How To Fix Poor Water Pressure

You’ve sat down with your client to understand their wetroom needs, fixtures and fittings perhaps even their preferred style of wetroom accessories. But when it comes to talking about wetroom functionality and experience, your client wants a powerful shower. They’re fed up of poor water pressure and dismal shower experiences. Is that something that can be fixed? Contrary to popular belief, water pressure is something that can be improved. When it comes to designing and installing your client’s wet room, go the extra mile and advise how their water pressure can be improved so that they can have the most luxurious wetroom. Use the ideas below to get started.

What Causes Low Water Pressure?

The Showerhead

There is a multitude of factors that could be causing low water pressure. The easiest fix when it comes to introducing a new wet room is the installation of a new showerhead. Their current showerhead may not have the right fitting to cope with higher water pressure, or there may have been a build-up of limescale. Either of these will obstruct the flow of water, and lead to poor water pressure.

Location

It’s also important to consider the location of your client’s property. Are they based on a hill for example? This means that gravity is not on their side, and it can negatively affect water pressure on the flow to the property. Luckily, this can be fixed with the help of a shower pump (something we’ll go into more detail on later in this post).

Blocked Pipes

Another possible cause is blocked pipes within their property. Ask your client if they’ve noticed that when they initially turn on their shower the pressure appears fine, and then drops off. If this is the case, it can be a sign of blocked pipes. Not only can this limit water pressure, but it can put the pipes at a higher risk of bursting – something you want to avoid at all costs! Speak to your client to gauge the likelihood of their pipes being blocked beforehand, so that you can arrange installation once the underlying issues have been fixed.

A Shower Pump Could Be The Answer!

If it appears that neither the showerhead nor the pipes are causing low water pressure, you’re not out of options. Instead, suggest that your client looks at using a shower pump to boost the water pressure. A water pump helps to increase the pressure and flow rates of the water, resulting in a more enjoyable shower experience.

However, before going ahead with this there are various factors to consider. Firstly, what type of heating and hot water system does your client have? The 3 main types in the UK are:

• Gravity-fed system
• Combination boiler system
• Unvented system

This system, the bar pressure desired and the need for a positive or negative head shower pump will affect your client’s shower pump options. Furthermore, does your client need to improve power for just one shower? The whole wetroom? Or the whole property? Speak to your client so that you understand their needs, and then you can advise what is best for them.

Make Sure To Fit Adequate Drainage

Whilst a power shower might feel glorious, and is generally the preferred option for all, without the correct drainage in place, your client could be faced with much greater issues down the line. If the drain capacity is too low, it is likely that the shower area will flood. What’s more, if water expands beyond the tanked area the wet room will leak, which can cause severe damage. Here comes in the importance of tanking a wetroom correctly.

When designing the wetroom, always make sure to check the drain can cope with the volume of water produced by the showerhead. Also, check that there are internal drainage slopes built in to ensure water call drain away fully, without risk of flooding.

Using the above advice will help your client to achieve higher water pressure in their wetroom shower, leading to glorious showers every time! Provide your client with further guidance to better meet their needs, and exceed their expectations.

Important update to the NHBS Specifications 2018

Backing surfaces for tiling should;

• Be moisture resistant, where frequent wetting occurs 

When Tiling; 

• Proprietary water-resistant grouting should be used in accordance with the manufacturer 

Grouting should be: 

• As specified in the design including mix and colour 
• Cement-based, epoxy resin or a proprietary product 
• ‘Waterproof in and around shower enclosures and where tiling can be saturated’. 

Gypsum plaster should not be used where; 

• ‘Repeated or persistent wetting may occur’