mark wrote:

Greetings All,
I have a new bathroom on the 2nd floor, and the shower has a low
pressure problem. The sink and toilet are ok, but obviously they use
much less water than the shower. I have city water using a 1 1/2"
main line and the vertical risers are 1". Although the shower has
many fixtures, (6 body sprays, 1 rainhead, 1 fixed head and 1
handheld), it seems as if the pressure needs to be higher. I realize
it's impractical (and overkill) to use all of those heads at the same
time, but when using just the 6 body sprays alone, the flow isn't
what it should be. The mixing valve is rated high enough to run them
all at the same time. The first floor shower has a 3 body spray set
up, along with 2 fixed heads and the flow there is fine. I have
disassembled the heads to make sure they aren't clogged and
everything checks out ok.

All of that being said, I'm thinking about installing a water
pressure booster pump. I would think just a pump alone wouldn't be
enough, isn't some sort of reservoir needed also? It seems as if the
pump would pull the water faster than the city main could supply it.
Has anyone gone through the same situation? Thanks as always, Mark

Things to check first:
* Get a water pressure meter. Your static pressure (no water running
anywhere) should be 30 to 80 PSI. If it's lower than that, then there's
your problem. You might talk to the utility company.
* Do you have a pressure reduction valve? It might need adjustment. If
you do, it will probably be near your water meter. Look carefully.
Sometimes they just look like a screw sticking up from the pipe.
Rarely, they have a pressure gauge.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX