Low water pressure in the apartment: step-by-step instructions on what to do, when and where to file a complaint

Homeowners often complain about poor water pressure in their taps. Malfunctions in the internal water supply in houses bring great inconvenience to residents: they cannot take a shower, use washing or dishwashing equipment, or quickly fill the kettle. How to increase the water pressure in an apartment and which authority to contact to resolve the problem is worth understanding in more detail.

Weak water pressure in the tap.

What water pressure in the tap is considered normal?

The Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 6, 2011 No. 354 in Appendix No. 1 specifies the standard values that pressure must correspond to for different water supply systems:

For cold water - 0.03-0.6 MPa.
For a water standpipe - 0.10 MPa.
For hot water - 0.03-0.45 MPa.

According to SNiP 2.04.02-84, the pressure in the pipeline for a 1-story building must be at least 10 m. For multi-story buildings, 4 m are added for each subsequent floor. To ensure the required level of pressure in the system, according to SNiP 2.04.01- 85 it is necessary to carry out special measures to normalize the height of the water column indoors.

To determine the pressure in the water supply yourself, use a pressure gauge. It is connected to a water tap with a nozzle through a hose. Indications are determined on the scale of the device. If they are deviated from the norm, find out the reason and contact the management organization, housing office or homeowners association. These institutions are responsible for housing and communal services provided to the population, including the water supply and sanitation system.

The water pressure in the tap is normal.

Selection and installation of a pump to increase pressure

To artificially increase the hydraulic pressure in an autonomous water supply system, you will need to install a pump. An important factor here is proper installation.

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When choosing a pump, look at the following points:

Length of footage of the water supply system;
Number of floors of a high-rise building;
Pipe diameter of the water supply system;
The amount of water consumed per day.

When purchasing a water pump, it is important to pay attention to two factors - the power of the unit and its permissible performance. In addition, the unit must be made of high-strength material that is not susceptible to corrosion.

If necessary, you can additionally purchase a booster pump. Such units are not intended for installation in the private sector, where there are additional equipment that consume water. The price of a pump to increase water pressure is $40-200.

Some kits may include automated mechanisms, such as a flow sensor. It is responsible for automatically turning off the device when the water tap is opened. By the way, this helps save energy in the house. The price of the kit depends on the degree of protection and the presence of auxiliary elements.

It is necessary to buy pump models that have a high-quality filtration system. The device body is most often made of stainless steel, aluminum or cast iron.

It is advisable to purchase equipment from the store of the brand manufacturer. By purchasing directly, the buyer saves significantly. In this case, a free warranty is provided for several years, and you can also contact us for additional maintenance of the pump.

Models for supplying or increasing water flow may differ in control methods:

The pump is in manual mode, ensuring uninterrupted operation. Here you need to turn the pump on/off yourself;
Automatic pump. In this option, the device will automatically turn on/off the system. The unit is equipped with protection, so in dry mode (without water supply) it simply will not turn on. Its operating period is longer than that of a manual pump. Electricity is consumed more economically.

When choosing a pump to increase water pressure, it is important to pay attention to the dimensions of the device itself. It is completely inappropriate to install a device with high power if the daily water consumption is small. The pump can only be designed for cold or hot water.

Reasons for low pressure

Water supply interruptions depend on different situations. If the pressure is weak only in the apartment, a possible reason is poor water flow in the pipes or a faulty riser. If a problem arises in an apartment building, you need to ask your neighbors.

If a small flow of liquid is detected in all apartments in one riser, the vertical pipeline is clogged. If low pressure is detected throughout the house, the fault lies in the operation of the main water supply.

The main reasons for poor water supply include:

Worn or clogged water lines to the house.
Old, worn inner pipes.
The coarse filter is dirty.
Mixer problems.
Incorrectly designed plumbing layout and connection of pipes.

If the hot fluid flow is weak and the cold water flow is normal, the problem is with the heating equipment.

The reasons are as follows:

Clogged water heater outlet hoses with small particles and various inclusions.
Broken boiler or geyser.
Equipment malfunctions in houses with closed circuit heating devices located in the basement.

