How Do I Raise My Water Pressure?

[scesnick]

Well, actually I know a fair bit about how to raise the pressure but here is the problem I need help with.

Wifey and I are remodeling our house. I had a very nice tile shower built for her. It has four body shower nozzles, a regular nozzle and a hand held. Well, the pressure isn't enough to get the full performance out of this shower now since we added quite a few showerheads.

We have a well system. I have a 40 - 60 psi pressure switch on it. I turned up the switch and it is now roughly at 50-75 psi. This didn't seem to make much difference at all in the shower performance. ( this shower is on the first floor) Now, I did NOT add and air to my pressure tank as of yet. mostly because it was latewhen I tried this and the compressor not very portable. The pressure tank is still set at 38psi.

would not adding air to the tank really make that much difference? If not, how can I get this shower to perform the way we want it to? Inline booster maybe, but i can't seem to find an inline one that isn't over $500.00..

 

[brin]

When we built our house my wife wanted a shower like that but the plumber told us we would be disappointed, he said the water pressure would not be strong enough to support all of the body shower nozzles...We are on a 175 ft. deep drilled well with 25 gal a minute capacity...So we still build the nice tile shower but with only a real nice overhead shower head.....I don't know of anyway to increase the pressure on a well system...I think you have to be careful pumping up your psi above 50 in your tank....Someone else more familiar with wells and why that is will comment , I'm sure...

I am adding this.....I just reread your post..I had missed that your tank was set at 38 psi....I think you should add air and get it up to 50 psi..that is where mine is....

 

[triptester]

Your problem is not pressure it more likely is volume. A typical shower valve is setup for 1/2" pipe, for multiple heads you will need at least 3/4" piping at minimum.

 

[aczlan]

What is your actual system pressure with the shower off and on?


Aaron Z

 

[rambler]

I think also, volume is the problem, what size lines are running through your house, is the well using a full inch pipe, etc. etc.

You can raise pressure with a booster pump, but.... All the heads are requiring a lot of volume to be blown out all at the same time, isn't the issue more volume than pressure?

If your volume meets the requirements, look into the booster pumps. I'd not want the whole house on such a higher pressure....

--->Paul

 

[Alien]

I have to agree on volume, or maybe a restriction in the piping somewhere. You will only overcome the problem by running a larger delivery pipe virtually to the shower plumbing.
Example. If you put 3 sprinklers on one hose, the first will have great pressure, the second will have minimal and only a trickle will come out the last one.
A 3/4 pipe would be minimal in your case.

I tried a higher pressure on my pump until the pipes started splitting.....

 

[brin]

One other thing to keep in mind is the size of your water heater...with several shower heads and nozzles....it will be like running several showers at the same time...

 

[scesnick]

I think also, volume is the problem, what size lines are running through your house, is the well using a full inch pipe, etc. etc.

You can raise pressure with a booster pump, but.... All the heads are requiring a lot of volume to be blown out all at the same time, isn't the issue more volume than pressure?

If your volume meets the requirements, look into the booster pumps. I'd not want the whole house on such a higher pressure....

--->Paul

The pipe coming into the house is 1". then it goes into my pressure tank and I think it is 1/2" after that, not sure, (I am at work right now and can't check) This is the last shower we are ever gonna build and I want it to work properly.
The body nozzles aren't as big as the other nozzles and use a bit less water.
The volume of water I have at my garden hose is quite impressive. so, i don't think it is a volume issue.

BTW- I can't run all the nozzles at once. The diverter is designed so it is impossible. I can run all 4 body nozzles which are about equal to running two normal showerheads. Or, I can run the overhead nozzle, or the handheld. but no combination of nozzles. I hope that made sense.

Maybe I need to run 3/4" pipe to the shower but if that was the case, why are all the nozzles 1/2"?

 

[Alien]

You can adapt the nozzles down but you need the flow to be right up to them.

 

[aczlan]

The pipe coming into the house is 1". then it goes into my pressure tank and I think it is 1/2" after that, not sure, (I am at work right now and can't check) This is the last shower we are ever gonna build and I want it to work properly.
<SNIP/>
Maybe I need to run 3/4" pipe to the shower but if that was the case, why are all the nozzles 1/2"?

Perhaps each nozzle needs part of the 1/2" flow, but 4 nozzles need more flow than that?
I would run 3/4 hot and cold to the shower just on general principles..
How many GPM are each of the 4 heads rated for?
Edit: here is a flowrate/pressure/distance chart that may be of help: http://constructionmanuals.tpub.com/14259/css/14259_50.htm

Aaron Z