Water supply of a private house is organized according to standard construction technology with the laying of pipes from the source of water intake to consumers. Regardless of whether it is autonomous or connected to a central water supply, over time problems will arise with a drop in water pressure. Solving them is not always easy, but possible.
The reasons for the pressure drop in the water supply
There are actually few reasons. This mainly concerns the highway, if it is laid from steel pipes. Often the pressure is reduced due to fittings and plumbing fixtures.
The main reasons for the drop in water pressure in the water supply network:
- leaks in the water main;
- reduction of the inner diameter of the laid pipes;
- defects and flaws in mixers, taps or valves;
- clogged filter elements;
- incorrect operation of the pumping unit if the water supply system is autonomous;
- mismatch of water pressure in the central water supply system, if the water supply of a private house is made from it.
Before proceeding to the solution of the indicated problems, it is recommended to ask the neighbors what pressure they have in the tap. This must be done if the house is supplied with water from a centralized system. If the pressure is normal, only your home is in trouble. If the problem affects all houses on the street, you must contact the utilities.
Problem solving
To increase the pressure (pressure) of water in the water supply system of private houses, it is not necessary to start with global repairs. There are some simple solutions.
- The coarse filter is cleaned. Usually it is installed at the entrance of the pipe to the house. This is a mesh device that opens easily. The net must be removed, cleaned of debris and rinsed with water.
- The fine filter is checked. It is a bit more complicated here, because devices of this type are cartridge-type. They have a certain service life, after which the cartridges must be replaced with new ones. The manufacturer indicates this parameter in the product passport. If the intensity of the use of the water supply is high, or the water is supplied to the house with a high degree of pollution, the filter life is drastically reduced. This must be taken into account.
- Checking the pump for proper operation. First of all, the mesh is checked, which closes the suction pipe of the device. You just need to clean it. Additionally, it is necessary to check the power of the pump unit itself. To do this, it is disconnected from the pipe, lowered into a tank of water (it can be a barrel or a bath), the device turns on and it measures how much water it gives out per unit time. For example, in how many seconds it fills a bucket. Then you can calculate the performance of the pumping unit.
Leakage is the most difficult, because the pipe wiring, located to the house, is laid deep into the ground. No puddles are formed, but a wet spot on the line may indicate a leak. There is only one way out - to get to the place of the defect and carry out repairs. If pipes began to leak inside the house, this is detected quickly. The solution is the same as in the previous case.
To find out that plumbing fixtures are the causes of a drop in pressure inside the water supply, in one simple way. Each mixer or faucet is opened individually and it is determined in which of them the pressure does not correspond to the standard one. If the pressure in all devices is weak, the problem is not in them, but in the water supply network.
Incorrect pump selection.
This problem is common in those houses where autonomous water supply was done by hand. Often buy a pump on the principle of reducing cash investment, focusing on saving.
The pump is selected based on the performance of all consumers installed in the house and on the street: plumbing fixtures, an irrigation tap, a sink in the summer kitchen, an outdoor shower and other amenities associated with water consumption. And if some consumer is not taken into account, there will not be enough water pressure for everything. Moreover, if after installing the pump unit additional plumbing fixtures were installed.
Low voltage in the mains supply is also the reason for the pump to malfunction. The unit simply ceases to issue standard specifications. This trouble can be solved by installing a step-up transformer.
Alteration of the water supply network
To increase the water pressure in private houses from a well or a well, you can use the reconstruction of the water supply. This process is complex and costly. But sometimes it is the only correct one. Often the reason for the pressure drop is the inner diameter of the pipe, which does not correspond to the required one. The smaller the diameter, the less water it will pass through itself.
The second reason for the alteration is a large number of fittings: bends, tees and more. It is recommended to redo the piping layout, simplifying it to a minimum. The main rule of communication networks is that they should be carried out in straight lines without a large number of turns, turns and other bends.
If the water supply of a private house is organized using an autonomous water supply, both problems are solved by installing a more powerful pump. But here we must be careful, because high pressure will cause a number of problems of a different plan. For example, the joints of pipe joints, some mixers and taps may not be able to withstand the increased load. Therefore, increasing pressure in this way is not always acceptable.
Installation of an additional pump
Another way to effectively increase the pressure of water in private houses from a central water supply system is to install an additional pump. These are small-sized devices that cut into the pipe of the water supply network and connect to a conventional outlet. Their installation is carried out between the coarse filter and the water meter or after the last. Depending on the number of consumers, the head and pump capacity are selected.
Standard pressure settings for the water supply system of a private house
There is a legislative act, namely SNiP 2.04.02-84, which clearly defines the parameters of the cold water pressure for multi-storey buildings. This indicator varies in the range of 0.3-6 bar. There are no certain restrictions for private housing construction, therefore these parameters are taken for this category of buildings.
More often the water pressure in private houses is determined by calculation, where some ratios are laid in the basis. For example, taps and mixers that are turned on simultaneously should not reduce the pressure inside the water supply. Therefore, choosing a pump, it is necessary to add up the productivity of all consumers and add another 10%. This will be the pump capacity, which will provide the required pressure inside the system.
