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How to increase water pressure in your shower

How to increase water pressure in your shower

By Benjamin Clarke | Published on 19th October 2021

Getting into the shower is supposed to be one of life's pleasures and is usually a fantastic way to start the day. However, when you have to endure a weak stream of water trickling out the shower head, it's very frustrating and actually makes washing yourself incredibly difficult. The lack of water pressure causes soap suds to take ages to wash away and turns what should be quick into a long, drawn-out affair. In this article, we'll take a look at what might be causing the low water pressure in your show and the action you can take to resolve it.

What type of shower do you have?

In order to solve the water pressure problem, it's helpful to establish what type of shower you have in your bathroom.

A mixer shower will often be connected to the mains pressure system with a combi boiler. These provide hot water as and when you need it and normally provide an excellent flow of water.

Alternatively, you may have a mixer shower fitted to a gravity-fed system, whereby the water comes from a tank in your attic (cold) and a cylinder in your airing cupboard (hot). Some gravity-fed systems contain a pump to assist with increasing water pressure, while others simply depend on how high your tank is.

If you have an electric shower that is connected to the mains water supply then the pressure and flow of the hot water is dependent on how powerful your electric shower is. The power rating for electric showers is measure in kilowatts (kW,) so the higher the kW, the more powerful your shower will be.

What is water pressure?

Water pressure, as it relates to showering, is important because good water pressure will give you that pleasant feeling of force as the water cascades down on you and enables you to wash and rinse yourself off with ease.

Water companies are obliged to provide a minimum level of water pressure to all homes, but the pressure you actually get from your shower depends on several things, such as your local topography, where your nearest water tower or reservoir is and the water usage habits of your neighbours.

Water pressure is measured in bars. One bar equates to the amount of force needed to raise water 10 metres.

What might be the problem?

The shower head

If your shower is quite old then years and years of dirt could have built up in the shower head and is causing a restriction to the flow of the water. If you live in a hard water area then limescale is a very common problem and these chalky deposits could be another reason water is flowing properly out of the shower. Dirt or limescale could also have caused blockages or leaks in your shower hose, so it's a good idea to check that too.

Cold water tank

If you have established that you have a gravity-fed system in your home, then you are relying on gravity to do the hard work of getting water into your shower. If the cold water tank in your loft is too low, and therefore not much higher than the shower, there might not be enough gravity involved to give you a satisfying flow of water from your shower.

Shower height

If you know that the water pressure coming into your property is already quite low, it's possible that your shower is a bit high and the water is struggling to make it up the shower attachment.

How to increase the water pressure in your shower

Below are a list of options available to you that will help to increase the pressure.

Try giving your shower head a good clean. It can be soaked in a vinegar and warm water solution and then brushed with an old toothbrush to remove any debris or mineral deposits.

Buying a new shower head and hose might be enough to improve the pressure. Some shower heads have adjustable settings that allow to to concentrate the water flow out of just a few holes.

If you have a gravity-fed system with a cold water tank in your loft, try increasing the height of your tank to see if it makes the situation better.

Get in a professional plumber to install a water pump or pressurised cylinder. You might find that your water bill increases slightly but a pump will increase the pressure and improve the quality of your shower.

Look into the possibility of having a power shower installed. These obviously come with a cost but power showers are a great way of increasing the water pressure, even if the pressure that comes into your property is not great to begin with. You'll find the water pressure increases by up to 3 times with a power shower.

Call in a professional

If you've tried some of the simpler DIY recommendations above and your water pressure is still low then make sure you call in a professional before taking apart showers and pipes yourself. Water damage can be very expensive, so if you aren't particularly familiar with plumbing and domestic mains water systems then don't risk making things worse. A professional will be able to diagnose the problem and make some suggestions to make things better. Showers are an incredibly important part of comfortably living so it's worth taking the time and spending a little extra to ensure you get the best showering experience possible.

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