Weak water pressure in the toilet cistern

Alternatively, the parts may not fit.
A homeowner may notice a weak stream in the toilet tank.

Problems in the drainage system occur as a result of:

The mesh attached to the float is dirty.
Plumbing product of unsuitable design and shape.
Formation of defects in the inlet valve of the tank.
Clogging of the flexible hose with suspensions and formations contained in hard water.
Low float setting. To raise the float mechanism, you need to bend the wire that holds it.

Low water pressure in the bathroom, but good in the kitchen - reasons

In apartment buildings, faults arise due to uneven pressure on different floors or at operating consumption points of one apartment. So, in the kitchen the flow of liquid from the tap is normal, but in the bathroom the pressure is weak. Gutter problems are difficult to identify.

Experts recommend performing the following activities:

Inspect the regulator mixer. If a defect is detected, it must be replaced.
Check cartridges. If contamination is detected, clean it.
When old metal pipes wear out, they are replaced with new polypropylene pipes.
Remove and inspect the hose for integrity, clean the mesh from dirt.

The pressure in the tap dropped after installing the mixer

If low pressure is detected, it is necessary to replace the cartridge in a faucet with a lift regulator or adjust the valve head installed in two-handle faucets. Part defects most often appear with increased water hardness. Sometimes it is enough to remove the tap, disassemble it, clean it of lime and adjust it.

How to solve a problem?

The simplest thing is to contact the management organization that maintains the house. They are obliged, at no additional cost, to check the quality of hot water, including its pressure. And in case of non-compliance with standards, troubleshoot the problem.

If for some reason this option is not possible, or the pressure meets the minimum standards, and the management company has withdrawn from solving the problem, we proceed to independent actions.

With centralized supply

The procedure for searching and eliminating external causes is as follows:

Check the hot water pressure immediately after the first shut-off valve in the apartment. This can be done through the hole in the coarse filter, or by disconnecting the next device from the shut-off valve, check the flow through the valve.
If the required pressure at the input is not available, we turn to the neighbors who were connected earlier and find out what their flow rate is.
If the flow through the riser of all neighbors is low, we check the water flow through the discharge from the riser, through the taps in the basement designed to drain water, on the supply and return. The pressure turned out to be good, which means the riser is clogged. If necessary, we rinse the riser with the same water, discharging it through a hose into the sewer or into the yard. Or this should be done by the management company (HOA).
If the pressure is weak in front of the riser, we check the pressure at the entrance to the house. It can be very useful to flush the main water supply (bed) in the basement, especially if this has not been done for a long time.
The pressure is weak at the entrance to the house. We contact the hot water supplier, the State Housing Inspectorate, Rospotrebnadzor, the prosecutor's office, and the administration. But not to everyone at once, but in order, if the previous authority did not help.
If the pressure of hot water is less than cold, and the former is prepared using in-house equipment, then you should check the pressure of cold water in front of the heat exchanger. Heat exchangers also become clogged and require periodic cleaning, at least once every three years.

Inside the apartment

If the pressure at the entrance to the apartment (house) is sufficient, we move on to finding and eliminating the causes inside the room.

The order is:

Checking the condition of the filters.
If the consumption has decreased throughout the apartment, then we start from the first one at the input. If the pressure has dropped at a separate water intake point, then we start with the filter at this point. Most faucets have a strainer on the gander to aerate the water.
Very small cells often become clogged. There are mixers and taps at shower stalls with internal cartridges, also equipped with protective mesh. Sometimes filters are placed at the connection point of the flexible line.
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Check the serviceability of the pressure reducer. Due to prolonged use, the movable rod of the reducer may jam, and it will stop regulating the pressure, which will eventually decrease. Sometimes a simple adjustment helps, after which the rod restores its functionality by moving out of place. You can sort out the gearbox, but it’s easier to replace it.
Almost all water meters have an additional mesh at the inlet to protect the device. If used for a very long time, the mesh may become clogged. The counter should be removed and the mesh should be cleaned. The meter mounting nuts are sealed. Before removing it, you need to coordinate this issue with your hot water supplier. The service provider may want to check the presence of seals and the serviceability of the water meter before dismantling. After installation, the meter must be resealed.
If there is a check valve, check its operation, make sure that it opens completely without resistance.
Check threaded connections with gaskets. The gasket may have been pushed out if the connection was over-tightened. As the suspension accumulates on the gasket, the passage of water flow decreases.
If the cause has not been eliminated, all that remains is to check the working cross-section of the pipes. To begin with, you can wash them with high pressure using a portable pump and cold water. It is useful to create a reverse flow of water if it is possible to drain it at the entry point. It is even better to clean the pipes mechanically, using a steel cable with a diameter of 3 to 5 millimeters and a length of up to 3 to 5 meters. It is convenient to rotate it with a screwdriver.

