Understanding water pressure can be difficult, in our helpful guide we’ll explain what water pressure is, how to test and improve water pressure and water flow and answer frequently asked questions. Providing you with all you need to know to purchase the right products for your home!
What is Water Pressure?
Water pressure determines the movement of water through the pipes in your home and out of your taps or shower. The amount of mains water pressure you have will largely depend on where you are in relation to the closest supply, normally a reservoir. Water pressure can be measured in metres per head, pound per square inch (psi) or bars, 1 bar = 10 metres per head = 14.5 psi.
Most commonly though, bar pressure is used, with one bar being the equivalent to the force needed to push water upwards a distance of 10 metres. By law, water suppliers must supply a minimum of one bar of pressure to your home, enough to force water upwards 10m. The supply however, does only need to be to the point that pipework enters your property, the property boundary if you like, not within the property itself.
How do I find out my water pressure?
If you have low pressure, water will most likely flow slowly out of taps and filling a bath will take a while. If you have high pressure your bath will fill more quickly and you will have a more forceful flow from taps and showers. If you have lived at your property for a while it can be hard to tell if you have high pressure or low pressure as you are used to the speed that the water comes out at, it is just normal to you.
Checking your water pressure can be done in a few different ways, you can contact your water supplier or a plumber or you can test it yourself with a pressure gauge - most likely what a plumber would do. It is important to make sure all taps, showers and appliances are off when you perform the test so that your reading is accurate. It is also a good idea to check both your taps and shower as they are both influenced by the available water pressure.
To test your water pressure using a gauge, you can watch the video above for a really helpful guide on how to do it (credit: Ultimate Handyman Youtube). Firstly, esure that all appliances, taps and showers that use water are not running. Then simply attach the gauge to your tap using the hose or threaded connection supplied and then turn the tap or outlet on fully. This will force the water into the gauge and activate the needle. Make a note of the reading shown on the gauge, for a house supplied with mains water a normal pressure would be considered as 2-4 bars or 30-60 psi.
What is Water Flow?
Water flow is commonly measured in litres per minute, it is the amount of water that flows through a pipe or outlet within a set period of time. It differs from water pressure in that water pressure is a measurement of the force to move that water through your pipe or outlet. A great example of this is if you compared two open ended hose pipes which were running, both appearing to have a similar flow of water. However, on one you can stop the flow of water by placing your hand over the end - the pressure is poor, on the other when you place your hand over the end the water pushes past it and creates a jet of water - the pressure is good.
So water pressure is the measurement of the force of water and water flow is the measurement of the volume of water. The two aren’t completely separate though as a good flow rate is often an indicator of good water pressure, as water flow does normally improve with increasing water pressure.
Can I test my water flow?
To test your water flow, you will need a 2 litre measuring jug and a stopwatch or timer. Place your jug under the tap, turn it on fully and time for 6 seconds and then turn off the tap. To calculate your water flow, multiply the amount of water in the jug in litres by ten, e.g. 1.2 x 10 = 12.
This is the flow rate in litres per minute, so in our example the property has a flow rate of 12 litres per minute. A flow rate of less than 10 litres per minute is normally considered low, so you will more than likely have low water pressure too. A flow rate of 10-15 litres per minute is generally regarded as an acceptable water flow and water pressure, whereas anything above 15 litres per minute is usually considered good, resulting in you having good water pressure too. There are also many online calculators available that will work out your water flow for you.
An alternative method to the measuring jug is to purchase a weir cup, you simply place the weir cup under the tap or shower outlet and turn it on fully. Water enters the top of the weir cup and flows out of the side where a scale indicates the water flow from that particular outlet.
How do you fix low water pressure?
Water pressure is linked to your water tank and boiler. So firstly, you need to know which water system you have and how this may affect the water pressure and water flow in your home.
Whilst you are not likely to notice a dramatic change when washing your hands or cleaning your teeth, improved water pressure can make a huge difference to the power of your shower or the time it takes to fill your bath. Whether you are looking to carry out a complete bathroom or kitchen refit or are simply changing a tap, knowing the type of water and heating system in your property and the available water pressure enables you to make the best choice, to get the most from your product when making improvements to your home. Find out more about water systems here.
