Here in Cobourg, ON, countless homes rely on well water. In most of them, it’s impossible to tell the difference between their water supply and that of a municipal water system. However, there is one problem that plagues plenty of homes with well water: low water pressure. It’s an issue that can make it hard to wash dishes, do your laundry, or take a satisfying shower. The good news, though, is that it’s a solvable problem. Depending on what’s at the root of your home’s water pressure problems, there are several things you can do that might help. Here are some fixes for low water pressure in homes with well water.
Clean Filters and Aerators
One of the biggest challenges homeowners face when it comes to well water is that it can often have high mineral and sediment content. Although that’s not dangerous to humans, it can cause a variety of problems with the water fixtures in a home. Combatting that takes a concerted effort and a bit of elbow grease.
To start, it’s a good idea to periodically remove the aerators on your faucets and clean them. Aerators are small mesh filters meant to introduce air into the water stream to make it feel softer and prevent splashback. Unfortunately, they’re also like magnets for sediment and lime scale. So, if your home has well water and you’re noticing that your faucets begin to lack sufficient water pressure, cleaning your aerators is a good place to start.
Additionally, the same thing might happen if your home has an inline water filter or filters attached to individual faucets. Such filters have a limit to how much sediment and mineral content they can handle, after which your water flow rate could suffer. So, if your home has any water filters needing replacement, this is another quick way to help your water pressure situation.
Check Supply Lines for Clogs
Aerators and filters aren’t the only things that the sediment and mineral content in your well water might affect. Your home’s water supply lines could also have significant sediment and mineral buildup that restricts the flow of water into your home. Unlike aerators and filters, though, you’ll need a professional to identify potential supply line issues and solve them.
A professional plumber can inspect your home’s water supply lines and measure their output to detect any flow issues. Then, if necessary, they can flush sediment from your supply lines and descale them as needed. That should remove any blockage contributing to your home’s poor water pressure.
Adjusting Your Pressure Switch
In a well water system, the water pressure in your home is the result of a carefully-balanced water storage system. There’s a pressure tank designed to store water for use when you need it and a pressure switch that detects when that tank’s pressure drops below the desired level. When that happens, the pressure switch engages your well pump to replenish the water in the pressure tank.
Sometimes altering your pressure switch’s operating threshold is all you need to improve the water pressure in your home. To do that, you’d need to test the air pressure in your pressure tank using an air pressure gauge. Ideally, you want the pressure in the tank to remain between 40 psi and 60 psi at all times. If it isn’t, you can raise the pressure in your tank and keep it there.
Consider Installing a Water Softener
Since the high mineral content of well water is a big contributor to the water pressure problems in homes, anything that can minimize its effects should help. That’s where a water softener comes in. If you install a water softener in your home, it can prevent mineral buildup in your pipes, filters, and aerators to eliminate many of the common causes of low water pressure.
Of course, you’ll also have to make certain that the water softener you choose can support the flow rate you want in your home. If you purchase a water softener that’s too small, it will become a choke point in your home’s water supply. That would create more of the very water pressure issues you hoped to prevent by installing a water softener in the first place.
Add a Pressure Regulator
A more direct way to solve your home’s water pressure issues is to install a water pressure regulator. They’re devices that work to either boost your home’s water pressure or work to keep it within an acceptable range at all times. The type you need, however, depends on your specific water pressure problem.
If your home suffers from constantly low water pressure, you might benefit from installing a booster pump. A booster pump will increase your home’s water pressure up to a preset level and keep it there. It’s a good option if your well water system fails to maintain a constant water pressure above 30 psi.
If your water pressure problem is that your well water system produces highly-variable water pressures, you could install a constant pressure system to help. It’s a variable-speed water pump that uses pressure sensors to keep your water pressure the same at all times. When there’s excess demand in your home, the pump will speed up to meet the demand. And when your existing water infrastructure delivers adequate pressure, the pump will slow down or turn off to conserve energy.
Upgrade Your Water Supply Lines
It’s worth noting that your home’s water pressure problems may not be the result of a problem with your well water system. It could be by design. For example, if your home’s water demand increased between the time of your water infrastructure’s installation and today, that could be the real cause of your water pressure issues. It may mean your supply pipes simply can’t keep up with demand.
In that case, the solution to your water pressure issues is to upgrade your supply pipes to deliver more water to your home. The expert plumbers here at Comfort Zone Heating & Air Conditioning can help you determine if this would be a worthwhile upgrade to solve your problem. To do it, they’d estimate your home’s average and peak water demand and compare that to the flow rate your existing supply lines delivers. If they’re not meeting demand, we can help by upgrading them for you, along with any other parts of your water infrastructure that need it.
Trust the Well Water Specialists
As you now know, your home’s poor water pressure can be the result of a variety of different underlying issues. Some are things you can handle yourself, while others involve targeted upgrades to your home’s well water system. Either way, Comfort Zone Heating & Air Conditioning is the place to turn for help. Our expert plumbers know well water systems inside and out, having served the Cobourg, ON, area since 2005. They can solve your water pressure problems as well as any other plumbing issues you might have. Plus, Comfort Zone Heating & Air Conditioning also offers comprehensive HVAC and indoor air quality services, too. So, when your Cobourg, ON, home has a water issue or a comfort problem of any kind, call on the experts at Comfort Zone Heating & Air Conditioning right away!
