How to Increase Hot Water Pressure
Hot water is a useful commodity in the home, making showers and baths more comfortable and dishwashers more effective. Coffee and tea drinkers appreciate its benefits, as well. Older buildings frequently experience a problem in sustaining water pressure, especially with hot water. Losing hot water and experiencing low pressure in the shower can be very frustrating, especially if it happens frequently. Increasing hot water pressure can be accomplished simply to some degree, depending on the limitations of your plumbing system and water heater. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Conserve hot water as best you can. Do not run a washing machine at the same time as a bathtub. Prioritize which functions need the most hot water and use those first.
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Check water spouts in your sinks and showers to make sure the screens are not blocked and affecting water flow. Clean or replace any spouts that have signs of corrosion.
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Check your valves to make sure they are all open all the way. The two main plumbing valves are the customer valve and the home valve. Both need to be completely open to maximize hot water pressure.
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4
Place water flow regulators on any faucets or spouts that require more water pressure. The regulator can help increase pressure by forcing the same amount of water through a smaller space, and can help compensate for low pressure in the house.
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Alter your hot water schedule. Many people take showers around the same time, and if too many people in a neighborhood are doing the same thing at the same time, the resources needed to do the activity can suffer. Try to use hot water at non-peak times.
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Tips & Warnings
If your entire home has low hot water pressure after you have taken these steps, you may have a blockage in your main plumbing line that would require professional assistance to remove.
References
- Photo Credit Shower image by Semfamily from Fotolia.com
