Low water pressure in the water supply system can effectively make life miserable for household members and cause damage that is difficult to repair or even irreversible. Find out what causes low pressure in sanitary installations and how to restore the proper water pressure in bathroom and kitchen faucets.
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How can you tell if the pressure in your plumbing system is too low?
According to the law, the correct water pressure in domestic water supply systems should be in the range of 5-6 bars. However, even a drop in pressure to 4 bars should not significantly affect the comfort of daily hygiene activities or washing dishes. Low water pressure begins to be noticeable and felt by users when its value drops below 4 bars. Water flows out significantly slower, which means that various activities take longer. In practice, the most troublesome for household members are kitchen faucets and bathtub faucets with low water pressure. Prolonged filling of a bathtub or a large pot quickly becomes irritating.
Cold water pressure can be measured using a specialist device - a manometer. A spout is placed on the end of the device. The measurement result is displayed on the dial. There are also "home" methods for determining the pressure level in the installation. To do this, fill the tank (e.g. a bucket) with water, measuring the filling time. Then, divide the volume of the bucket by the filling time (in seconds), and multiply the obtained value by 3.6. A result below 1.5 m3/h means that the water pressure should be increased. For safety reasons, the work should be carried out by a qualified plumber, who will first identify the cause of the problem.
Reasons for too low water pressure in the sanitary installation
Too low water pressure in the plumbing system can have various causes, which an experienced plumber will certainly help determine. The most common causes of poor water flow are:
- leaks (e.g. due to failure of an outdated pipeline),
- incorrectly adjusted valves (they are often not tightened properly),
- dirty, clogged or damaged faucet components (filters, aerators, connectors, etc.),
- construction irregularities or failures of the water supply network,
- clogged pipes (e.g. calcified),
- shower faucets with accessories that are not suited to pressure (e.g. handset or rain shower).
How to effectively solve the problem of too low pressure in the sanitary installation?
Once you have made an accurate diagnosis, you can begin to combat the problem of low tap water pressure.
- When it turns out that water is leaking from the installation, the damaged sections of the pipeline should be repaired. Wet spots on the walls and specialist equipment, such as thermal imaging cameras, help to determine the leaks.
- Is the fault with the fittings? Usually it is sufficient to repair damaged components or clean dirty/clogged elements.
- In the case of clogged pipes, they should be unclogged using an appropriate mechanical or chemical method – adapted to the type of blockage and the installation materials.
- Is the water and sewerage company responsible for the low water pressure? You should report the fault using the supplier's procedures.
When the problem is persistent and impossible to eliminate with standard methods, water pressure boosting pumps often prove helpful. These are advanced devices that maintain a constant level of pressure in the installation and bring users numerous additional benefits (including financial ones).
We encourage plumbers, water supply system maintenance technicians, kitchen and bathroom equipment store owners and other professionals from the sanitary industry to familiarize themselves with our wholesale offer. Our assortment includes comprehensive kitchen and bathroom equipment, including bathroom and kitchen faucets in thousands of variants. We cooperate with leading Polish and foreign manufacturers of fittings. In case of questions or problems with the selection, Onninen technical and sales advisors are available to support you. Contact us and get professional help!