How Do You Boost Water Pressure in a Private Well?

If your home sources water via a well, you could also deal with (or at least, suspect you may be dealing with) consistently low home water pressure or water pressure that’s prone to changes.

Even though you would think that low or wavering water pressure is normal when your house is hooked up on a well, the truth is that the majority of homeowners can boost the pressure of the well water you have provided for you and there are several simple methods to make it happen.

If your home is connected to a water well for home water use, read below to know the best ways you can use to increase your home water pressure.

1. Change Your Pressure Tank Settings

The majority of residential wells include pressure tanks, that regulate the pressure of water pumped from the well to a house.

Whereas the average home plumbed into a city’s municipal water supply is pressurized to about 60 pounds per square inch (psi) when the water enters the home, the default pressure for most well water pressure tanks is only 28 psi. By changing this tank setting, you can significantly increase the home water pressure.

Common pressure settings at the other end of the tank’s range include 20/40, 30/50, and 40/60 psi. The first number indicates how low the pressure must be in the tank for the well pump to start pumping more water into it and the second number tells how high the water pressure in the tank can rise before the pump shuts off.

Don’t forget to raise that tank pressure setting to 40/60 psi, and you may be surprised at the drastic increase in home water pressure after this simple adjustment.

2. Choose a Higher Flow Rate Pump

If your pressure tank is already set to its maximum value, it’s possible that the problem with water pressure is your presently-installed well pump.

Well pumps have varying flow rates, or flow capacity, ratings, and if your current pump isn’t capable of delivering a high enough flow rate, then it may not be able to supply your home with enough water to keep up with your family’s utility needs.

That’s why well pump flow rate is measured in gallons per minute (GPM). For example, if you currently own a well pump with a GPM rating of 8, you will experience significantly higher home water pressure after you upgrade to a pump rated at 12 GPM.

3. Upgrade to a Constant Pressure System

If your home water pressure issue is not just low but also occur frequent fluctuations or pressure, then it is time for you to upgrade your well tank and pump system from the traditional system to a constant pressure system.

As noted, even the maximum well pressure tank setting lets water pressure vary by about 20 psi. However, a constant pressure system permits the water pressure in the tank to drop only about 2 psi before it activates the pump to restore tank water pressure again. This steady tank water pressure translates into steady home water pressure.

While some constant pressure systems are designed differently than others, the majority of them have special electronic water pressure sensors that are situated in their tanks that send a signal to the well pump to start filling the tank as soon as water psi begins to drop at all (to keep water pressure as constant as possible).

4. Get a Water Pressure Booster Pump Installed

You can also install a water pressure booster pump in your home plumbing system to increase water pressure in your home.

This pump can come in handy if you notice that your water pressure is significantly weaker on the home’s upper level than on the ground level—the higher up water needs to be pumped, the more difficult it will be for standard well pumps to overcome gravity when delivering water to a home’s top floor.

Booster pumps are electric and use motors and impellers to speed up the flow of the water entering your home. That allows it to more easily reach fixtures on your top floor.

We Can Help!

If you own a home with access to a water well, you should never feel that you have to put up with low or intermittent water pressure throughout your home. All you have to do to solve this problem is to try one of the above solutions.

If you need help with your residential water well or commercial well, Boylan Water Well Service & Supply. can do it all.