How to fix extremely low water pressure?

[bazzyboy]

Keen to hear from anyone who has successfully increased the water pressure in their double-storey house... My 2020-built house has 3 showers (one downstairs, two upstairs), but water pressure is very low if more than 1 shower is used at the same time, and hopeless if all 3 are used together. A plumber who visited said it's because 0.5-inch pipes were used instead of 0.75 inch that they would use for a house with 3 bathrooms. Apparently, there are no building regulations for that, so poking the builder is a no-go. What can I do without changing plumbing? Is there a water pressure booster pump I can add, like the one in the link below? 

Water pressure is just over 9 litres per minute, but when 2 or more bathroom showers are used at the same time it becomes a trickle. I have already checked that the shower heads don't have any flow reduction devices in them. 

https://www.scintex.com.au/products/water-pressure-booster-pump-with-controller

[EricL]

Hi @bazzyboy

I tried to search for a review about this pump and could not find any online except for the ones that are on the main site itself. It does, however, have a two-year warranty on it. Having a two-year warranty on a product says a lot about its quality. Some booster pumps will offer only a one year warranty. 

I suggest printing out the specifications about the pump and speaking to your plumber to make sure that the increase in pressure will not damage your current plumbing. You can also ask your plumber about using a standby or bladder tank so that there will be no delay when the water pressure drops and the pump activates.

My number one tip is to make sure to look into your local council's rules and regulations regarding using a booster pump in your home.

I recommend reading this post - How to increase bathroom water pressure? by @nagumuthu. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[MitchellMc]

Hi @bazzyboy,

Did you find the flow restrictors and remove them already, or couldn't you find them at all because showerheads from 2020 will have restrictors in them? They'll either be in the head where it screws onto the arm/wall or on the end of the arm where it screws on the wall. Have you checked to see if there is a restrictor at the mains and if the pressure can be adjusted there? If so, it would be advisable for you to employ the services of a plumber to adjust the pressure for you.

When you say your water pressure is just over 9 litres per minute, is that at a showerhead because 9L per minute is exactly what a restrictor will allow to flow? This sounds like a volume flow rate issue rather than a pressure issue. Is there an outdoor tap near the meter that you can get a flow rate off for us? Water flow is how much water comes out of your pipes, while water pressure is how hard it comes out of your pipes. However, they are directly related as the greater the pressure, the greater the flow rate unless the flow is restricted. 

Mitchell

[bazzyboy]

Thanks so much, Mitchell!  I have this homework to do this weekend.  I am also considering buying the water pressure gauge from Bunnings to check water pressure at different points in the house.  The front garden tap (next to the water meter) has the best pressure, but this reduces drastically when it comes to the backyard tap that's 15m away, and the tap outside the garage that's 21m away.

[bazzyboy]

Thanks Eric!  I will check this with the council and water supplier if it comes to getting a pump.