A radical solution to the problem of clogged pipes is a complete replacement. New plastic pipes will last for half a century or even more.

After the gas water heater

Replacing the coil completely solves the problem. But it often changes along with the gas combustion chamber. And choosing a coil for an outdated speaker model can be problematic.

In this case, you can try to dissolve the scale. There are special solutions for sale: Calgon, Antiscale and others. Water is drained from the coil and the product is poured. If possible, you can heat the coil.

Craftsmen perform this operation without removing the chamber from the column, and the solution in the coil is heated with a gas igniter. A couple of procedures can restore even a heavily clogged coil.

After electric water heater

The cause may be a faulty check valve. If it cannot be repaired, the valve is replaced.

Some water heater models also have a filter that must be cleaned and washed periodically.

If other elements are present (threaded connections, safety valve), then their functionality is checked as described above. And you need to check the water pressure in front of the water heater.

The geyser and electric heater are connected to the cold water network. And if the cold pressure is not sufficient, then this problem should be solved. The reasons for low cold water pressure are the same as for hot water.

But there is a separate option for solving the problem with cold water - installing a household pumping station. Such equipment allows you to increase the pressure inside the house, at low external pressure.

In an apartment, such a station will create noise, but in a private house you can always find a place where it will not be heard or seen. The pressure value can be set at the user's request. And now water heaters will provide hot water with the required pressure.

How to increase water pressure in an apartment?

You can increase the pressure in the pipeline of your own home using techniques such as:

Use of larger cross-section pipes. When the diameter of the pipeline changes, the speed of water movement decreases and the pressure increases.
Application of pumping equipment. For domestic purposes, powerful, small-sized water pressure pumps are purchased. They are capable of increasing pressure by 0.8-1.5 bar.

In private homes, water is supplied to places of consumption from a well using pumping stations. Water intake depends on the performance of the pump and the flow rate of the mine. When the pressure decreases, use a storage tank of any capacity.

The liquid that is pumped out by the pumping device is collected in the tank and allows the pressure in the autonomous system to be stabilized. To maintain constant pressure, some craftsmen place a level relay that automatically starts or turns off the pump.

Where to contact?

The cause of low water pressure may be a clog.
Many owners do not know where to turn if problems arise with their water supply. According to current legislation, the owner of the property is responsible for the condition of the pipes in the premises. Control over the main pipeline, water supply network and risers is entrusted to the housing office or management organization.

Cold water is supplied to homes by the Vodokanal utility company, and hot water by SUE TEK. A complaint about poor water distribution is sent to the institution with which the agreement is concluded.

In a new building

If low pressure is detected in the water supply network of new buildings, the claim is accepted by the developer if the house is under warranty. He is obliged to fulfill warranty obligations, carry out routine maintenance and repair of the transferred property.

When concluding an agreement for the provision of services with housing and communal services, the management company resolves issues together with the enterprise.

In a privatized apartment

If a pressure deviating from the normal parameter is detected in a privatized apartment, an application to eliminate the causes is submitted to the HOA or management company. The issue is reviewed within 10 working days, repair work is carried out within a month.

If the complaint is not accepted for consideration, you can send an appeal to the housing inspectorate; for this you will need to collect a complete package of documents. If there are no positive results, contact Rospotrebnadzor or the prosecutor's office.