Low water pressure – a sales opportunity?

Many a homeowner knows the frustration of low water pressure but few realise it’s a problem that’s easily fixed. Here, we take a look at how offering the right solution, could really make your customer’s day.

What causes low water pressure?

There are a number of reasons as to why a home might suffer from low water pressure. For one, there’s been a trend to build properties upwards, with loft conversions including bathrooms or en-suites being added onto homes where the water system wasn’t originally designed to have to ‘push’ the water that high. Next, much larger period homes have been divided into flats, and the antiquated mains water pipes just don’t have the capacity for the additional water demand. Finally, in recent years there’s been a shift away from gravity-fed systems to combi-boilers, which although more efficient, these can affect water pressure.

Can you improve low water pressure?

Many homeowners in Britain believe they have no other option but to settle for poor water pressure. Fortunately, this is not the case and there are a number of water-boosting solutions on offer. This represents a real opportunity for tradespeople who feel confident fitting such systems. By fitting water boosting systems, not only are installers able to find additional avenues of work but can deliver unexpected value to customers on problems they assumed to be unsolvable.

It’s important that plumbers have confidence in their knowledge of water boosting solutions. To begin with, it’s vital to only install taps and shower heads that correspond with a home’s water pressure. Many properties with low water pressure have taps and shower heads installed, which have been designed for much stronger rates. In this circumstance, the unit won’t function properly, and water pressure will appear even worse. Updating the taps and shower heads with more appropriate models will instantly improve the rate of output.

Broadly speaking, there are two main solutions for low-water pressure. Most installers are very familiar with shower pumps and these are great for sorting out showers that only deliver a dribble. However, for those properties where water pressure is a problem throughout – or for those homeowners who want to be able to run multiple showers, toilets (and the kitchen sink) at once, mains boost pumps are less understood.

What is a main boost pump?

Put simply, mains boost pumps provide an additional surge of pressurised water, which means that someone can run a bath and fill the kettle at the same time, without noticing a difference in output. Fitted directly onto the incoming mains, a mains boost pump is a vessel that contains a sealed diaphragm chamber, that is surrounded by positive pre-charged air pressure. When the homeowner uses multiple outlets, water is forced out of the cylinder, boosting the supply and making sure that it doesn’t turn to a dribble. Mains boost pumps come in a wide range of sizes, making it easy to find one suitable for every job – there’s even some small enough to fit under the kitchen sink.

If you’ve not fitted water boosting solutions before or would like to become more rounded in the area then there are a number of training courses on offer. Suppliers, such as Stuart Turner, run free training sessions for installers wanting to learn more about the solutions for low mains water pressure in unvented systems, as well as water boosting solutions for vented systems. Included in the training is information about sizing and selection for the products, best installation practice, and basic fault diagnosis.

As most plumbers will know, there are several reasons as to why water pressure in a home might be poor – but this does present those in the trade with a golden opportunity to really add value. Now, it’s vital that those working in the sector are knowledgeable on the matter and have the experience to find tailored solutions that fix the problem.