One of life’s little pleasures is taking a steamy shower. It’s a time to forget about all the stress and worries of everyday life and let the hot water on your skin help you feel better. But low water pressure is one thing that can ruin a shower.
If your shower is more of a limp dribble than a blasting jet, you may look for ways to improve it. If that sounds like what you’re going through, here are some tips to help you increase the water pressure in your shower.
Why Is Water Pressure Low?
Before discussing how to improve the water pressure in your shower, it is important to know the reasons for low water pressure. This information will help you understand the procedures necessary to solve the problem.
- The first reason is related to your home’s plumbing. In order to increase the water pressure in your shower, the first step is to ensure that your plumbing system is in excellent condition and free of any blockages or leaks that might be causing low water pressure.
- Another reason might be that you live in an area with old main pipes. This is especially common in cities. It’s more difficult for local authorities to replace old pipes without causing disruption, which will mean insufficient water flow into your home.
- On the other hand, your water may come from a well if you live in a rural area. In this case, your low water pressure may come from a broken or faulty pipe.
- Finally, high demand on the supply, whether from within your home or from your neighbors, may be the cause of low water pressure.
Things You Need to Prepare for Increasing Shower Pressure
Most of our tips require you to prepare simple things like a screwdriver or a toothbrush. You may need to prepare an epoxy putty if you have leaking pipes or a shower pump if all else fails.
How to Increase Water Pressure in Shower
Below are some methods for how to increase water pressure at home in Australia. Read on and find the most suitable solution to the low-water-pressure problem in your house.
- Clean the Shower Head
Over time, the shower head can become blocked with limescale, sediment, and mineral deposits. If this is the case, you will find your water pressure slows to a trickle even if your water pressure is normal. You can unscrew the shower head and clean it. If your shower head comes with a filter, you can remove it and clean that too. You can clean it using a toothbrush or any small brush.
- Check for a Flow Restrictor
Many manufacturers have combined flow restrictors into shower heads in recent years. This is due to the US’s NEA (National Energy Act) requirements to help customers reduce their water bills and protect the environment. If that’s the case, you will need to remove the flow restrictor. You can refer to your shower head manual to remove it. After removing it, you can check if your shower pressure is better.
- Check for Kinks in Your Shower Hose / Water Line
If your shower uses a flexible line instead of pipes, ensure no kinks in it that are blocking water flow. If it is a handheld shower, ensure the hose is not twisted.
- Check for Leaks
If you have leaking pipes, the water supply to your shower will be decreased.
Besides that, leaky water can cause major damage to your home, so if you have leaks, you must find and fix them immediately. Check all the pipes in your home for leaks, and contact a plumber if you find any. Epoxy putty can be used to perform quick and short-term fixes.
- Check If the Valve Is Fully Open
If you just had construction work done or moved into a new home, you should always make sure the main shut-off valve is fully open. When plumbers or other workers turn off the water valve, they sometimes forget to turn it back on when they’re done.
- Change Your Shower Head to a High-Pressure One
You can purchase a shower head designed for low-water pressure if the problem is not due to your plumbing. You can find those products from many brands like MyHomeware showerhead. If your water pressure is low, they can help make a more powerful jet of water than a regular shower head.
- Install a Shower Pump
If you have tried everything else and nothing has helped, you can use a pump to increase water pressure in home. At this point, if you don’t know much about plumbing, you’ll need to talk to a professional about buying and installing a shower pump.
Conclusion
If you are lucky, you may be able to locate a low-cost, quick solution to the issue of low water pressure in your house. If repair is as easy as cleaning the shower head or opening a valve, it won’t cost you anything. However, If the problem comes from the mains supply, a low-pressure shower head may solve the issue; but, if none works, you may need to consider more expensive choices like installing a shower pump.
FAQs about How to Increase Water Pressure in Shower
Unscrew your shower head and clean it using a toothbrush or any small brush. If there is a filter in the shower head, take it out and clean it. Also, try cleaning each rubber nozzle to ensure there are no blockages.
Yes, showerheads have features that can increase the amount of water flowing through the showerhead, so they can help you increase the water pressure in your shower.
You can adjust your water pressure at the valve pressure. Most of the time, the valve is located in the basement or where the mains system enters your home. It’s likely to have a red handle.
