Low Water Pressure: The Bathroom Problem You Didn't Know You Could Fix

At Victorian Plumbing, we've recently discovered that an overwhelming number of you are putting up with pitiful pressure.

According to Salamander Pumps, half of homeowners don’t even know that water pressure is something you can improve. So, if you’ve been dealing with dismal showers for a while, or that brand new power shower feels a bit underwhelming, you could benefit from a good shower pump. Our VP guide will introduce you to a few great shower pumps, shed some light on what causes low pressure, and teach you how to fight it.

What causes low water pressure in a shower?

There are several main offenders when it comes to low water pressure. Be sure to consider these first as you may find that you don’t need a pump after all:

• Your shower head - We can’t stress this enough! Unless your shower head is brand new, it is likely to have at least a small buildup of limescale. Scan your shower head for any debris or minerals obstructing its flow. If the flow is still poor after cleaning, you may need the help of a shower pump!
• Living at the top of a hill - This may sound silly, but if your home has a gravity fed water system, your location could be detrimental to the pressure of your water supply. If your home is high up, the water supply will lose a lot of pressure as it fights gravity on the way up, leading to paltry pressure for your shower. A shower pump could be your salvation.
• Blocked pipes - When turning your shower on, is the pressure initially fine before suddenly dropping off? This is a tell-tale sign that you have obstructions within your pipes. Unfortunately, a shower pump won’t fix this. You’re gonna need the help of a trusty plumber.

Pressure still poor? You’re going to need to pick out a shower pump

You’ve cleaned your shower head, your pipes are are clear yet you’ve still got substandard pressure. It’s time to figure out what kind of water pump you’ll need to suit your water system. First timers may find this a bit of a minefield, so we thought we’d break it down into two simple steps:

1. Figure out what water system your home has

Most homes in the UK use either ‘gravity-fed’ or ‘combi boiler’ plumbing systems. Do you have a big hot water cylinder in an airing cupboard and a water tank in the loft? This’ll be a gravity-fed system! Do you have hot water on demand, with no storage tanks? This’ll be due to a fancy wall hung combi boiler. If you’ve got none of the above you’re likely to have unvented system. The pressure on these systems is largely dictated by your water supplier. We recommend getting in touch with them to consider your options.

2. Choose the right pump for you

There are a plethora of great water pump options from a number of manufacturers, each tailored to suit the specific needs of specific homes. When choosing your pump, you’ll have to consider what system your home has, what bar pressure you desire and whether you'll need a positive or negative head shower pump. Still a little bit confused? We’ve covered the ins and outs of shower pumps and how to decide in much more detail in a previous blog here.

Our Top Shower Pump Picks

Our collection is comprised of over 60 shower pumps designed for all kinds of water supply systems. We thought we’d handpick a few of our trusty favourites to give you a kickstart on your search.

For homes with gravity-fed systems

A perfect all-in-one solution for gravity-fed systems. The new Salamander EVE Twin Shower and Whole House Pump is a highly versatile and reliable water pump that can elevate your shower pressure to that of a luxury hotel.

Designed to work with both positive and negative head systems, you can employ the EVE to boost the pressure of your shower or your whole home. With its quiet, brushless motor, the EVE uses dynamic technology to vary its speed on the fly to match the your home’s demand. This means that your shower relaxing shower won’t be affected by someone doing the dishes downstairs! With three settings of 1.5, 2.0 or 3.0 bar pressure, you’ll be certain to find a level to suit your needs.

For homes with combi boilers

Another stellar option from Salamander, the HomeBoost 1.5 Bar Booster Pump will improve mains water pressure for the whole house, delivering up to 12 litres per minute.

The HomeBoost boasts easy installation, low noise levels of 46db and intelligent pump control that recognises when pressure is low; automatically boosting performance of incoming mains water accordingly. A highly reliable, compact and low cost mains booster pump. To sweeten the deal, the HomeBoost also comes with the a 3 year guarantee.

For those on a tight budget

The Grundfos STR-2.0 is a positive head shower pump that provides a steady output of 2.0 bar. An excellent means of boosting the performance of a single shower. The Grundfos features a low noise design with a quiet induction motor that won’t wake up family members if you’re an early morning or late night showerer.

The highlight of this nifty little box is its astounding value for money. The Grundfos STR2-2.0 C is available for around ⅓ of the price of popular pumps in its class, without any scrimping on build quality.

Poor water pressure isn’t something you need to just put up with. We all deserve the pressure of those satisfying, invigorating showers often found in boutique hotels. With a shower pump you can achieve this in the home. We hope this post has helped you discover that improving your home’s output is easily achievable with the right pump. We wholeheartedly believe that installing one is a simple, worthwhile upgrade, sure to give you years of satisfying shower experiences!

Fancy a deeper browse of our huge shower pump collection? You’ll find our wide range of shower pumps here.