Those who don’t have water that’s supplied by a well and have never experienced some related low water pressure issues cannot begin to understand the frustration that often goes along with having this condition.
Such things as taking a shower at the same time as another family member, trying to fill up your kid’s inflatable pool, and putting water in a bucket so you can hand wash your car, suddenly become tasks that take much longer than they normally should.
Take it from someone adept at solving pumping equipment-related pressure problems in swimming pools, having low pressure in your well supplied water system is something that you don’t have to live with.
There are steps you can take to either increase the pressure in the water that’s pumped up from your well or correct other issues which are causing your water pressure to be outside of the acceptable range.
I will cover all of these steps in this article.
Table of Contents
How to Increase Well Water Pressure
There are 3 ways to approach trying to increase your home’s water pressure if you own a home with a well. The first is to check out the equipment that helps pump your well water into your residence.
You can also explore the possibility of making equipment upgrades and look for plumbing problems that are separate from your well water pumping equipment.
You may want to test your home’s water pressure before you start this process and then check it again after you have taken steps to improve your home’s water pressure.
That way, you can tell if you are making progress with what you have done in an attempt to increase the pressure in your water lines.
Adequate water pressure in your home is considered to be between 40 to 60 PSI. Anything less than 40 PSI means that you are probably not going to be satisfied with the rate water flows out of your faucets, showerheads, and spigots around your home.
Well Pumping System Low-Pressure Fixes
Inspect the System (Well Pump & Pressure Tank)
The very first step that you want to take when trying to increase the pressure in your well supplied water is to inspect the entire system. This is especially true if you have noticed a gradual loss of water pressure in your home over the last few months.
You want to concentrate the most on looking for problems with your well pump and accompanying pressure tank (pictured above). These are the two key components when it comes to bringing water up from your well and into your home with adequate pressure.
Part of this inspection should include looking for visible water leaks, listening for air leaks around the pressure tank, and looking for corroded or worn parts on equipment and associated plumbing fixtures. All of these issues can result in a loss in water pressure in your home and will need to be corrected.
Check the Pressure Tank for Proper Operation
As was mentioned, ideal water pressure in your home should range from 40 to 60 PSI. Much of the task of keeping your water pressure in-between these figures lies with your well water pumping system’s pressure tank. A tank that stores several gallons of pressurized water inside of it.
The purpose of this tank is not only to keep your home’s water pressure in the acceptable range but also to help extend your well pump’s useful life by keeping it from needing to run during low water demand situations.
Here is how you check your well water pumping system’s pressure tank to see if it’s working properly.
- Turn of the power to your well pump
- Hook up an air pressure gauge to the pressure tank’s air fill valve
- If you get a reading below 40 PSI, then adjust the pressure switch which is usually located somewhere on the plumbing line that connects your well pump to your pressure tank
- Double check to see if the PSI at the pressure tank’s air fill valve is now between 40 to 60.
- Repeat this process as necessary until the PSI in the pressure tank is in the acceptable range
Make Sure the Well Pump is Sized Properly
Your whole low water pressure issue may be caused by the fact that whoever installed your well pump did not size it properly. An undersized pump may not be able to pull the water up from your well with enough force to push it through your home’s plumbing lines and out its exit points with at least 40 to 60 PSI.
You may want to consult a plumber or well system technician to determine if your pump is sized correctly for your well and home’s plumbing characteristics. Install a larger size well pump if this is found not the case
Add a Booster Pump to the System
They also make small booster pumps for household well water systems that will kick up the water pressure in your home to an acceptable level. This is a very simple and affordable way to increase
Many of the people with wells that choose to use this method to increase their water pressure have noticed that the water outlets on the first level of their home have better pressure than the water outlets on the second level of their home. Booster pumps offer an excellent solution when it comes to overcoming this problem.
Consider Installing a Constant Pressure Device
These days it’s rare to see a new well being built that does not include a constant pressure device set up in the system. As you can probably guess from the name, this electronic piece of equipment will let you set and maintain the desired PSI that you wish your water to exit out of your home’s taps at all times.
They are a popular device because they allow your well pumping system to adjust for the various demands for water that are placed on it throughout the day.
As an example, they will allow your well pump to work a little harder when there is increased household water demand because you are doing wash at the same time your lawn sprinkler system is running.
Some modern well pumps even come with built-in constant pressure devices that control the pump speed so that it always pumps water at a consistent rate throughout your home.
Non-Well System-Related Pressure Problems
Here are some other reasons besides having problems with your well water pumping system, that can result in water coming out of your faucets, showerheads, and spigots with much less pressure than you would like.
Clogged or Restricted Plumbing Lines & Taps
Throughout your home, you will find numerous plumbing lines, faucets, aerators, showerheads, and fixtures. It stands to reason that any one of these can become clogged or have the flow through them restricted if scale builds up inside of them.
This becomes a very real possibility if you are experiencing hard water problems throughout your home.
If your home’s low water pressure problem is found not to originate in the well water pumping system, then you might want to contact a plumber to come to check for problems with your plumbing lines, faucets, aerators, showerheads, and fixtures.
Keep in mind that low water pressure issues that result from having Clogged or Restricted Plumbing Lines and taps can usually be avoided in the first place by installing a quality well water filtration system.
Poorly Maintained Water Filtration Equipment
With all of the emphasis nowadays on making water in your home safer to drink, then there is a distinct possibility that you have one or more water filtration devices in your home.
This may consist of such water-enhancing equipment as whole-house well water filter systems, reverse osmosis filters, and point-of-use filtration devices.
These all will have one or more stages that use filter cartridges or filter media to reduce or remove the impurities in your well water. Over time these filter cartridges will clog up and need to be replaced and the filter media will have to be cleaned or replaced.
If you do not service your home’s water filtration equipment according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, this can result in flow situations that can adversely impact your home’s water pressure.
Summing Up How to Increase Well Water Pressure
So, as you can see, there are several different ways that you can solve the low water pressure issues in your home if you have household water that’s sourced from a well.
Some of them will cost you a little money to put into place and others will just take a little effort on your part.
Always keep in mind that professionals such as plumbers are available to do such things as advising you on how to improve your home’s water pressure and check your plumbing lines and taps for issues.
If you have taken steps with your well water supply system that should have increased your water pressure but did not, then consider looking further at the non-well-related water pressure issues that I pointed out.
It may not happen overnight but if you keep after it, you should be able to find a way to increase the water pressure in your home’s plumbing even though it’s being pumped up from a well.
