Transform Your Mornings: How To Increase Water Pressure in Your Shower

Ah, the shower: a sanctuary for many of us, where we can unwind, de-stress, and let the water wash away our worries. But what happens when that refreshing stream is actually just a pitiful dribble? Low water pressure in your shower can be frustrating, to say the least.

Luckily, this blog post will address what can cause low water pressure in your shower and what you can do to increase it. There are some practical steps you can take to turn that feeble trickle into a satisfying surge. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into how you can increase water pressure in your shower for a revitalising experience.

What Is Water Pressure?

First, let's understand what water pressure is and how it's measured. Water pressure is measured in "bar" and is essentially the force that moves water through the pipes to your showerhead. A high water pressure in your shower will result in a strong, consistent and powerful flow of water.

What Causes Low Water Pressure?

Low water pressure can be caused by a whole range of issues, from poor mains water pressures and local supply issues to the size of your home and the condition of your plumbing system.

In the UK, the most common issue is the use of traditional gravity water systems in the home. These systems, as they suggest, rely on gravity power from a cold water storage tank in your home to create the water pressure to push the water through your pipes. However, usually, our houses aren't that tall, which means there isn't much gravity on hand to do this, resulting in low pressure for you.

Steps To Improve Water Pressure In Your Shower

Improving water pressure is a well-trodden path, but the solution for your shower will depend on the cause. First, you need to understand what type of shower you have; An Electric Shower or a Mixer Shower.

Electric Showers

Electric showers work differently from other types of showers. They only require a cold water inlet, and they heat the water up on demand inside the shower unit. In this way, they can only let as much water pass through as it can heat up to your required temperature.

So in order to heat water up more quickly, and therefore increase the flow, the answer is to get a more powerful shower. However, there are other checks you should do first, such as checking for leaks in the shower hose and cleaning your shower head.

Mixer Showers

If you have a mixer shower and are experiencing low water pressure, then this is likely down to the system your home uses. You probably have a gravity system in some form and your shower is in negative head. It could also be that you have low mains water pressure in your area.

We have a whole article about mixer showers which talks about how you can improve the performance of your mixer shower.

Check Out Our Shower Pumps

Often when you're dealing with low water pressure, installing a shower pump is the best solution. These pumps can either improve water flow throughout your entire home or target just those specific taps or showers that need a boost.

There's a wide variety of shower pumps designed for different problems. To make things easier, we've put together a no-nonsense guide to help you find the perfect pump for your situation.

Check out our Shower Pump Buying Guide now →