Why Should you learn how to increase water pressure from a well?
If you’re used to drinking city water, the difference in water pressure when you relocate to the country will be immediately noticeable. While municipal water has an average pressure of 60 PSI (pounds per square inch), well water pressure frequently falls below that.
What exactly is the issue with low water pressure? Showering, doing laundry, and cleaning dishes, for example, will become significantly more difficult.
Your pipes won’t be able to provide your appliances with enough water at a quick enough rate if your water pressure is low. That means your water-based duties will take considerably longer, and you’ll likely notice a reduced flow of water from your shower and taps.
Using some water-based appliances simultaneously, such as bathing while running the dishwasher, may result in almost little water flow to any of these appliances.
What Causes Low Water Pressure?
Slow or decreased well water flow rate when it exits any household fixture such as a faucet, shower head, or garden hose is a sign of low water pressure. While the consequences of low water pressure are obvious, it is typical for homeowners to conflate the phrase with other well-related concepts such as flow rate and volume.
It’s crucial to grasp the distinctions between water pressure, flow rate, and volume before discussing the many reasons for low water pressure.
Water pressure is the amount of pressure exerted within the pipe system and out of the fixtures, measured in PSI (pounds per square inch). Water pressure is controlled in a typical pressure system by a working connection between the pressure tank, well pump, and pressure switch.
The volume of water and the speed with which the whole well system can offer the family is measured in GPM (gallons per minute). A well system with an 8 GPM flow rate, for example, may deliver 8 gallons of water per minute to a residence. The flow rate is determined by a variety of parameters, including the well pump’s strength and the well’s capacity.
The well’s volume refers to the amount of groundwater contained inside the aquifer. Even if a well system has a high enough flow rate, the volume of water under the earth’s surface is still a factor. The amount of water in the well is determined by a variety of factors, including the size of the aquifer, the pace of water pumping, and the rate of groundwater recovery from the surface.
Troubleshooting Low Water Pressure at home
Check the pressure tank
Checking that the pressure tank is working correctly and taking note of the system’s current pressure setting is one of the first troubleshooting activities that can be done.
Check Pipes, Shower Heads, and Aerators
If the pressure reading is correct, the issue may be caused by a low flow rate rather than a low pressure. Check the showerheads and aerators on all of the fixtures to ensure there is no silt or obstruction at the exit point. Clogged aerators and showerheads should be replaced as needed, or cleaned with vinegar and baking soda.
A plumber may be required to evaluate the pipes’ integrity to detect if a clog has formed inside them, stopping water from flowing freely. By replacing clogged or inadequately sized pipes, water can flow more freely, resulting in a higher flow rate.
Check Additional Appliances
Additional appliances, such as carbon filters, iron filters, or water softeners, might become blocked, causing the flow rate to slow. Make sure the filters are in good working order and that the cartridges are replaced on time.
The flow rate of the well system might also be harmed by improperly sized equipment. Before adding more apps to the well system, make sure they’re the right size.
How to Increase Well Water Pressure
Fortunately, raising your well water pressure is more of a question of “how could I?” than “could I?” You may not have ever had to worry about your water pressure, but many others have. Wherever there is a common problem, there is a company that profits from a solution.
Inspect Your Pump and Pressure Tank
First and foremost, start with your well pressure tank and pump. If any of these items are malfunctioning, your low water pressure might be the result. You might be able to diagnose a malfunctioning pressure tank or pump on your own by checking for obvious symptoms of wear and tear, but a plumber can tell you whether you need to replace it.
Check Pressure Tank Settings
Changing the settings on your pressure tank is a quick and easy approach to fix low water pressure.
Because the pressure in the tank should be between 40 and 60 PSI, you should only modify your settings if your gauge reads lower than that.
Examine your pressure switch; it should state the tank’s pressure setting plainly.
When the pressure in well water systems changes, a pressure switch will detect it automatically. The majority of tanks are set at 30/50 PSI, which implies that the well water system has a 30 PSI cut-on pressure and a 50 PSI cut-off pressure.
If your pressure switch is presently set to a lower level, change it to 40/60, which means the pump will turn on at 40 PSI and turn off at 60 PSI. Then, to change the pressure in your tank, follow the procedures below.
Turn off the pressure tank’s electricity and drain the tank.
After that, take a reading of the air pressure with a pressure gauge, such as a tire pressure gauge. The pressure in your tank should be 2 PSI lower than the pressure switch’s low cut-in point.
If your pressure switch is set to 40/60, your pressure should now be 38 PSI. You may use an air compressor to increase the pressure in the tank, but be cautious not to overdo it, otherwise the tank will lose its capacity.
Check the Air Fill Valve
Checking your well’s air fill valve is another easy diagnostic procedure.
Turn off the circuit that feeds your well pump, then check the air fill valve using a gauge.
