Are you getting poor water pressure in your kitchen sink or bathroom sink? Poor water pressure can mean running the water longer, increasing waste, and higher water bills. Not to mention, increased frustration!
Don’t think you have to live with low water pressure, because you have options.
Follow this guide to learn how to increase water pressure in the kitchen and bathroom sink.
In this PlumbingNav guide, we will cover:
What you need to know about increasing water pressure in sinks
Supplies you’ll need to increase water pressure in kitchen or bathroom sink
How to increase water pressure in kitchen and bathroom sink (step-by-step guide)
What's In This Guide?
What You Need To Know About Increasing Water Pressure in Sinks
Flow rate refers to how much water emits from a particular fixture, and it is measured in gallons per minute (GPM). Water pressure refers to the amount of force used to move water to its destination, measured in pounds per square inch (psi)
Water pressure depends on gravity. If you live in a hilly area, especially on the top of a hill higher than the city’s water storage facility, you will have worse water pressure than someone who lives at the bottom of a hill below the water storage facility.
Most homes generate water at a pressure level of no higher than 60 psi.
Water will enter your home through the cold water line and through the hot water line that makes a detour through your home’s water heater.
Many faucets have an aerator that helps control the faucet’s water pressure. You can try a new one, or install a high pressure kitchen faucet to boost the flow rate.
A hybrid choice in the upgrade is a universal splash faucet filter. This will not only boost water pressure, but give you 720 degree reach.
Supplies You’ll Need to Increase Water Pressure in Kitchen or Bathroom Sink
Hydrostatic Test Pump
A hydrostatic test pump comes with a pressure gauge. It allows you to apply pressure to your system. After you apply pressure to your plumbing, you can use the pressure gauge to determine if the pressure is escaping somehow.
Basic Tools
You will need a basic toolset to adjust the pressure gauge that controls pressure to your house.
Some of the basic tools you may need include:
Screwdriver
Hex key
PGPMrs
How To Increase Water Pressure in Kitchen and Bathroom Sink (5 Steps)
Step 1: Prep
Start by checking your home’s water pressure. You should check the exact pressure coming from the sink in question by using a pressure gauge. Check both cold water and hot water.
You should also check different faucets throughout your home. Pay attention if the problem affects second-floor fixtures more than the fixtures on the first floor, as that can indicate a problem with the building’s setup.
Next, shut off the water to your home to prevent leaks while you work.
When you shut the valve off, verify that the valve operates smoothly.
Step 2: Check For Leaks
One of the reasons you may have low water pressure could be a leak somewhere in your plumbing system.
To check for a leak, you may need to perform a hydrostatic test that can find pinhole leaks deep in you plumbing system that you may not find through a visual inspection. We cover what a slab leak is here.
You’ll find your home’s pressure valve near the main water supply. It will clearly tell you the pressure setting to your home.
To adjust the pressure valve, start by removing the lock nut on the top of the valve with a wrench.
Once you remove the lock nut, you will have access to the adjustment nut.
Turn the adjustment nut clockwise to increase the pressure to your home.
Sometimes, you may notice the water pressure only affecting hot water. If this happens, you may need to perform water heater maintenance and verify that it’s producing adequate water pressure. If not, it may have a leak in its hose.
Step 4: Clean or Replace Aerator
If you notice a problem with one faucet, in particular, you can adjust by cleaning the aerator.
Remove the aerator in the faucet spout with your fingers or a pair of pliers.
If you notice excessive amounts of gunk or deterioration, you may want to replace the entire aerator.
If buying a new aerator, you may find one that produces water at a higher water flow rate. There are TONS of options here on Amazon.
Step 5: Restore Water
At this point, you can restore the water to your home.
When you restore water to your home, be sure that you completely open the shut off valve.
After you restore your water, check your home’s water pressure to see if it increased.
If the problem continues, you should call your landlord or your city to report the low water pressure problem.
Also, we did a review of high pressure kitchen faucets that are designed to fix this problem at the desired location. This is always an option, especially if it’s time for an upgrade anyway.
FAQs For How To Increase Water Pressure In Sinks
How to increase water pressure in the second-floor bathroom sink?
Keep in mind that water must use pressure to reach your second floor. If the faucets on the second floor don’t have adequate water pressure, you may have a problem with your setup.
How to increase water pressure in the bathroom sink that doesn’t have aerator?
If the bathroom sink doesn’t have an aerator, you will need to adjust the pressure to the entire building or use a specialized device for that particular faucet.
How to increase sink water pressure in an apartment?
If your sink doesn’t seem to work as well as you want in your apartment, the first step would be to talk to your landlord.
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About Plumbing Navigator
We write about "all things plumbing," helping you navigate common questions, repairs, and the best plumbing products on the market.
About Plumbing Navigator
We write about “all things plumbing,” helping you navigate common questions, repairs, and the best plumbing products on the market.
