Water pressure from the mains are regulated by the water authorities so there isn’t much you can do except to complain to them if your area is really facing serious water pressure problems. Sometimes when there is a water shortage, they divert water from housing estates to a higher priority area like a hospital. Low water pressure from your storage tanks can be overcome if you are willing to spend some money.
Increase the size of your storage Tank
The bigger the volume of your tank the more powerful the pressure will be. That is natural. The higher it is kept, the more powerful is the pressure too. That’s a fact. So if you are staying in a double storey house, you won’t be facing pressure problems in the ground floor because the tank is so high up on the first floor ceiling. However, you might face some problems with water pressure on the upper floor. For those staying in a single story house, pressure problems is always a main grouse among the occupants.
If you have the means, you of course can replace your existing tanks with a bigger one, but it won’t be very feasible if your tank is located inside your ceiling. It is possible but you have to make sure the supports are strong enough to withstand the added weight. I would advise against this method unless you are renovating and you have made plans to shift the tank elsewhere.
Increasing the size of the Pipes
Increasing the size of the feed pipes, that is the pipes that feed you the water from the tank will also greatly increase the pressure. This is also not a very convenient way unless you don’t mind having all the new pipings running on the outer wall of your bathroom. If you want to conceal those pipes like what is originally done, you will have to hack way the tiling and plastering. All these is going to cost you a bomb. There is a better and a very cost efficient way.
Install a Pressure Controlled Water Pump
A pressure controlled water pump starts and shuts down automatically with the increase or decrease of water pressure. This method is by far the most advisable way to increase water pressure from your tanks to your bathrooms. The pump is placed alongside your water tank and the existing supply pipes is cut off to let water from the tank to pass through the pump before going to your bathrooms. You will have to have a socket outlet ready to run the pump of course but that can be done easily by an electrician or if you don’t mind, you can simply run an extention chord to the pump and plug it into the nearest socket outlet.
The socket is kept switched on for 24 hours a day. The beauty of this pressure controlled pump is you don’t have to keep switching it on each time you want to use water. The pump shuts down immediately when pressure is built up and starts automatically when there is a slight decrease in pressure. That means when no faucets are opened or when no water is being used, the pressure built up in the pipes will keep the pump from running by way of a pressure controlled switch located in the pump. Once pressure is released when someone uses water, the switch will snap close, thus starting the pump. The increase in pressure is instantly felt.