How to Increase Water Pressure In Your Shower

A great shower comes from the strength of your water pressure. If the pressure is too low, it will make for a longer and less pleasing shower. There are ways to increase water pressure in the shower with simple low cost solutions that can be done quickly and easily.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• CLR kitchen & bath cleaner
• Scrubbing sponge
• New shower head (made specifically for increasing water pressure)
• Teflon tape
• Pliers

1. 

   Purchase a new shower head made specifically for increasing water pressure. You can buy some cheap, but good ones at Wal-Mart or on eBay that work great. Just be sure the shower head is a high pressure one or states that it's for increasing water pressure. You really do not need to spend anymore than $10-$15 for a good one.

2. 

   Remove the old shower head by twisting it to the left. If it does not come off easily, use pliers to pry it off, but do so gently as to not bend the water pipe connected to the shower wall. Be sure to use regular rounded pliers rather than needle nose pliers, which will only scrap and twist the metal off the shower head rather than remove it completely.

3. 

   Next, clean the water pipe threads with CLR Kitchen and Bath cleaner and a scrubbing sponge. CLR stands for calcium, lime, and rust, and will remove all the left over gunk and stains left from the old shower head. Be sure to scrub the threads thoroughly and wipe dry. This will make replacing the old shower head with the new one easier as well as make the connection for the new shower head less prone to leaks.

4. 

   Wrap a small amount of Teflon tape around the threads of the water pipe. Go all the way around the threading, but do not over wrap or your new shower head will break apart the tape if it is too thick to go over it. Once the Teflon tape is wrapped around the threading, rip the end off and smooth over the pipe...the tape will stay put as it's wrapped against itself.

5. 

   Slowly screw the new shower head onto the Teflon taped threading. Some of the threading will tear off, which is natural, but most will stay put to seal the new shower head against the water pipe. Tighten the new shower head firmly with the pliers if needed, but not too tight so as to resist ripping the Teflon tape seal. Turn your new shower head on and let it run for a few seconds to check for leaks and increased water pressure. Repeat the steps above if there are any problems. If not, enjoy your new shower!

Tips & Warnings

• If your not sure you want to replace your old shower head just yet, try cleaning it with CLR Kitchen and Bath cleaner first...just spray the cleaner directly on the old shower head and let sit for a half hour, turn shower on, and scrub shower head clean.

[wesellforu]

on 10/9/2009 Quick easy fix. Thanks for the excellent instructions to increase water pressure in the shower

[scooter1]

on 9/27/2009 Excellent, well articluated article on How to Increase Water Pressure In Your Shower. 5* and a recommendation

[mattgoetz]

on 9/20/2009 I have to do this for my shower. Great article!! 5*

[lovelights]

on 9/9/2009 We've got to do this to one of our shower heads. We keep saying where' going to, but then never get around to doing it. Great article. 5*

[Samuelson]

on 8/27/2009 Brilliant article indeed. I found another good one as well. It is safer for the environment but you have to throw more money:
http://www.tradeplumbing.co.uk/How-To-Increase-Water-Pressure-In-Your-Shower_c_5051.html