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Plumbing

Will a smaller shower head help low pressure?

Anonymous user 28/02/2024 - 2.57 PM

I have a fixed shower head 185 cm diameter, when I took it off and used the shower just through the ceiling arm, it powered the boiler perfectly whereas with the head on, this is a hit and miss situation. Water pressure here is at the minimum legal limit esp in the morning when this problem often happens with the shower. The boiler (combi) can't sustain it for long (sometimes) and then again sometimes it can! One boiler engineer said I needed a new boiler even though the same problem might occur as we have to have a combi boiler and the shower is high up in the house. Another one said the boiler although old, was in perfect nick and has a new diaphragm fitted. All other hot taps are fine so I am now thinking maybe it's the size of the shower head?

Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?

2 Answers

Boiler Homecare

Rating: 5 out of 5

Honiton

A good shower requires a minimum of 9Ltr/min, get a measuring jug and place it under your shower, time it for 1 min then divide the amount of water in the jug by 60 seconds, if the quantity of water equates to a lot less then '9Ltr/min' then you either have restricted flow rate at the mains and or restricted flow rate within your boiler. The last possible fault is easier to remedy then the first. If you fit a smaller shower head to a shower hose you increase velocity, it appears that the pressure has increased but it hasn’t, similar to pinching the end of a garden hose with your fingers, the water travels further and faster but the flow rate/pressure still remain the same.

Answered28 April 2013

N A Whitby, Plumbing & Maintenance

Rating: 5 out of 5

Hinckley

When you say "just through the ceiling arm" I assume this is just the open ended pipe? Have you de-scaled the head, it sounds like you may need a new flow switch in the boiler, the shower head is restricting the flow so the boiler may not pick up that there is water flowing through. A new flow switch may be a bit more sensitive. Who measured the water pressure as this will be the same throughout the house, you need to have the Flow Rate measured, get your water authority to check this at the boundary box. They will check the flow inside (if you ask) just in case you may have a blockage in the pipe, make sure you stop tap and mains (outside) stop tap are open fully.

Answered24 April 2013