The most accurate method is to buy a pressure gauge from your local hardware store and hook it up to a hose faucet. Check the pressure when all other faucets and water-using appliances are turned off to get a baseline reading.
If you don't have a 1-litre jug (they often vary in size, some can be 500ml, 800ml), then you can use some simple maths to calculate the water pressure. Simply, take the amount of water in the jug in litres and multiply this by 10. This will give you your flow rate in litres per minute.
Turn off all the other faucets in the house. Take a standard bucket that has a capacity of one gallon. Place it under the faucet and note the time (seconds) it takes to fill the whole bucket. Divide the time in seconds by 60, and you'll get the flow rate in gallons per minute.
Water Pressure Readings
Normal water pressure is generally between 40 and 60 PSI. Most homeowners prefer something right in the middle around 50 PSI. Once you measure the water pressure in your house, you can adjust it to a setting that is ideal for all family members and household uses.
Drop in pressure when running two fixtures at same time
An example of this could be running the faucets in your kitchen and bathroom at the same time. If you notice a decrease while having just these two going, you might have a low water pressure.
A fast drop in only one faucet means there's a problem with the faucet. Rapid low pressure affecting one area of the house may mean a corroded pipe issue. An abrupt water pressure drop affecting the whole house may mean a water main break (municipal water) or a well pump problem (well water).
The short answer is low water pressure in your home arises due to a number of causes. Some include a shut or blocked water meter valve, mineral buildup clogs pipes, corroded pipes, or even a crack in the main city supply pipe to your home.
It may be caused by debris such as dirt, sand, solidified oil and grease, food particles, or foreign objects. Pollutants can block pipes if they back up due to fractures in the water main. Mineral buildup clogs pipes over time and causes the water pressure to go down, as there's less space for water to travel through.
Many modern shower heads are designed specifically to increase the pressure of the water coming out of the showerhead itself. So, while they can't increase the actual water pressure of the home, they do improve the showering experience.
Leaky, corroded and clogged pipes can lead to low water pressure in the shower. The showerhead might be so old it needs to be replaced. The shower controls could also be responsible for flow issues.
Depending on your current flow rate, you may be able to increase the flow simply by removing the filter or restricting device or replacing the showerhead with a higher-flow model, such as increasing to a standard 2.5 GPM head. Before you change the showerhead, make sure that the new model is legal in your area.
Residential water pressure tends to range between 45 and 80 psi (pounds per square inch). Anything below 40 psi is considered low and anything below 30 psi is considered too low; the minimum pressure required by most codes is 20 psi. Pressures above 80 psi are too high.
High water pressure puts excess strain on your plumbing system, including your pipes, seals and appliances that use water. As high volumes of water are forced through, the parts that make up your plumbing system are stressed by the pressure which can lead to a variety of problems.
Your water pressure should be at least 10L per minute. Anything under 10L is considered low pressure. Ideally, you'd want the pressure to be between 10-15L per minute. And anything above that is good.
There's more than one, two or even five things that could have gone wrong. The cause of your low hot water pressure could be debris and sediment in showerheads and taps, water leaks, blocked filters, a faulty tempering valve or something else.
Open your main water valve.
Your house has a main water valve, usually located near the meter; the valve controls the flow of water into your home's pipes. Find the valve and check to see if it's completely open. Opening a half-shut valve is one of the quickest ways for increasing home water pressure.
Differentiating Between Low Flow And High Flow Shower Heads
When it comes to Shower Heads, you'll typically find 2.5 GPM, 2.0 GPM, 1.8 GPM and 1.5 GPM. If you're looking for the most pressure, go for the 2.5 GPM Flow Rate, unless you are restricted because you reside in California, Colorado or New York.
If there's an accumulation of sediments in your hot water tank, it can lower your water pressure. The presence of kinks in the flexible water pipes used in water heaters can result in low water pressure. If the shut-off valve isn't fully open, water pressure can drop.
Low water pressure in the bathroom is an indication that something is not quite right within your bathroom's plumbing systems. While several factors can cause weak water pressure, common culprits include a broken pressure regulator, faulty water heater, clogged fixtures, or a hidden leak.
Check to make sure the valve is completely open. If the shut-off valve isn't to blame, sediment buildup is the next probable cause. Mineral and sediment buildup within the tank can cause low water pressure.
A reading of a flat “0” means there's some issue with the tank that's affecting either the amount of water it can hold or the amount of pressure it can sustain.