If you suspect that you may have a water pressure issue but you don’t have a pressure gauge – no worry. There are some simple ways that you can test your water pressure.
Although, we do have to say, a pressure gauge is quite inexpensive and can be found in hardware stores, on Amazon, etc. And yes, measuring your water pressure with this gauge is the simplest method.
But, with that being said – if you don’t want to purchase a gauge, here is a simple and easy way to test your home’s water pressure.
Using this method requires some good visual skills and it may work but only if the change in the flow of water is very noticeable.
- Turn on the sink’s faucet in your bathroom. Leave it on.
- Flush the toilet in that same bathroom and keep an eye on the flow of water coming from the sink’s faucet.
- Did the flow of water slow down? Did it change in any way? If it did, then you may certainly have a water pressure problem.
This is certainly by no means an accurate measure and we do recommend that it would be best to purchase and use a pressure gauge.
But if the flow of water changes significantly then you may want to either go through the process of increasing or decreasing the water pressure in your home or contacting a plumber to assess the situation to not only make sure that there IS a problem but to fix the issue properly.
What Is The Purpose Of Testing Your Water Pressure?
The main reason to test your water pressure is to find out if it’s too high, which could in turn cause you some costly damage.
If your water pressure is too low you probably won’t feel like you’re getting a good wash in the shower. Nor will you feel like your dishes and clothes are getting washed either. Although low water presure is not an issue for your plumbing, it’s more of an annoyance for the homeowners.
But if your water pressure is too high – this can cause problems with your plumbing and your appliances. Basically, this could lead to leaks in your pipes, damaged fixtures and seals, etc.
What Is Normal Household Water Pressure?
There actually is no specific number when it comes to how much water pressure you should have in your home.
Some homeowners like it when water comes out in force whereas others prefer that it comes out slower.
But, we can give you some averages and what is considered low water pressure and high water pressure.
On average, the water pressure in residential homes ranges between 45 psi and 80 psi. But a good professional plumber will tell you that it really should be within the range of 45 psi to 55 psi.
If your water pressure is below 40 psi then it’s considered low and any number less than 30 is considered extremely low.
If your water pressure is above 80 psi it’s considered to be too high and may actually end up damaging
When you have high water pressure, your pipes are forced to release more of their contents than they would with low-pressure. While this is great for a quick shower or washing the car, it’s not always so good when there isn’t enough hot water left in the tank by day’s end! High-pressure means twice as much spraying and wasted money on utilities bills too.
How Do I Adjust My Water Pressure?
Increasing or decreasing the water pressure in your home is not as simple as turning a knob somewhere. The reason is it depends on what is causing the water pressure problem.
The issues could be:
- The aerator in your faucet(s) need to be cleaned and/or replaced.
- Your shower head may be blocked.
- Your main waterline is leaking.
- You may be having a problem with your water pressure regulator.
Adjusting you water pressure higher or lower requires some handyman skills not only to identify what is the cause of the problem but then to fix it at the source and/or elsewhere.
We recommend you contact a professional plumber to help you with the issue.
If you have any questions about your home’s water pressure or are having some problems with it, call Atlantis Plumbing today at 770-505-8570. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.