How to Increase Water Pressure of Shower Head

There are a few possible reasons:

• Blockages or leaks within your plumbing system. Ensuring everything is in good condition is the first step to making sure you can enjoy your shower.
• The pipes are old. This is common in cities because it is more difficult to upgrade the pipes without disrupting other residents. Old pipes mean not enough water is flowing into your home.
• Your water comes from a well. This applies to more rural areas, in this case, a broken or faulty pump is likely the culprit.
• The demand for water outweighs the supply. This is self-explanatory, but it could extend the water usage by your neighbors, that there’s simply not enough water to provide adequate pressure to your home.

So how do we fix it? Good news: Most of these fixes are cheap.

Clean your shower head.

Just like water heaters, shower heads can accumulate sediment over time, not to mention limescale and mineral deposits from the water. This can slow your water flow way down, even if the pressure is fine everywhere else.

Unscrew the shower head and clean out any sediment inside. If there’s a filter, remove and clean it as well (you can use a toothbrush or something similar).

You can also look at each individual rubber nozzle to check for blockages. Many modern ones don’t require special equipment — you can clean them just using your fingers! If that doesn’t work, a good ol’ toothbrush will do just fine.

In extreme cases, you may see a visible mineral build-up on the exterior of the shower head. To solve this, fill a bowl with enough vinegar to immerse the shower head and let it soak. Once clean, screw it back on and try again.

Check for a flow restrictor

Due to new requirements in the National Energy Act, many U.S. showerhead manufacturers have begun using flow restrictors when designing products. This little internal piece of the showerhead helps customers reduce their water bills and uses less water, helping the environment.

The drawback comes, however, if low water pressure is already an issue in your home. What’s already a sad stream could be nothing more than a dribble.

So how do you fix it? Remove the flow restrictor! To do this, there’s no need to call a plumbing professional — just check the user manual that came with the shower head.

Work out the kinks.

This seems obvious, but it needs to be said. If you’re experiencing low pressure showers, check for kinks in the hose or water line if your shower has either a flexible line or is a handheld shower head.

Open that valve.

If you’re new to the home or it was recently worked on, it’s possible that the main shut-off valve isn’t open all the way. Sometimes plumbers and other workers shut off the valve and then forget to open it. It can usually be found wherever the main system enters your home.

Hint: It probably has a red lever.

Go leak hunting.

If pipes are leaking, it means less water is reaching your shower, and you aren’t enjoying it. Even worse, leaks can cause significant damage to your home. If you find a leak, you can do a temporary repair using epoxy putty — but make sure to have a plumbing professional do a full fix.

Open the shut-off valve to the water heater.

Sometimes the situation is a little more unique. Maybe you’re getting excellent water pressure while the water is cold, but the second you turn it up to rinse off, everything slows. The most common fix is an easy one. Check the shut-off valve to your water heater. If it’s not open… well, open it. Problem solved.

Flush the heater.

But what if the shut-off valve is open? Well, the issue could be inside your water heater. If the tank has become blocked by sediment, the pipes could have as well and need to be flushed. Drain the water heater and flush out all the lines. This should remove any debris and get a nice warm flow to your shower.

Special showerheads.

If none of the suggestions I’ve offered up so far are fitting the bill, it could be that the problem isn’t with your plumbing. An inexpensive solution could be to purchase a special shower head designed for low water pressure. They help increase water flow in low areas.

Now, these shower heads aren’t miracle workers, but they certainly do help.

The costlier option.

So, you’ve tried everything I’ve suggested and even a fancy new shower head didn’t solve the problem. It may be time to look into the more expensive option: you could install a shower pump to boost the pressure. It’s certainly more than a shower head, but relative to other options… it’s still more affordable.

Unless you were a plumber in a past life, I don’t recommend installing these yourself. Get a professional out to do the job.

Move your shower time.

If you don’t have the money or don’t want to spend it on a pump, an easy alternative is to adjust your schedule. Simply take showers during off-peak hours when the whole neighborhood aren’t all showering at once.

Turn other water users off.

Another free option is to make sure nothing else in your home is using water while you’re trying to shower. Wait to run the dishwasher and laundry until you’re all clean.

Put yourself before your dishes and your clothes, and you may enjoy that shower yet.

Contact us if you have any questions or if you need a plumber in Roseville..