I'm the owner of a large old Victorian home and have done quite a bit of work upgrading the plumbing, including replacing internal lines with 1" PEX. Despite these upgrades, I'm still facing pressure issues when multiple faucets or showers are used at the same time. We also have a pretty extensive irrigation system, but it only operates overnight. I have a question about the main supply line and the municipal tap, both of which are currently 3/4". I'm thinking about upgrading these to 1", 1.5", or even 2", but someone at the water facility mentioned that this won't necessarily solve my problem. They explained that our village's water pressure is around 60 lbs, and such an upgrade would only increase the volume in the house, not the pressure. They suggested replacing the main supply line and water meter to address potential buildup, plus installing a booster tank. I'm a bit confused since I thought increasing the line size would let us run more water sources simultaneously. Can anyone help clarify whether upgrading to a larger municipal tap and main supply line would really allow me to run multiple showers or faucets at the same time?
3 Answers
While upgrading to larger pipes like a 1" line can help, the key issue here seems to be your water pressure coming in. If it’s at 60 psi, that’s likely the cap on your maximum output. Installing a booster pump could be beneficial, but you have to make sure there’s enough flow to keep it fed. It might be worth investigating what the actual pressure is at your home, as it can differ depending on where you are located in relation to the municipal supply.
Just to clarify, while increasing the size of the pipe allows for more volume of water, it won't inherently increase your pressure if the municipal supply is already capped at a certain level. Think of it like this—if you have a thick hose but you restrict the flow with something blocking it, you won't get a strong stream of water, just a bigger trickle. Installing a roof water tank could help balance your flow issues, and it seems this is a common fix for similar problems.
Upgrading your supply lines sounds like a good idea, but keep in mind that even with the larger diameter, you're still limited by the pressure coming in from the street. You're likely losing quite a bit of pressure due to friction in the lines, especially with older pipes. A booster pump with a pressure tank could really help you out. The tank stores water, allowing the pump to kick in as needed to maintain pressure, which might be what you need to run multiple showers without a hitch. Talking to a specialist in well systems might give you more insight, since they know how to set these up effectively.