There are several factors that can cause low water pressure and in the following examples a pressure pump can help to alleviate it.
– Gravity
Like everything on earth, water is affected by gravity. That is why rivers will always flow downstream and water in a pond or swimming pool will always settle perfectly level. Pure water weighs one kilogram for every litre and to move water up an incline will require energy.
If your water source, like a rainwater tank, is at the same level as the tap that you want to draw the water from, the water won’t move. Water pressure is created by increasing the height of your water source. For every ten metres off the ground, roughly one bar of pressure is created because the water wants to flow down. However, it isn’t always practical to move your water source higher, and this is where a pressure pump can be installed to push the water at the required pressure. The right pressure pump can even push the water several stories high!
– Distance from the water source
Water is affected by friction on the inside of the pipe, and the further the water needs to flow through a specific piece of pipe, the more friction will reduce the flow and pressure. If your water source is far away from where you need it, it is advisable to use as large a diameter of pipe as possible. To move water over longer distances and at a higher pressure, a pressure pump can be installed to increase the flow and pressure.
– Size of water pipes
If water pipes are too small, lower volumes of water will run through and more pressure will be lost due to the friction of the water moving through the pipeline. One way to reduce the friction is to use a larger diameter pipe. This will help to increase the flow of water, but it won’t increase the pressure, because the pressure of free-flowing water is only affected by gravity. To increase the pressure in your pipe system, a pressure pump can be installed to push the water at a greater pressure than gravity or pipe diameter can provide on their own.
– Low city water pressure
Due to various factors outside our control the water we receive from our municipality may be under low pressure. This situation can however be improved by installing a water tank and pressure pump system. What this system does is it continually collects the low-pressure water from the municipality, stores it, and boosts the water pressure when you open a tap. The reason why a tank is needed in this system is because your pressure pump can’t make water. It needs a good, consistent volume of water to operate.
– Adding fixtures to your existing system
You may experience low water pressure because you are using water in more places at once than your system was originally designed for. For example, you are irrigating your garden while doing the washing and taking a shower. This will decrease the water pressure across your entire system. This situation can be improved by installing the right pressure pump to meet the higher demand placed on your water system.
– Plumbing problems
Plumbing problems like clogged, corroded, or leaking pipes, faulty pressure valves, faulty water meters or cut-off valves will however not be solved by installing a pressure pump. These problems must be eliminated before installing a pressure pump to ensure that you are not focusing on the wrong solution to your problem.
Luckily the professionals at Pascali are standing by to assist you with any questions you may have.
Installation of a water pump at your home does not need to be a complicated task, but because a water pump combines electricity and water, the utmost care should be taken to ensure that the installation is done safely. You will need some basic technical and hands-on skills to install a water pump.
If you are in any doubt whatsoever, please consult a professional installer, especially if your situation is more complicated, or if you live in an estate with shared services and maintenance on outside fixtures.
If you are confident that you have the required plumbing and electrical skills, there are some details you must keep in mind while planning and installing your pressure pump system.
Installation starts with the water tank or static water source.
Pressure pumps are always used in combination with a water tank or water source because a pump cannot increase the water supply provided by your municipal supplier. (If your municipal supply is only seven litres per minute, (for example) and your pump is designed to deliver more than 15 litres per minute, the motor will be strained – reducing its service life – and the results will be disappointing.)
Decide on the position of your water tank or static water source.
The location of the water tank will depend on the space you have available, the distance from the nearest water pipe/ gutter pipe and power supply.
Distance is important, because pressure and flow is affected by friction inside the pipes, so the further the pump has to push the water to where it is needed, the lower the flow and pressure will be.
You will also need a power supply for the pump’s motor, so the distance to the pump will affect the length of cable you need to install, and this will influence the installation cost.
Also understand the size of your water tank which can range from small to massive storage tanks. The tank should always be installed on a sturdy, smooth and perfectly level surface that won’t collapse under the weight of the water. Remember that a full 5 000 litre water tank will weigh more than five tons! It is a good idea to raise the base of the tank a little off the ground so that the pump can be installed slightly lower than the tank’s outlet. This will help to keep the pump primed, or full of water, and prevent it from running dry and possibly causing damage.
How is the water tank filled?
In simple terms your water tank is kept full of low-pressure water coming in through a simple float valve connected to the municipal supply/alternative static water source which closes when the tank is full. When water is extracted, this valve opens to refill the tank again in the same way a toilet’s flush system works. The pressure pump uses this water to feed into your house at a higher pressure. The pump switches on and off automatically as water is used.
What size water tank should you get?
The size of the water tank will depend on your average water consumption and can range from a small 750 litre tank up to 10 000 litres, depending on if you want to also harvest rainwater. This can be determined on your water reading meter if you want to draw from municipal lines.
