Ways to Increase Water Pressure
Water pressure can be a difficult thing to balance. Too much and you’re likely to blow your faucets and other appliances. Too little and you’re never going to get a satisfactory shower or even get lather for washing the dishes.
Fortunately it is possible to increase your water pressure! Here are several ways in which you can achieve your desired result:
Call The Experts
The most obvious route is to call in a professional. Choose a firm like plumbingdetectives.com.au that has a good reputation. You want the job done properly.
A professional will perform a pressure test and advise you of what issues should be sorted.
Of course, you can do it yourself but you need to be carefully. You don’t want to be one of the people experiencing thousands of dollars worth of damage through a blown pipe.
Pressure Testing
You’ll need to purchase a pressure tester first. It is very easy to use!
All you do is attach it to an outside spigot and turn it on. Ideally your water pressure should be somewhere between 45 to 55 psi.
If this is your reading you don’t need to increase your pressure.
Adding a Pump
It is possible that your local authority is limiting the pressure of the water to homes. In this case you can increase the water pressure by purchasing a water pressure booster.
You will need to decide if you want to boost the pressure to the whole of the house or just to a specific item; such as your shower.
If you opt for the whole of the house then you need to shut off the water on the main pipe in. After the shut off valve you can add the connections for your pressure booster and its expansion tank.
Once you are sure all connections have been completed properly you’ll be able to turn the water back on and let it do its job.
Of course, you’ll need an electric supply for the pump and you should check your local regulations; you may need to fit a back flow valve.
Pressure Reducing Valve
It is a good idea to inspect your water system to see if you have a pressure reducing valve fitted. IF so you will be able to turn the pressure up to allow a greater flow in your home.
However, you will need to ask why the valve was set low. Check all your pipe work for leaks after increasing the pressure.
Blocked Pipes
It is possible that your pipes have become partially blocked, reducing the amount of water that can get through. This is much more difficult to test but may be obvious if the pressure is much greater in one part of your home.
If this is the case then you’ll have no choice but to replace the offending pipe work.
This is most likely to be an issue if you have hard water and your pipes are old; but it is always worth considering!
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