Contents
One of the systems that create comfortable living conditions is plumbing. The performance of some household appliances depends on how it functions, as well as whether we can normally accept water procedures. We will talk about what the water pressure in the water supply should be and how to increase or decrease it.
Water pressure: standards and reality
In order for plumbing and household appliances to function normally, water supply with a certain pressure is required. This pressure is called water pressure. I must say that different types of equipment require different pressure. So the washing machine and dishwasher, shower, taps and faucets work normally at 2 atmospheres. For the operation of a jacuzzi or a shower cabin with hydromassage, at least 4 atm is required. So the optimal water pressure in the water supply is 4 atm or so.
For household appliances and plumbing equipment, there is also such an indicator as the maximum allowable pressure. This is the limit that this equipment can withstand. If we talk about a private house, then you can ignore this parameter: your personal equipment works here and above 4 atm, well, a maximum of 5-6 atm. Higher pressure simply does not happen in such systems.
For centralized water supply networks, the standards set the operating water pressure in the water supply system of an apartment building – 4-6 atm. In reality, it ranges from 2 atm to 7-8 atm, sometimes there are jumps up to 10 atm. It rises very strongly after or during repair work, and this is done on purpose. There is a so-called pressure test – checking the reliability and tightness of the system with increased pressure. With the help of such a check, all weak points are revealed – leaks appear and they are eliminated. The downside is that some appliances may have a lower tensile strength, resulting in them being a “weak spot” as well, and usually costing a lot to repair.
It happens in high-rise buildings and the opposite situation – the water pressure in the water supply is too low. In such a situation, household appliances simply do not turn on, and a thin stream of water flows from the tap. This situation can occur at times of peak loads – in the morning and in the evening, when most of the residents use the water supply. Approximately the same situation can occur in summer cottages or in private houses connected to a centralized water supply. There is a solution to this problem, and more than one.
Ways to increase the pressure in the water supply
Low water pressure, although not as dangerous as excessively high, is very unpleasant – washing under a thin stream of water is very inconvenient. In addition, household appliances do not work, which also does not bring joy. There are two ways to increase water pressure:
- install booster pump;
- install a pumping station.
If the installation of a booster pump in an apartment can still be considered, then you can hardly put a pumping station. Embedding it into the water supply is a dubious undertaking, and there is often simply nowhere to put a storage tank on a couple of cubes. True, if necessary, there is a place for everything – if only the water would flow with normal pressure.
If low pressure is available only in your apartment, most likely you have a clogged filter at the inlet and need to be cleaned. There is a second option – the pipes are clogged. Then you have to change them.
If the pressure is low on the entire riser or even in the house, you should contact the management company. If calls and verbal requests do not help, you can write a collective letter. It is signed by all tenants, taken to the Criminal Code and registered. The letter must be in two copies. One remains in the Criminal Code, the second – with a seal and affixed the incoming number and date of receipt – with one of the residents. In theory, you should be given an answer within a month or take action to fix the problem. If there is no action, this letter can be addressed to the Consumer Protection Committee.
Water pressure booster pump
This equipment raises the pressure existing in the network by 1-3 atm. It is placed in a pipeline break. It usually crashes right after the counter, ensuring the stable operation of water taps. If you also need to ensure the normal functioning of household appliances (washing machine and dishwasher), then the pressure boosting pump is placed directly on the outlet leading to the appliance. How does he work? It turns on when there is a flow (the faucet is opened or the machine starts to draw water). Turns off when water flow stops. This is how automatic models work. But there are also manual or combined – which can work both in manual and automatic mode. Manual ones are not very convenient and economical, although they are cheaper. But the combined ones can come in handy if there is a need to increase the pressure, and it is higher than the pump operation limit. Then you can turn it on forcibly – manually.
Read about the selection of a pump for increasing the pressure in the water supply here.
Pumping station
The pumping station is a whole complex of equipment. These are a pump, a hydraulic accumulator, a pressure switch, a pressure gauge and an overpressure relief valve. With the help of this installation, the water supply of a private house is usually organized. Water is pumped from a well or well. But you can use the pumping station to increase the pressure of water in the water supply.
To do this, put a storage capacity of 1-2 cubes. From it, the pump pumps water if the pressure in the system is weak. This installation is connected so that in the presence of normal pressure, the pump simply does not work.
The disadvantage of this solution is a rather substantial amount that must be spent, the second point is the noise from the pump. Therefore, in an apartment, such installations are installed only as a last resort, if it simply does not work out differently. For example, if water is supplied by the hour. In this case, the installation of a storage tank and a pumping station solves this problem.
Read more about connecting a pumping station here.
How to lower the pressure in the water supply
To ensure that all equipment has a normal operating mode and stable pressure, it is advisable to install a gearbox. This is a small device that is placed after the coarse filter (with a large mesh), but before the fine filter (with a fine mesh). It levels the pressure surges in the water supply, “cutting off” the excess of a certain threshold.
There are many different pressure reducers, you need to choose them depending on the situation. Selection criteria:
- The maximum pressure in the system must not exceed the rating pressure of the reducer.
- So that the device can work in the range you need.
- It is necessary to take into account the minimum pressure at which the reducer starts work (from 0,1 bar to 0,7 bar).
- The temperature of the environment with which the device can work. For installation in a hot water system, a temperature of at least 80°C is required.
- How can it be located in space. There are models that are installed vertically, there are horizontal ones, there are universal ones, but they are more expensive.
More expensive models of water pressure reducers may have built-in pressure gauges or filters. If you do not have these devices, it may make sense to purchase such a combined instrument. But, according to operating experience, it is easier to maintain individual devices (an exception is a pressure gauge, it can be built-in).