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.
To change water flow, the opening of a pipe must be adjusted. Changing water pressure is different. To adjust pressure, the diameter or texture of the pipe must be altered using a different regulator/pump or regulator/pump setting.
When you want to control the actual flow of water, it's highly recommended that you use a water flow regulator. Most of these regulators will take pressure into account and will be able to maintain a consistent flow rate.
In most cases, the easiest way to increase a faucet's flow rate is by replacing the aerator. Try looking for a higher gpm model to allow for more gallons per minute. If you live in a low water pressure area, an aerator designed to restrict water flow might be reducing the flow too much.
Please keep in mind that all new faucets since 1994 are restricted to conserve water per EPA code mandates. Older faucets had no restrictions. Beyond intentional flow restriction, new installations can sometimes have reduced flow if the lines are not flushed prior to installation of aerators or shower heads.
Do All Homes Have a Water Pressure Regulator? No, and in some cases, you may not need one. Certain municipal supplies regulate their water pressure safely, but if that pressure runs above 80 psi, you'll want to protect your plumbing system by installing one.
Valves are commonly used to control flow rate, with the assistance of a differential pressure gauge. Flow rate adjustment is done by adjusting the valves in the pipeline, which can be monitored using a differential pressure gauge.
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.
Anywhere between 10 and 15 litres per minute is acceptable but can be improved. A flow above 15 litres per minute is considered good.
Find the spigot closest to your source of water. Make sure all the taps and other water uses are turned off in your house. Now turn on the spigot and see how long it takes to fill the bucket. Dividing the number 60 by the time to fill the bucket will give you the gallons per minute number.
This is where a pressure regulating valve (PRV) comes in: PRVs are bell-shaped devices located on the main water supply line where the water enters the home, near the shutoff valve. PRVs regulate the pressure in a home and keep it at a safe, steady level.
Locate the main shut-off valve of your home and look nearby. The PRV should be located directly next to the valve. If you are unable to locate your valve, check your basement, garage, or downstream from your water meter if your home has one.
Adjust the Pressure-Reducing Valve
Protruding from the top of the valve is a threaded bolt. To raise pressure, loosen the bolt's locking nut, then turn the bolt clockwise. Use the pressure gauge to determine when you reach a water pressure around 50 PSI. Then, tighten the locknut to secure the valve.
Loosen the lock nut by half a turn with the crescent wrench. Turn the adjustment screw counterclockwise to lower the pressure or clockwise to raise the pressure. Only go one full revolution at a time and get a new pounds per square inch (PSI) reading with your pressure gauge.
Most residential plumbing systems are designed to handle 40 to 60 PSI of pressure, with 80 PSI being the typical maximum and anything over 100 PSI being possibly detrimental to plumbing components.
Flow restrictors are usually found in the neck or threaded end of the shower head exposed when the shower head is removed from the shower arm as shown in the image below. They would appear in the opening of the aerator when it is removed from a lavatory or kitchen faucet.
The typical residential water flow rate for small households is between 6-12 gallons per minute, so unless you plan to add extra kitchens, bathrooms, or laundry rooms to your home in the future, your home will never need to exceed that final GPM, assuming your flow rate is already normal.
A water flow restrictor is usually a flat, circular, plastic piece. The center of the restrictor is shaped like a star, or similarly shaped, and comes in a variety of colors.