Determine and install electrical components.
Now that you have identified and prepared the location of our tank, and there is enough space for your chosen pressure pump and tank, you must install the correct electrical cable and isolator switch for the size motor you plan to install, keeping in mind the power rating of the motor.
Keep in mind the cable sizing, as the kilowatts of the pump you select will determine what cable you need to use to supply the pump with power.
Ensure the pressure pump is firmly mounted to the ground.
Pressure pumps come with mounting holes in the base so that it can be fixed to the floor. This ensures that the pump always stays upright and in the correct position. Any kind of vibration or the mere on/off operation can cause a loose-standing pump to wander out of position.
Install a non-return or one-way valve.
There should always be a nonreturn valve, one-way valve or check valve installed as part of the pump system and these are usually included in the package.
Ensure the inlet pipe is straight and big enough.
One important factor to consider is the routing of the pipe coming from your tank into the inlet of the pump. This should be as straight as possible for at least 100cm to prevent any turbulence in the water entering the pump.
Installing 90-degree elbows close to the pump’s inlet causes turbulence which can result in air bubbles forming which can damage the pump.
If you have a small pump, it is possible to use flexible piping between the pump and the rest of the water system to avoid any possible vibrations being transmitted throughout the house. This can cause irritating noises and the vibrations can also cause leaks over years of use.
Ensure your water pipes are the right size.
Make sure to use the correct size pipes and try to match the existing size of your house’s water supply system. Every time the pipe diameter changes, or there is an elbow in a pipe, it disturbs the even flow of water, and this leads to pressure and flow losses.
Install cut-off valves at the inlet and outlet.
Make sure to install cut-off valves so that the pump can be isolated and tested without having to pump water throughout the whole system. You must be able to bypass the pump in case it has to be removed or serviced. This will also simplify the process if you decide to upgrade to a bigger pump in the future.
Protect your pump from the elements.
The pump should also be protected from the elements like rain, excessive dust etc. to ensure a long life and continued performance. Pump housing products are available.
Contact the specialists at Pascali who are standing by to advise you on exactly what will suit your requirements.
Hear straight from the experts on how they approach a pressure pump installation at homes;
Any machinery with moving parts will require periodic maintenance and your pressure pump is no different. Pascali pumps are designed and manufactured to last many years but even the greatest machines in the world won’t survive neglect and abuse.
Below are some pump maintenance checks you can perform on a regular basis to ensure that your pressure pump keeps functioning optimally for a long time. Getting in the habit to check your pump regularly will help you identify potential problems early, avoiding more expensive repairs than if you just forget about your pump.
Protect your pump
The first step in maintaining your pressure pump is to protect it from the elements. Invest in a cover for the pump to keep rainwater and dust out. Keeping direct sunlight off the assembly is also a good idea because sunlight can damage some plastics over time.
Check for leaks
Regularly check for any water leaks from your tank to the pump and throughout the whole system. Fixing small leaks early can avoid it developing into bigger leaks down the line. The pump and motor should never stand in a puddle of water and should also be installed above possible flood levels in case of a heavy downpour.
Listen for noises
Listen to the pump while it is running to hear if there are any strange noises. A variety of things can cause unusual sounds coming from the pump, including leaves or sticks stuck in the impeller or a cooling fan scraping the inside of the housing. Check if insects or rodents haven’t decided to nest next to your pump causing possible future problems.
Keep it clean
The water entering your pump should ideally be at room temperature and free of any debris, so if you are collecting rainwater from your roof, install a filter system to keep any leaves, twigs, and other foreign matter out of the tank. It is inevitable that dust that settles on your roof during the dry months will wash into your gutter system and eventually into your tank. This should settle to the bottom of the tank and can be cleaned out every couple of years, depending on the level of build-up.
Keep it cool and steady
Check the mounting points of the pump to ensure it is still secure and that there isn’t excessive vibration. Make sure that there is adequate airflow around the motor from the cooling fan.
You can also consider protecting your pump from electrical surges with a surge protector installed on your distributor board.
Do all these regular maintenance checks, and your water pressure booster pump can perform for many years to come!
For more on the subject, check out this interview with Charlie du Plessis, Technical Advisor at Pascali.
It can be extremely frustrating having to deal with inadequate water flow and water pressure, but there is something you can do to improve the situation.
Even though water flow (or flow rate) and pressure are two different measurements, they are still related to each other.
Water flow refers to how much water comes out of a tap or other fixtures in a specific time.
Water Pressure refers to the force that the water is under to make it move in the desired direction, or the amount of force the water exerts on the pipe and fittings containing it.
