How To: Test Your Home’s Water Pressure
When it comes to the water pressure in your home there is a fine line you can walk! The water pressure in your home should be hard enough to take comfortable showers and fill cooking pots in a sensible time; however, if the water pressure is too high it can cause unwanted stress on your pipes. There are a few methods to take in order to determine your specific home’s water pressure. As always the BELOMAN is here to help!
Testing Pressure:
Pressure gauge: A pressure gauge is a tool that can easily be attached to your outside house faucet to determine the pressure in your house. Contact us for more info on this special pressure gauge! According to Mark, our residential plumbing manager a psi of 60-70 is a really good reading!
Use current fixtures: If you are house hunting and are without a pressure gauge there is another way to check the water pressure. All you have to do it turn on the shower and any sink faucets in the bathroom, flush the toilet and see what happens with the water flow! If it appears the water pressure in the shower drops significantly there should be additional investigative work performed to see why the water pressure is not up to par.
Causes:
Leak: Your plumbing could have a leak that needs to be detected. Leaks will allow water to escape before it reaches the faucet and cause low water pressure.
Buildup: Aside from a leak, there is also a possibility of a buildup somewhere in your plumbing blocking airflow. This blockage is also another cause of low water pressure in your home.
Water main break: There is another option that doesn’t have anything to do with your home specifically. The culprit could have something to do with a problem with the city water department. If this is the case it’s most likely out of your hands; however, a phone call to the water department would help!
Solution:
Advice from Mark (residential plumbing manager at BELOMAN): “If you have low water pressure first make sure the main water valve inside the home is all of the way open. If you are experiencing low water pressure at only one fixture you should make sure the shut off valve going to that fixture is all the way open. If the water pressure is low at the shower head only then you’re problem could have something to do with a calcium clog. If you only experience low water pressure on the hot side of every fixture, then you should make sure the shut off valve on the hot water heater is open all of the way. If all else fails–next…call BELOMAN!”
If you would like further information you can give us a call at (618) BEL-OMAN or visit our website here. We would love for one of our plumbers to help you today! For any HVAC or plumbing repairs, installations, indoor air quality, sheet metal/fabrication or pest solution help give us a call. Like always, the #BELOMAN is here to save the day! BELIEVE IN THE BELOMAN WAY! We’re the only HVAC and plumbing company in the Metro East to receive the Better Business Bureau TORCH Award for ethics. The award honors excellent commitment to customer service through exceptional standards for ethical business practices.
