Water companies can reduce leakage by reducing pressure in a ‘zone’ but they also have an obligation to supply water to you home at a minimum pressure of 1 bar (10 metres head).For many homes which may have experienced high pressures between 2 and 3 bars it may come as a shock when your water company reduces your pressure to 1 bar.

What are the rules about putting a pump on your incoming supply?
It is legal to boost the mains pressure with a pump but only up to a maximum of 12 litres a minute.The reason for this is to protect your health because big pumps can suck water from the buried pipe outside your house and pull in contamination. Chemicals, and faecal matter in the soil can be pulled into your drinking water supply.

Putting in a big pump to boost you water supply will endanger you health and damage the pump. A big pump trying to pull water at a greater rate than the mains feed can supply will self destruct, cavitate, and burn out in a very short period of time.

If you want to boost your mains pressure there are specialist pumps which are designed to do this without depressurising your water supply or create cavitation. A SP21S two pump booster kit will increase your pressure by 1 bar.

Testing Your Water Pressure
It is important to test your water pressure as this will tell you what is the extent of your problems. An electric shower will run cold if the mains pressure drops below 1 bar. A combi boiler will turn off if the pressure drops below 1 bar.

A WRightChoice Water Pressure Testing Kit allows a consumer to get all the answers needed. The gauge screws directly into your own shower hose and this simple DIY kit, sold by Alan Wright, allows you to undertake a detailed diagnostic investigation to allow you to identify the cause of your problem.