There are, of course, some occasions when water pressure will be affected by demand. Whether your existing pressure is low or high, you may experience low water pressure for a short period in the morning or evening when a lot of people take showers and baths, or on hot summer evenings when gardens are often watered.
If you experience a drop in water pressure more often than this, a number of things can be checked to find out where your issues lie and if you can improve your water pressure and therefore your water flow.
Fixing Leaks & Other Problems
Both internal and external leaks will reduce the water pressure in your home. A sign of an external leak can be a change in your outdoor environment, such as a wet patch in your grass, an area of grass that grows more quickly than areas around it or sunken paving. However, not all external leaks may show surface damage and water can still leak into the ground around your property and cause damage over time.
If you receive a higher water bill than expected, you may have a water leak. There are a few further checks that you can do though before calling a professional or your water provider. For this you will firstly need to locate the correct meter supply to your property. Water meters are usually located outside of the property, near the outside stop tap in a circular or square chamber, some meters though can be found inside the property, in the garage, a downstairs toilet or under the kitchen sink. See some of our troubleshooting steps and solutions below;
Location
Diagnosis
Solution
External - Pipe Leak
Turn off the main stop tap for water inside of the building. Take a meter reading, then leave for a few minutes and take another reading. If it has risen then there may be an external leak
Contact your service provider who will advise you of the next steps to get this resolved.
Internal - Obstructed Stop Valve
Check the valve for the main water supply to the building is fully open.
If it isn't, fully open it to maximise available water pressure.
Internal - Narrow Pipes
Older homes are generally found to have narrower pipes in comparison to more modern properties, where they can be twice as wide. This can cause low water pressure, particularly when running an appliance or when using more than one outlet at the same time.
The only way to resolve this issue would be to refit some or all of the affected pipes, not an easy task.
Internal - Blocked Pipes
Water pressure and supply to your property can be impacted by blocked pipes in a similar way to narrow pipes as limescale, rust, dirt or debris can partially restrict the flow. With a blocked pipe you may experience normal or high pressure in the first instance but this quickly drops off to a much lower level.
Get advice from a professional and qualified plumber, there are a couple of options depending on the type of blockage and where the blockage is, such as using a water softener or replacing sections of blocked piping.
Internal - Blocked Taps and Showers
Your water outlets can become blocked just like your pipework. Limescale, rust, dirt or debris can build up and restrict the pressure and flow of water out of your taps and showers. A blocked tap or shower is a very likely occurrence if you are getting more flow out of your taps than your shower, or vice versa. Build ups can happen over a period of time, particularly on hot water outlets, or if you have had recent work carried out. The material in the pipework can be disturbed, travel to your outlets and cause issues with the available water flow, particularly if your pipework has not been flushed out fully prior to fitting the new outlet, this can be from something as simple as a fitting a new kitchen tap to a full bathroom refit.
Read how to remove limescale here.
Internal - Replacing your Taps or Shower Head
You have tried the above but it has not resolved the issue of low pressure or if they are faulty or not able to be fully cleaned
Replacing them is an option to help improve your water pressure. For a shower particularly, new hoses, an unclogged inside and a fresh shower head can make a difference to improve your water flow.
External - Pressure is just low
Your supply is just low due to your system, or external supply.
If all else fails there are various options when it comes to fitting a pump to improve water pressure and water flow. Which option best suits you will depend on where your issue in pressure lies, what type of water heating system you have, where the pump is going to be fitted and what it is that needs pumping.
Internal - Low Pressure Shower
Your supply is just low due to your system, or external supply.
Designed to be used with low-pressure water systems, a power shower uses both the hot water and cold water feeds to produce a more powerful shower by boosting the water flow rate through an internal electric pump. A power shower generally increases the water flow by three times the amount, it is a worthwhile investment to provide a higher pressure and more enjoyable shower experience, although does prove to be more expensive than installing a shower pump.
We have lots of products available for low pressure, and high pressure systems. Take a look through our store, and if you have any questions, one of our team is on hand to help you - you can contact them here.
Taps UK is a prominent online retailer in the United Kingdom, specializing in a wide variety of kitchen and bathroom products. The company boasts a large selection of taps, sinks, and accessories from both well-known industry brands and its own exclusive lines, catering to a broad customer base that includes the general public as well as trade professionals like developers and builders.
