How to Decrease Water Pressure in Shower

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Most people have troubles when it comes to low water pressure in their showers, and, that can be really annoying. But, what if the water pressure in a shower is too high?

Well, this is a completely different scenario and it means that there’s something wrong with your plumbing. However, having high water pressure in your shower is also annoying since it makes your showers quite unpleasant.

Anyhow, the only solution is to reduce the water pressure in a shower so you can once again use your shower normally.

In that light, let’s see how to decrease water pressure in a shower. Let’s begin.

How to decrease water pressure in shower

How to Decrease Water Pressure in Shower

Since high water pressure can damage your plumbing after some time, it is quite important to deal with it as soon as possible. That also applies when there’s high water pressure in your shower.

But, decreasing water pressure in your shower is not that simple, especially when there are lots of things to consider. However, here are some of the easiest ways to reduce water pressure inside your shower.

1. Check the Valves

If you notice that there’s something wrong with your showerhead or just your shower in general, the first thing to do is to check the valves. Now, high water pressure can damage showerheads and faucets if you don’t deal with it.

Once you determine that everything is fine with your showerhead, you should move to the valves and check them. Simply put, if there’s a lot of water coming through your showerhead, the valves must have been loosened up or tightened too much.

Now, in most cases, finding these shower valves is not that simple. They are usually located behind a wall somewhere or in a basement, depending on the installation. So, if you can’t reach these valves, or you simply can’t find them, it is recommended to install a water pressure regulator.

On the other hand, if you can find these valves, then make sure to do the following:

Check for rust

More often than not, these valves are old and covered in rust which can be the cause of the problem in first place. So, you’ll need to clean them and make sure that there’s no rust on them.

If you can’t clean them, or if they are just too old, it is always a good idea to replace them and get a new pair of valves. This way, you’ll make sure that everything works fine in your shower and that there’s no high water pressure.

Turn valves clockwise to reduce pressure 

In case both of the valves are in good condition, then you need to turn them clockwise. By turning these valves clockwise, you will reduce the pressure and the amount of water that comes through your showerhead.

However, don’t turn them too hard since that can shut-off the whole shower faucet. If you aren’t sure when’s enough, just check the pressure after every time you turn the valves a little.

2. Reduce Boiler Pressure

As we all know, hot water comes to the showerhead from the boiler, and sometimes, the pressure of the hot water can be really high. And, that’s why you are experiencing really high pressure in the shower.

Anyhow, let’s see how to reduce boiler pressure.

boiler water pressure
Find the pressure gauge

In order to reduce water pressure that comes from your boiler, you will need to locate the pressure gauge. Now, the pressure gauge is an object that can tell you the boiler’s overall pressure level. So, if the pressure is high or low, you’ll know it by looking at the pressure gauge.

However, it is quite important to know that the pressure gauge will read the pressure in either PSI or Bars. One unit of Bar is equal to 15 PSI units.

Determine the pressure level

Once you located the pressure gauge, it’s quite important to get a good reading of the pressure. Simply put, the pressure inside a boiler is different depending on the type and the size of the boiler.

Generally speaking, you should read between 15-30 PSI on the pressure gauge. If the readings are below this range, the water pressure is low.

On the other hand, if the readings are higher than 30 PSI, then the pressure is quite high.

sewer-gas-leak
Locate the safety valve

Now, in order to decrease water pressure that comes from your boiler, you need to find the safety valve. The safety valve looks like a metal valve and it is usually attached to a pipe near the boiler.

So, this valve will regulate the pressure inside a boiler and that’s where you’ll need to make a few adjustments in order to reduce the pressure.

However, keep in mind that:

  • You should always wear thick gloves when you are touching the safety valve.
  • Sometimes, the safety valve is attached to a pope that is located on top of the boiler.

All in all, finding this safety valve is not that hard. Also, don’t forget to use proper protection when operating on this valve.

Inspect the safety valve 

The valve should be in good condition and easy to operate with. In other cases, you’ll need to change the valve. The best indicator of a faulty valve is if you see that there’s water coming out of the safety valve.

Once you determine whether is there any leaks or cracks, you should act on it. Replacing faulty valves is not that hard since you just need to get a proper valve that fits your installation.

On the other hand, if everything seems fine, you just need to turn the valve clockwise and reduce the pressure inside a boiler. Remember that the level of pressure should not go above 30 PSI.

Reducing Shower Water Pressure

Conclusion: Reducing Shower Water Pressure

There you have it!

Decreasing water pressure inside a shower requires you to know a little bit more about the valves.

Also, if the problem seems to get out of your hands, you will need to call a professional since repairing faulty valves is not the job you would want to do without plumbing experience.

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