If your water pressure seems low, the first step should be to test how much pressure you're actually getting from the shower head. A typical home's water pressure should be somewhere between 45 to 55 psi (pounds per square inch).
Water pressure is measured in 'bar', and generally speaking, anything 0.3 bar or below requires a low water pressure tap or shower, and anything at 1.0 bar or above requires a high water pressure tap or shower.
Generally speaking, anything 0.3 bar or below requires a low water pressure tap or shower, and anything at 1.0 bar or above requires a high water pressure tap or shower.
Water pressure is a measure of the force of the water moving through your pipes. Water pressure is measured in bars, with 1 bar being the force needed to raise water to a height of 10 metres. Each tap or shower will be rated with a minimum required pressure rating, typically between 0.1 and 3 bar.
A bar is a unit of pressure, equal to 100 kilopascals, or approximately 14.5 pounds per square inch (psi). One bar is very close to standard atmospheric pressure (1.01325 bar).
A water pressure reading will tell you exactly how forceful your water is in PSI (pounds per square inch). Normal water pressure is generally between 40 and 60 PSI. Most homeowners prefer something right in the middle around 50 PSI.
So, what is the proper water pressure level? For residential plumbing, it's best to be within a range of from 3 to 4 Bar . Plumbing fixtures for home use are designed to withstand a maximum pressure of 5.5 Bar, so at 5.5 Bar and above, you risk damaging your fixtures.
Water systems which operate at 1.0 bar pressure (10 m of drop) or greater are considered high pressure systems. Those with a pressure less than 1.0 bar are considered low pressure.
We know that 10 litres a minute is 1 bar so that mean you have a low pressure system at 0.5 bar. If you find a measure that is between 10 and 15 litres per minute, that's not bad but can be improved, while a flow above 15 litres per minute is good.
100 meters/ 328 feet/ 10 bar: are often called divers watches and can be used for snorkeling, swimming, and other water sports, but not high board diving or sub aqua diving. 200 meters/ 662 feet/ 20 bar: Suitable for high impact water sports and aqua diving not requiring helium.
One bar is the force you need to shoot water 10 metres up in the air. Water regulator, Ofwat, states that all water providers are required to provide water pressure of at least one bar. Good water pressure in your plumbing would be three to four bars.
Check the pressure gauge, which is often found on the front of your boiler. If above 2 bar, your boiler has a high water pressure and needs de-pressurising.
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.
Ways to increase water pressure in your shower
Clean your showerhead. Remove the water restrictor. Replace your shower hose. Check if your water shut-off valve is fully open.
Since 1992, a maximum of 2.5 GPM is the federally mandated flow rate for new shower heads. This means no more than 2.5 gallons of water should flow out each minute. The GPM flow rate for shower heads has decreased over time.
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.
Residential water pressure should ideally be in the range of 45 to 55 pounds per square inch (psi), but it typically ranges from 45 to 80 psi. A psi reading under 40 is considered low and a reading under 30 is definitely too low.
As a rule, a pressure of between 100 and 150 bar will be more than sufficient for all home uses. For instance, if you want simply to wash the car or clean a small area such as a garage or a cellar, a pressure of 110 bar is quite enough.
Check the needle reading on your ever trusty boiler pressure gauge – if it's reading over 1.5 bar (when the boiler is switched off), your boiler pressure is too high.
A low-pressure system has a working pressure of 20 bar. In a high-pressure system, this is 60 bar or higher.
The most common cause of low shower pressure is a blocked showerhead, as a result of limescale build-up. These blockages obstruct the water flow, leading to reduced pressure over time. Most showers are fitted with a filter, protecting the pipework from debris, but this can become partially blocked by scale.
1019.716 centimetres of water (cmH2O) (1 bar approximately corresponds to the gauge pressure of water (not absolute) at a depth of 10 meters).
A Water Resistant of 3 bar or ATM / 30m, has a very low resistance, able to withstand rain, sweat and accidental splashes of water when washing hands or face. A 5 bar or ATM / 50m Water Resistant can be subjected to limited water pressure, so you can take a shower or bath and swim.