Why is the water pressure in my shower low?
/There are a range of factors that can affect the flow and pressure of water in your shower.
If your pressure is low it’s always worth checking the basics first. Make sure that your shower head isn't blocked by lime scale, so a good clean or replacement will fix that.
The shower head will also affect pressure if it is designed for a higher pressure system than you actually have. Put simply if the head has larger holes, or a larger diameter with lots of holes, you’ll need more water flowing through it to keep the pressure high.
Also check your pipework. Many installers will use small bore isolation valves along the pipes which will restrict your water flow. Full bore isolation valves are available and could help.
The most common cause however is simply low water pressure. To understand further the exact cause you need to know which kind of system your property has.
The 3 main types of hot water system are:-
- Gravity fed systems
- Mains fed combination boiler
- Mains fed hot water system (like a Megaflow)
Gravity fed systems
Older homes tend to have gravity fed systems and they are usually identified as having a cold water tank in the loft and a hot water cylinder in an airing cupboard.
What causes shower pressure problems in a gravity fed system?
In a gravity fed system your shower water pressure is governed by the difference in height between your header tank in the loft and shower head. This could be a as low as half a metre which only provides 0.05 bar of water pressure.
In these cases a Proflo water pressure booster would have a dramatic effect on the power of your shower by providing additional flow and pressure when you need it.
Mains fed combination (combi) boiler
These systems are easily identified as there is a boiler but no water tanks. Pressurised cold water is fed into your boiler and comes out the other side hot.
What causes low shower pressure when you’re using a combination boiler
Many of the smaller combination boilers provide between 6 to 10 litres of hot water per minute. This simply isn’t enough “flow” to create a powerful shower. One solution is to swap your combi boiler to one that is more powerful, to supply enough hot water for you needs.
A much more economical approach however is to fit a Proflow water pressure booster.
Mains fed hot water system (like a Megaflow)
Sometimes known as ‘sealed’, ‘pressurised’, ‘unvented’ or Megaflow hot water system.
In these system there is no cold water tank, but you fill find a large hot water cylinder. The cold water supply comes from the mains, which is under pressure. This in turn pressurises the hot water.
What causes low water pressure in a mains fed hot water system?
It could be that the water pressure or flow is not sufficient to run the system efficiently. The main supply pipe may be undersized or there may be restrictions on the pipe work, which reduces your water flow.
Again, our Proflo water pressure booster will fix these issues.