What’s the difference between water pressure and water flow or flow rate?
Water flow is measured in litres per minute, so it has to do with volume over time.
Pressure is measured in bar or PSI (pounds per square inch), so this equation has to do with weight and surface area.
When a tap is closed the flow is zero, but the pressure can be 3 bar for example. As soon as the tap is opened the flow increases and the pressure drops. There is a sweet spot between flow and pressure that is ideal for household applications and various factors influence both. A pressure pump can help homeowners to achieve the desired flow and pressure.
What affects flow and pressure?
Water flow and pressure are both affected by friction. Friction is caused by the inside diameter of the pipe, elbow fittings, height, etc.
As water moves through a pipe, friction will slow it to a certain degree, depending on the texture and diameter of the pipe. The smoother the pipe, the less friction there will be, and the faster water can move through the pipe, provided that the water pressure is sufficient. With good water pressure, the friction in smaller pipes can be overcome so that the water flow remains high.
How do I overcome friction?
A professionally installed water pressure booster pump can help to overcome limiting friction inside a water system.
A water pressure booster pump increases the pressure the water experiences on demand, overcoming friction to be delivered to where it is needed. Because the friction is overcome, higher pressure will also lead to higher flow rates, because both flow and pressure are affected by friction.
(For illustration purposes only)
For a visual representation of flow and pressure many pumps will have a flow chart, depicting its characteristics under different circumstances.
Homeowners need to find their sweetspot
Pressure is indicated on the vertical axis and flow on the horizontal axis. As illustrated pressure is highest when the flow is lowest, and vice versa. The sweet spot for household water delivery is a balance between flow and pressure and the pressure booster pump you choose should create this balance.
Check out the interview with Pascali’s technical advisor on this very subject!
Homeowners sometimes experience water pressure problems in their homes or with irrigation systems. There can be many possible causes of low water pressure/flow in your home, and it is a process of elimination before deciding on and investing in a pressure pump system.
If there was a sudden change in your water pressure, there are some checks you can do to determine what the cause of your problem is. Below are a few possible causes:
Your water supplier is having trouble
If you are on a municipal supply and the water pressure is suddenly low, contact your neighbours to find out if they have a similar problem. There may be a burst pipe in the distribution system and water was cut off to do repairs. This should hopefully be resolved quickly and won’t require any input from your side.
The main water shutoff valve is partially closed
If you are the only one in your street experiencing low water pressure, check that the main shutoff valve leading to your property is fully open. A partially opened valve will cause lower flow and pressure in your home.
The pressure regulator may be faulty
Not all plumbing systems have pressure regulators, but if there is one have it checked out by a professional to make sure that it is working properly and is not causing your pressure headache.
Your pipes may be clogged
Water supply pipes can become clogged over years. These obstructions can restrict the waterflow and pressure in the system. This will happen over years of use and won’t become apparent all of a sudden. If you suspect that this may be the case, you need to contact a professional to do an inspection. This will involve turning the water supply off and opening some of the fittings to inspect the inside of the pipes. In the worst-case scenario, you may need to replace all the water pipes in your home, but this will give you the opportunity to upgrade to a larger diameter pipe, which should improve the flow throughout the system.
Pipes may be corroded
If your house is very old the water pipes may be corroded on the inside. Galvanised steel pipes have a lifespan of around 20 years. Copper pipes should last 50 years or more. Modern plastic pipes with brass fittings also have a long life expectancy when it is protected against the elements. Corrosion on the inside of pipes or fittings can restrict the flow of water and decrease the pressure. Have a professional check it out.
You may have a leak
Not all water leaks are obvious. It may be underground or inside a wall. The loss of water through a leak can have an impact on your water pressure and most leaks will only worsen over time, so call a professional if you suspect that there may be a leaking pipe somewhere.
You may have faulty or clogged fixtures
If you have low water pressure in all your plumbing fixtures, the issue is almost definitely with your water supply or your pipes. However, if it’s one or a few fixtures that seem to have a low flow, you may want to check out the fixtures.
Remove any aerators on your low-pressure taps and see if they need cleaning. Once they’re completely clear of any buildup, put them back on and see if this makes a difference in your water pressure.
Regulations in your municipality or city
During the severe drought that affected Cape Town and other cities and towns in recent years, water supply was restricted in the distribution system to reduce the consumption. This is usually a temporary measure, but there are steps you can take to ensure that your household’s water supply is supplemented with rainwater, a borehole or just an emergency supply, boosted by a pressure pump.
After you have eliminated all these possible causes and the water pressure is still not to your liking, the next steps are to measure the flow. Using a measuring jug or bucket that you know the volume of and stopwatch, calculate how much water is delivered by your taps. Time how long it takes to fill your bucket with a fully open tap and calculate the litres per minute. You can do this measurement in the bathtub, kitchen, garden tap etc. and compare the figures you get.
