How To Boost Your Water Pressure
Does your toilet take 5 minutes to refill? Are you wiping soap off of your body and out of your hair when you finish showering? Do you need to break out the pressure washer just to rinse off your driveway or wash your car?
The city-supplied water pressure can vary greatly across the islands. For many, the water pressure at their home is significantly below 40 psi, which is considered low for residential water requirements.
What Should My Water Pressure Be?
In general (depending on where you get your information from), good residential water pressure should be between 50 and 70 psi (pounds per square inch). Within this range, your appliances, faucets, toilets, showers, hoses, sprinklers, and other water-related products will function properly. If your water pressure is too high you can damage items like toilet flush valves, shower heads, washing machines, and faucets. If your pressure is too low you will not realize the maximum potential from your water-related appliances and products. With low water pressure, performing simple tasks like taking a shower and washing your car become elongated chores that are frustrating and time consuming.
How Do I Increase My Water Pressure?
The only way to increase the water pressure at your home is to install a pressure booster system. These systems come in many different shapes and sizes, but ultimately they should all perform the same task of increasing your water pressure to a predetermined level. Let’s take a look at a few different types of booster system designs.
Well System (Suction Lift)
Pressure booster systems designed to draw water from a well in the ground are considered Well Systems. These systems are installed at ground level and run a suction pipe down into the well to draw water up and into the booster pump, which then supplies the home with pressurized water. These systems are designed to provide the entire pressure (50-70 psi) to the home since the starting pressure is zero.
Catchment System (Gravity Feed)
Very similar to the Well System is the Catchment System…the only difference is that the pump does not need to suck or “lift” the water out of the ground. Catchment Systems are holding tanks above ground, providing a constantly flooded suction via gravity to the booster pump. The incoming pressure to the pump will vary depending on how full the catchment tank is. Just like Well Systems, Catchment Systems provide the entire water pressure (50-70 psi) to the home.
City Supplied (Pressure Added)
This system is designed to “add” pressure to the existing city supplied pressure. For example: if your home is getting 35 psi from the city, you can install a booster system which will add another 35 psi to the city supplied pressure, giving your home a total of 70 psi of boosted water pressure. With these systems you will need to install a pressure reducing valve on the incoming city water line to ensure that the city water pressure does not increase, which could push your total boosted water pressure over 80 psi. This is an added level of protection for your home and your water fixtures.
What’s The Maintenance?
The booster systems available on the market these days are pretty low maintenance and easy to install. In fact, besides a quick wipedown to keep it clean, your booster system really won’t need any maintenance at all. Most systems have some variation of a digital display or colored lighting so that you can see the current operating condition and any faults or problems. In most cases, any problems or issues would be handled by your local plumber. Other than that, you should be able to enjoy years and years of uninterrupted boosted water pressure at your home from the latest pressure booster systems on the market today.
For more information on the latest pressure booster systems for your home, please Contact Us.