There is nothing worse than getting in the shower and the water pressure either being too strong or too weak. In order to get this working properly and performing to it’s full potential. We have three steps you need to follow to get you well on your way to having the perfect water pressure for many years to come.
If you are not a professional, water pressure can be extremely difficult to understan. You need to know what type of pressure your home uses and how to match it up with any potential shower or tap. We would always recommend getting a professional in to help you as they already have all of the right equipment and know exactly what to do. This will also save you a lot of money in the future too.
What Is Water Pressure?
Water pressure is a measurement of how quickly water flows through the pipes and through your taps and showers. If your water pressure is low, water will still flow however it will be very weak and it will take a lot longer to fill up the tap or sink. If water pressure is high it will be more powerful and your sinks and baths will fill up a lot quicker.
What Types of Boiler Are There?
There are a huge range of boiler systems and each of them have their own influence on your water pressure. Here are a range of water boilers that you should consider:
Gravity Fed
These boilers are often found in older properties, this systsme will usually feature a cold water tank in the loft and a hot water cylinder somewhere in your home. This means you will usually have a low pressure system. If you have enough height between the cold water tank and a tap or shower outlet, it may be possible to have higher pressure.
Combi:
If you have a wall mounted boiler that’s located in your kitchen you may not have a cold or hot water storage tank in the property, which means you have a high pressure water system. This is fed directly by mains pressure cold water, it is then quickly heated and pumped around your home.
Unvented:
If your property has a hot water pank but no cold tank you have an unvented water system which will provide high pressure water. Water is often stored at the mains pressure level in a hot water tank and heated by immersion heaters attached to the side or via your central heating.
How Is Water Pressure Measured?
Water pressure is measured in bars against how far the water needs to be pumped around a property. The base measured is that one bar of force is required to push water to a height of 10 meters. All of your taps and showers are rated with a minimum requirement which is usually between 0.1 and three bars.
By lay you water supplier must be able to supply a minimum of 1 bar of normal water mains pressure to your home. You can check your water pressure in a number of ways. You can use a pressure gauge tool, get your supplier to help or you can check them by simply turning on your taps or showers.
What Is The Difference Between Water Pressure & Water Flow?
It is important to understand the difference between water pressure and water flow. Water pressure is a measure of force, water flow is a measure of volume (how much is coming through the taps.) Whilst these are two different things, water flow rate from a bathroom tap or shower can often give a good indication of your overall water pressure.
Why Is My Water Pressure Low?
If you see a random drop in your water pressure from your taps or showers it could be due to a few things including demand in your area, narrow pipes, blocked pipes or any clogged appliances. Other factors include height, obstructed valves and more.
You can do a few simple things to help including cleaning taps and shower heads, replacing your shower head, fitting a shower pump, installing a power shower and more.
Sarah Wirth is a marketing expert from Keith Plumbing in Bristol. If you find yourself looking online for, “Plumbers Bristol” you have come to the right place, as the team at Keith’s Plumbing can help.