Your Guide to Increasing Water Pressure without a Pump

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Do you want to increase water pressure without having to buy an expensive pump? You’re in the right place. The most common advice given when someone has low water pressure is to buy a pump, but pumps can get really expensive and noisy.

The first step when you have low water pressure is to try to diagnose the reason you are having low water pressure.

Things that cause low water pressure

1.Faulty Valves

A common cause of low pressure is due to defective valves in the system. Replacing valves if the ones you are using are old should always be the first step you take.  One of the valves that I’ve found to work efficiently are Sharkbite ball valve 22222)  (view on Amazon). It has the capability of handling 200 PSI.

2.Clogged pipes

In most cases, low pressure is caused by clogged pipes which become narrow because of the accumulation of minerals deposited inside them. The accumulated sediments prevent water from flowing freely.

 

3.Low water pressure neighborhood

The problem could be your neighborhood. The first thing is to talk to your neighbors to find out if they are also having the same problem.

If they too have low pressure, it means the problem might be the city water department is delivering water at low pressure.

If the problem is with Water Company, then you should think of buying a $300 pressure booster or try to adjust pressure regulators. You should check if the valves are working correctly. Replace the valve if they are old and defective.

4.Leaking Pipes

Next, check if you have any leaks. If your toilet flash is continually running, there might be a leak which is reducing water pressure. To ensure there is no leak. Close all the taps and showers in the house. Then take a look at the meter, and if the meter is still rotating while have closed all the faucets and taps that could indicate a leak.

How to increase water pressure without a pump

Removing flow regulator

In the United States, manufactures showerheads are required to install flow regulator. These regulators work to reduce the rate of water flow in order to save water. If you are getting low pressure in your shower, you should remove the regulator. If you open the shower head, you will see colored plastic just pull it out. Some shower heads come with instructions on how to remove the flow regulator. You can also check the following link.

Raising the height of the water tank increases the pressure. Although this method is a bit extreme, it is useful in improving water pressure. The Standard unit of water pressure is Pascal. For every foot you raise your tank, you get 0.03 kPa increase in pressure.

See also: Submersible pumps for well water

Replacing clogged old pipes

You should replace old pipes with new pipes if you suspect that the pipes are clogged. Also, you should replace old pipe with wider pipes to enhance pressure.

Replacing old and own out pipes should be a priority when trying to increase water pressure in your home. Also, replacing the pressure regulators to ensure they are functioning correctly. You should pay attention to the types of the valve installed in the system. The best valve when it comes to pressure is the ball valves.

When the lower pressure is as a result of municipality supplying low-pressure water you should talk to them to see what they can do to rectify the situation.

If everything else fails, you can always install a water pump which is not very expensive. There are some which are convenient to use. In fact, if noise is your concern you can get a silent water pump.

You should consider using a booster pump especially if you want to increase pressure on up-stair.

Low water pressure in rural areas.

In most cases, people leaving in rural areas experience the problem of low water pressure more than their counterparts that live in the cities and urban areas. Using a pump might be the only reasonable solution mainly if you use well water.

Conclusion

First, check if the low pressure is a neighborhood problem or it is just a one house problem. If the problem is isolated, that means there is some plumbing problem in the house. Check if there is some pipe clogging; next, check out if the pressure regulator is working. Additionally, check if all the valves are working correctly. If nothing works, then installing a water booster pump might be the only option available to you.