cost about $9 at home centers—and screw it to a hose bib, like the one on an outdoor faucet. The gauge should read between 30 and 80 psi (pounds per square inch) when you open the bib’s valve.
If the pressure is below 30 psi, then something is restricting the flow to your home. Even 30 psi is somewhat low, however—if you’re on the low end of that range, you may have an obstruction.
Here’s what to do.
- See if the showerhead or other water fixtures like sinks are clogged.
- Remove any obstructions and measure how much water flows out of the shower arm and into a bucket in 10 seconds. If you collect between 1 1/3 and 1 2/3 gallons—the equivalent of 8 to 10 gallons per minute—then the head is the culprit. If the flow is less than that, clean or replace the shower valve.
- If you’ve removed an obstruction or can’t find one in the first place, call the city water department to see if there are any other reports of low pressure.
Adjust the Pressure-Reducing Valve
If a water-pressure gauge shows that the entire house has low water pressure, try adjusting the pressure-reducing valve.
- Look on the main supply pipe near your water meter for a conical valve that has a bolt sticking out of the cone.
- To raise the pressure, turn the bolt clockwise after loosening its locknut. Keep an eye on the gauge to make sure the pressure is within bounds, then retighten the locknut.
If that adjustment doesn’t help, then the municipal pressure itself may be inadequate. Start by talking to your neighbors. If their pressure is good, call the water company to check the shutoff valve out by the street.
But if the city or water company aren’t making adjustments, there’s only one thing left to do—install a water-pressure booster, like the ones made by Amtrol. It consists of an electric pump feeding water to a tank that keeps it at the desired pressure.
Our Conclusion
Low water pressure is a nuisance that nobody wants to deal with. Fortunately, there are some tools and tricks you can use to increase the pressure. If those don’t work, you’ll need to call the city or purchase a water-pressure booster.
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