The building construction and the water distribution system of a house or apartment will determine what, if any, problems you may have with low water pressure. Here are five key things you should know about water pressure.

1) The minimum acceptable level of household water pressure is 20 pounds per square inch (2 bar), according to the American Society of Plumbing Engineers. This recommended standard ensures that appliances, such as faucets and shower heads, function properly. If a home has less than 20 psi over a period of time, there could be a problem somewhere in the connection between your meter and your home’s plumbing system.

2) The number one cause for low levels of water pressure is inadequate pipe sizing in the household plumbing system. In other words, the part of the building that distributes water to individual taps and appliances may be too small. This can lead to low pressure at end points like faucets and shower heads.

3) For every additional story above the ground level, a household should increase its pipe size by half an inch. So if you live in a two-story house, pipes for plumbing upstairs should measure 1 1/2 inches (38 mm). Where toilets are concerned, this is to prevent them from causing problems with other fixtures downstairs.

4) The use of 1/2-inch piping instead of 1/2-inch valves will also result in lower flow rates and less than adequate faucet performance, especially when several appliances or fixtures draw from the same line. As a result, the pressure will build up in the pipe and cause faucets to drip or sputter when turned on.

5) Inadequate pipe sizing is not just an issue in older homes that were built before modern plumbing codes existed. Even houses with modern plumbing can have issues if their piping system is old and corroded. To boost water pressure in a house, replace pipes or at least flush out any calcium deposits from inside them by draining a hose into a sink through one of its fixtures.

Water pressure problems are often easy to solve once you know what’s causing them. Often times, it’s as simple as replacing a section of corroded piping or flushing out the lines using compression fittings.

Remember, the first step to identifying low water pressure problems is to check your home’s plumbing fixtures for leaks. If you find any, repair them right away before you call a professional plumber.

If there are no leaks present but the problem persists, try switching out parts like compression fittings or hose connectors using instructions from a service manual or another piece of literature with step-by-step instructions on how to replace these parts. In most cases, it is as simple as tightening loose connections and/or replacing worn O-rings and gaskets that have become hard over time.

 

For more information, contact Vinny’s Jersey Plumbing, located in Wayne, New Jersey.  We also service other cities in New Jersey, such as Parsippany, Lodi and Lincoln Park.