Low water pressure

My town is notorious for having very low water pressure. If I turn on the house I can only flush the toilet once because the tank won't fill back up. Is there anything that I can do inside the house to boost pressure?

Thanks,

Matt

Call your water dept. and find out what the street pressure is and let us know.

Municipal water pressure can be low for any of about 3 reasons:

1. The water towers aren't high enough and you may live on a hill. That will cause low water pressure at all times.

2. They may use pumps instead of towers and the pumps don't provide enough pressure. They may be trying to save electricity or they may not have enough pump capacity.

3. If you have adequate pressure in the middle of the night but not at times of high demand, the pipes may not be large enough or they may be plugged with corrosion and deposits, or it may be a result of not enough pump capacity.

Low water pressure affecting ability do deliver adequate water to fire hydrants is a safety issue and should be resolved by the municipality. However, if it requires replacing pipes it is an expensive proposition.

You can solve your personal pressure problem by putting in a booster pump and tank. There are special booster pumps but the most economical solution is to use a shallow well jet pump with a separate pressure tank. You should be able to do your own installation at about $500 for pump and 40 gallon tank.

You indicate the whole town has a pressure problem, but have you checked your pressure with a gauge? You didn't indicate what kind of pipes are in your home, but if you have old galvanized pipes, it is possible that the problem you have is not one of low pressure but of lack of volume caused by corroded pipes.