A bathtub should get around 15 litres per minute, a dishwasher needs around 10 litres per minute and a shower around 12 litres per minute. If you want to irrigate your garden, you will have to measure the flow of every sprinkler and multiply it with the number of sprinklers you want to run at once to determine if you have enough pressure.
A household pressure pump can be used in a variety of scenarios where higher pressure is needed.
Examples of water pressure problems a water pressure booster pump can solve:
bringing water from a rainwater harvesting tank
pumping water from an alternative source like a river or pond
pushing water from ground level up multiple levels
feeding water to an appliance with high water needs
increasing the overall pressure in the water system
increasing pressure for garden and veggie patch irrigation.
Check out the interview with Pascali’s technical advisor on this very subject!
The installation of your Pascali Pressure Pump went well, you have finished tidying up and putting away all your tools, now it might be time for a well-deserved, pressurised shower!
But somehow, something is not working 100%, and you are not getting the results you were expecting.
In this article we explore common queries we receive after installations, and also share a couple of checks you can easily perform to diagnose and eventually troubleshoot a few possible causes.
Problems that might pop up after a pressure pump installation:
When I open a tap, the pressure pump doesn’t start!
Check that the power is on. This may be a simple explanation, but please remember to always switch the power mains off before and during working on electrical installations. (It does sometimes happen that one forgets to turn it back on).
If this isn’t the problem make sure that all your connections are secure, that there aren’t any loose terminals or breaks in the wire leading to the pump installation.
If there is no water going into the pump, the pump also won’t start. Ensure all your valves are open and there is water in the water source, such as the rainwater harvesting tank.
The pressure pump runs but there is no water coming out.
Is your pressure pump receiving water as it should?
Are there in restrictions?
Are all the valves open? Inlet & oulet valves.
Is there sufficient water in the tank?
Are there any bursts in the pipeline?
Is the inlet and the outlet connected correctly?
Is your non-return valve installed correct way around?
If you’ve eliminated all the pointers above, there may be an airlock in the system or air is getting in, which is a restriction on its own.
In order to get the air out of your system, simply loosen the brass nut or “bleeding valve/nut” on the pressure pump housing, to let out all the air. This will prime the pump housing and if the non-return valve was installed correctly, you shouldn’t experience this problem again.
The pressure pump starts and doesn’t switch off again
There may be a major leak in your system somewhere. The increase in water pressure due to your new pressure pump may have caused an underlying problem to suddenly come to the fore. This should be addressed as soon as possible.
The pressure pump starts and stops intermittently without you using water. Or the pump continuously switches on and off.
The type of pressure pump you have installed is important to note in this case.
In the case where a pressure pump has a flow control switch, there may be a small leak or dripping tap in your system. This will cause your pressure pump to sense that there is a flow, and therefore switch on.
Take this opportunity to do some maintenance on your entire water system, replace washers in leaking taps and check the flow mechanism of your toilet.
In the case of pumps that come with a pressure switch, instead of a flow switch, the pressure pump will react to a loss of pressure. Once again, the cause could be a leak in your system, such as a leaking toilet or piping. The pressure in your system keeps dropping, and therefore the pump’s pressure switch will activate.
With pressure pumps that have a pressure switch, at the back of the pump there is a cart well, which is similar to a car valve, that has air in it. If you push the valve and the air comes out, everything is fine. If water comes out, it means the bladder inside has broken. If nothing comes out, the tank has lost its pressure and will need to be repressurized.
The pressure pump motor makes a humming sound but doesn’t turn.
There are typically two causes when this happens;
Your shaft or impeller is trapped. This typically happens after an installed pump hasn’t been used for a while. Rust can form on the inside of the cast-iron housing, seizing the brass impeller.
To loosen the rust, you can remove the cooling fan cover and gently turn the fan by hand. Disconnect the power before doing this. It should loosen the impeller and your pump should run normally. If it is really stuck you can remove the cast-iron housing, clean any rust buildup out with a steel brush and replace it. To prevent this problem from happening in the first place the pump should run at least one a week. If a pump is going to be idle for an extended period it should be disconnected and dried before storing.
Another reason could be that some debris that has become trapped. In this case, you will need to open the pump up, ensure the debris, or whatever blockage is trapping the impeller is removed.
Your capacitor is possibly faulty. This part “kick starts” the motor, and when it does not work, the pump motor won’t jump away, but instead, make a continuous humming sound, but it will not actually turn.
If these troubleshooting steps do not solve your particular problem, please contact a professional to have a look at your pressure pump.
