How to Increase Your Low Shower Pressure

Test Your Showerhead's Flow

Turn on the shower to full capacity. Let it run for about a minute. Place a 5-gallon bucket under the water flow, and time how long it takes to fill the bucket. Start the clock as soon as water hits the bottom of the bucket and stop the clock the instant water begins to overflow the bucket.

To calculate the GPM, divide five by the amount of time it took to fill the bucket. For example, if the time is 2.5 minutes: five divided by 2.5 equals two. The flow is two GPM.

Replace Your Water-Restricting Showerhead

Your shower flow will be minimized if you have a low-flow showerhead or you have a shower filter or water-restricting device installed in a regular showerhead. Depending on your current flow rate, you may be able to increase the flow simply by removing the filter or restricting device or replacing the showerhead with a higher-flow model, such as increasing to a standard 2.5 GPM head.

Before you change the showerhead, make sure that the new model is legal in your area. In California, for instance, showerhead flows have been narrowing for decades, due to that state's ongoing drought problems. Showerheads first went from 2.5 GPM to 2.0 GPM, and then to 1.5 GPM.

Remove Scale Buildup

Over time, mineral deposits and scale clog up your showerhead. This is not a matter of "if" but "when," since all tap water contains minerals.

To remove scale from your showerhead, unscrew it and submerge it in a bowl of white vinegar for at least eight hours. Then, clean out any remaining particles from individual spray openings with a toothpick. Reinstall the showerhead, and run the water full-blast to check the flow.

If the deposits will not remove easily, it's time to buy a new showerhead. 

Check the Curbside Main Shutoff

In some cases, you may have been living with low water pressure in your entire house because the curbside main is not fully turned on.  

Where your water main enters your property at the curbside is a water meter and shutoff valve. Check to make sure that the valve is turned on all the way. If the valve has a round handle (like a hose bib), it should be rotated all the way counterclockwise. If it has a lever-type handle, the lever should be parallel to the water pipe.

Usually, you are not allowed to tamper with curbsite meters, so call your water provider if you need to deal with the meter itself. They will send out a worker to check on this for you.

Check the Main Shutoff in the House

Just as there might be an issue at the curbside, there might be one closer to home. Check the water main valve at the point after it enters your house.

Carefully turn the house shutoff counterclockwise (for a round handle) or parallel to the water pipe (for a lever-type handle). This valve may be corroded and rusty; don't force it.

Replace Your Single-Handle Volume Control

Another item that influences a shower's water pressure is the volume valve system on a single-handle shower faucet. This is a rather pricey and complicated part that, over time, may compromise your water flow. Because these are difficult to repair, replacement is usually the best option.

Open Up In-Line Shutoff Valves

Some homes have an in-line shutoff valve on the water lines supplying the showerhead, similar to those found on sink supply lines. These valves are on individual branch pipelines and they act as emergency stops.

These shutoff valves, if you have them, are likely to be located near the supply point. For a shower that has supply pipes in the basement, these shutoffs would be located on the pipes leading up to the shower.

As with the main water shutoffs, it's possible that small fixture valves are not fully open. Turn these valves counterclockwise all the way for full pressure.