After a long day, it’s nice to come home to a relaxing hot shower. The high-pressure spray helps to massage away the worries of the day, but when water pressure is too low, it can make the entire experience feel like a chore. Weak water pressure makes it difficult to adequately clean anything without excessively prolonged showers. GIMILI Kitchen Faucet
Luckily, you don’t have to settle for a lackluster rinse. There are several methods for troubleshooting and improving weak water pressure—most of which require no plumber. Use this guide to find out why the water pressure is low, and then learn how to increase water pressure in your shower.
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Testing for Low Water Pressure
Before attempting to increase the water pressure in the shower, it’s a good idea to test the flow rate of the shower. This can be accomplished relatively easily. Turn on the shower to full pressure and let it run for about a minute. When you are ready, place a five-gallon bucket under the showerhead. Position it so that all the water that comes from the showerhead runs into the bucket.
As soon as the first drops of water hit the bottom of the bucket, start a timer. Run the timer just until the bucket is full, then hit stop. To calculate the flow rate, divide the number of gallons by the time it took to fill the bucket. For example, if it took two minutes to fill a five-gallon bucket, divide five by two. That works out to 2.5 gallons per minute (GPM).
Check the flow rate against these standard benchmarks for flow rate:
- 1.5 GPM: Standard flow rate for a low-flow showerhead.
- 2 GPM: Current U.S. Federal WaterSense standard.
- 2.5 GPM: U.S. legal maximum flow rate for all showerheads.
How to Increase Water Pressure in a Shower
If your shower’s GPM flow rate needs improvement, use these methods to increase the water pressure in your shower.
1. Turn Off Water-Using Appliances
The easiest way to increase the water pressure in the shower is relatively simple. Just make sure that all water-using appliances and plumbing fixtures—like the dishwasher, clothes washer, irrigation system, garden hose, toilets, and other showers—are turned off when you want to take a shower. This should direct the full flow of water to the one shower you’re using, leading to an increase in the water pressure.
2. Shower During Off-Hours
Another easy fix for low shower water pressure is to avoid showering during the peak hours of the day. Peak hours typically refer to early morning (when people are showering before work) or late afternoon/early evening when they are showering after a day outside the home. To ensure you get the best water pressure in the shower, choose a time during off-hours to rinse off.
3. Check the Valves
If a shift in timing has no noticeable effect on the water pressure, there may be an issue with the showerhead or plumbing system. Check the valves that lead to the shower to see if they are partially closed. This can include isolation valves on the shower line, the main shut-off valve for the home, and the emergency curbside valve.
A partially closed valve could restrict the flow of water into the shower. Inspect and open each valve fully. Once everything is open, test your shower to see if there is a change in water pressure. If the isolation valve or main shut-off valve isn’t the issue, you may need to contact your local water utility services. They can test the emergency curbside valve (as most homeowners do not have the proper tools to operate this valve).
4. Unkink or Replace the Shower Hose
A kinked shower hose is a common problem that often goes unnoticed. If your shower has a handheld showerhead connected to the wall with a hose, check the hose for kinks that may restrict the flow of water. (If your shower does not have a handheld showerhead, you can skip this step.) In most cases, the kink can be untwisted with no further work required. However, if the hose has been kinked for a while, it may need to be replaced to restore the water pressure.
5. Clean the Showerhead
If your showerhead isn’t clean, it might be the source of the water pressure problem. Over time, water flowing through the showerhead leaves behind mineral deposits and scale build-up that partially clogs the showerhead and restricts the flow of water. Depending on the severity of the problem, this issue can usually be resolved by cleaning the showerhead in a white vinegar solution.
Start by filling a bowl, bucket, or large container with enough white vinegar to fully submerge your showerhead, then unscrew the showerhead and soak it in the container for about eight hours. After soaking the showerhead, use a soft-bristle brush and a toothpick to remove any remaining particles from the individual spray openings. Once it is clean, reinstall the showerhead and test the pressure.
6. Replace the Showerhead
If your showerhead is damaged or has an excessive buildup of stubborn sediment, you may need to replace the showerhead to improve your water pressure. Or, if the showerhead is in good condition, but delivering low water pressure, it may be specifically designed to reduce the flow of water. Consider switching to a standard showerhead that doesn’t restrict water pressure. Just bear in mind that the maximum flow you can expect is 2.5 GPM.
7. Replace the Shower Valve
A faulty or deteriorating showerhead can contribute to the problem, but your shower valve can also diminish water pressure—especially if your shower has a single-handle valve. Over time the internal components of the valve can wear out, ultimately affecting the flow of hot and cold water through the valve assembly. Replacing the shower valve with a new valve assembly should restore the regular flow of water to the showerhead. However, depending on your skill and experience with home plumbing, you may need to hire a plumber to complete this job.
8. Inspect and Replace the Pipes
Old water lines gradually accumulate mineral deposits and scale build-up. This accumulation decreases the internal diameter of the pipes and restricts the flow of water. So, even if you have 3/4-inch copper pipes, the flow may be reduced to the internal diameter of a 1/2-inch copper line. Depending on the kind of pipes you have, the issue could also be caused by a bent or even collapsed water line.
In this case, it may be time to upgrade the plumbing for the home. Speak to a plumber about your options for replacing the plumbing lines throughout the house. The cost for this scale of renovation project will likely be high, but doing so could prevent a future plumbing disaster.
9. Upgrade to Larger Water Pipes
Even if there aren’t any existing issues with the water pipes, the diameter of your pipes may be too small to meet current demands. Most residential properties have 1/2-inch or 3/4-inch plumbing lines running throughout the home. Larger properties may have 1-inch or even 2-inch lines. If the water pressure throughout your home is too low, then the problem could be due to narrow water lines. Consult a plumber about upgrading the water lines to increase the water pressure for the entire home.
10. Install a Shower Pump
If none of the above methods worked and you’re still looking for a way to increase water pressure in the shower, another option is to install a shower pump. When you turn on the water to the shower, the water will flow through the shower pump, which uses an impeller to increase the water pressure before it reaches the showerhead. Keep in mind that you will need to have a plumber install the pump, so this is another more costly solution.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What Causes Low Water Pressure?Externally, your water pressure may drop due to municipal supply issues or if your city has changed its water regulations. Inside the house, decreased water pressure is often caused by high simultaneous demand. Water pressure issues are also commonly caused by corroded, clogged, or leaking pipes, faulty pressure regulators, defective fixtures, or partially closed valves.
- What’s the best way to maintain optimal water pressure?Regularly clean your showerhead to remove mineral deposits and maintain optimal water pressure. Also, plan to periodically update or replace old fixtures as corrosion and wear can impact water pressure. If you have hard water, consider installing a water softener.
- Do high-pressure showers use more water?Yes and no. In short, it depends on your usage. High-pressure showers increase the flow of water for a more powerful shower. If equal-length high and low-pressure showers are compared side-by-side, the high-pressure shower would use more water per minute. However, studies have shown that increased water pressure can equate to shorter showers—and by extension, decreased water consumption.1 This is, perhaps, because high-pressure showers are considered more effective. If you want the best of both worlds—high pressure but low consumption—consider getting a high-pressure, low-flow shower head.