The usual water pressure to strive for is between 40 and 60 PSI, as you already know. Keep in mind that your pressure should be between 1 and 10 PSI lower than the cut-in pressure, with 2 being the best number.
Adjust the pressure switch if your pressure is lower than this. Then re-energize the circuit and check the flow of water from a faucet. If necessary, re-adjust the pressure switch.
Get Your Pipes Inspected
You might not think to look for it, but blocked silt and debris in your water pipes might create a water pressure problem.
This is especially true in houses with a well water supply, as well water contains far more silt than city water. Hard water mineral deposits, often known as limescale, can cause low water pressure. The friction between the water and the limescale in the pipes can greatly delay the flow of the water.
Call in a professional to inspect your pipes to see whether you have a hard water limescale build-up. If your pipes are blocked, you don’t need to replace them; a competent plumber can clear them out for you.
Purchase a high-quality sediment filter and whole-house water softener and install it at the point of entrance to your home to avoid this problem from recurring. This will help you deal with hard water difficulties while also protecting your pipes and plumbing.
Confirm Water Filter or Softener Systems Sizing
If you have a water softener or filter in your house, this might be the source of your low water pressure. A system that isn’t correctly sized may need a water flow rate that you can’t provide.
A too-large filter or softening system, for example, may require a very high flow rate to get water through the system quickly enough.
Water will struggle to make its way through the system if the flow rate is too low, and if this system is filtering your entire home’s water supply, it’s simple to understand how this may affect your water pressure.
A filtration system that is too small will not affect water pressure, but it may mean that the filters are destroyed fast by the strong water flow, or that they lack the adequate pressure to remove impurities from your well water completely.
Check Faucets, Aerators, Showerheads & Fixtures
We neglect to check the simplest things all of the time, and they wind up being the source of the problem.
If you’ve been using the same faucets, showerheads, aerators, and fixtures for longer than you can remember, chances are they’re not as clean on the inside as they once were.
Perhaps you’re experiencing a pressure issue with your showerhead, and it’s possible that your shower is blocked with debris, preventing water from passing through.
Cleaning out the appliance in question is a straightforward remedy to this basic problem.
If you have limescale on your appliance, immerse it in a bucket of baking soda and vinegar overnight to remove it. If your appliance is exceptionally gritty or shows indications of degeneration, you may wish to replace it entirely.
Install a Higher Flow Capacity Pump
Low pressure might be caused by the flow capacity of your present well pump or submersible pump. If you’ve checked and your pressure tank is already set to the highest pressure, your well pump might be the source of the problem.
Well pumps come in a variety of capacities. If your well pump currently has a flow rate of 8 gallons per minute (GPM), replacing it with one that has a flow rate of, say, 12 GPM will almost certainly result in an immediate improvement.
Install a Water Pressure Booster Pump
Using a water pressure booster pump is one of the most common ways to enhance your water pressure.
Booster pumps are especially useful if you’ve discovered that the water pressure on the bottom level of your home is much lower than on the upper floors. Well pumps struggle to fight gravity and send water beyond the ground floor, which is a typical problem among private well users.
It is recommended that a pressure regulator valve be installed when putting a booster pump into a well system with a submersible pump to avoid over-pressurizing the system. Furthermore, it is critical that the total PSI entering the dwelling does not exceed the building regulatory rule.
Booster pumps are powered by electricity. Your pump can be installed wherever along the main water line that you see fit. If your low water pressure is inhibiting a drinking water filter, such as a reverse osmosis system, you may wish to install a booster pump before the system.
The pressure regulator is usually put after the pressure tank, and then the pressure booster is connected to it. The water line then runs to the house.
Install a Constant Pressure System
A constant pressure system or constant pressure valve is an alternative to a booster pump. Installing a constant pressure system at the point of entrance to your home will increase the water pressure throughout your whole property.
The ebb and flow of the system’s PSI is controlled by the well pump, pressure tank, and pressure switch in a classic standard pressure system, and the well pump has only two settings: on and off. As water is consumed, considerable pressure changes can be felt because to the enormous variations between high and low pressures.
The purpose of the constant pressure system or constant pressure valve is to keep your water pressure from falling when you’re utilizing many fixtures at the same time. It accomplishes this by keeping the tank pressure in your well system from dipping below 2 PSI; if it happens, the pump will activate to raise the pressure.
It’s common for constant pressure tanks to fluctuate in pressure by 10-20 PSI if they don’t have a constant pressure system.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good well water pressure?
A well’s best water pressure is 40/60. If you go below this, your home’s plumbing system may struggle to circulate water, especially if you have a big family and consume more gallons per minute than the usual household.
Is there a distinction between water pressure and water flow?
Yes, despite the fact that water flow and water pressure are closely related, they are not the same. The flow rate of water is the amount of water that can be generated in gallons per minute (GPM). The pace at which water is created, on the other hand, is measured in pounds per square inch (PSI).
