Different reasons will reduce your water flow to be weak. Do you want to know how to fix this plumbing issue? Read this article to get the details.
If your showerheads are weak, your washing machine takes a long to fill, or your faucets are dribbling water, those are the signs of low water pressure. How can you increase the pressure? Low water pressure is a common plumbing issue that arises due to several reasons. The advantage is that you can rectify this problem within a short time and with little money. You need to check your home water to ensure it’s lower than the normal pressure.
Water pressure testing
Reduced water pressure is any reading below 40 pounds of PSI (pressure per square inch). In most homes, the pressure should balance between 40 to 60 PSI, 50 PSI is the ideal figure. Here is how you can calculate your home water pressure.
Buy a simple water pressure gauge at about $10. Make the female thread fit tight onto the outdoor garden hose faucet. Open all the water meter’s closest valves. Open your hose faucet and take the readings on the gauge needle dial. If you get a reading below 40 PSI, your water pressure is low.
Confirm the water flow rate
Your water flow rate is another factor that can lower the pressure. Flow rate is the water delivered through pipes at a specific time. The flow rate calculation is in GPM (gallons per minute). If water demand exceeds the supply, your home will experience low pressure. If your home needs 10 GPM, but the washer is running at 5 GPM and the shower at 3 GPM while the dishwater uses 4GPM, the total needed GPM will be 12, exceeding the 10 GPM supplied. Your water pressure will be lower at that time.
To check the flow rate, ensure all the water appliances and faucets are off. Connect your garden hose to the outdoor faucet and place there three five-gallon buckets that are empty. Turn on the full water blast and start filling the three buckets. Close the water flow after 60 seconds and take the measurements of the water in the buckets. If you managed to fill two and a half buckets, your GPM is 12 ½.
Contact the water department.
If you are using city water, contact the municipal water office and ask them about the pressure in your street. They will do a test free of charge to see if the water supplied matches the demand. If the pressure is okay, then your home system has a problem. If you use water from a deep well and experience low pressure, your pump has a problem. Call a technician to square it out.
Adjust pressure reducing valves
It’s a quick way to increase the home water pressure. The valve is around the meter area close to where the pipe gets into your house.
Mount a pressure booster
If all boosting methods fail, get a licensed plumber to install the pressure booster pump. The pumps come with different price tags depending on the company and capacity.
