Water booster pumps are extremely useful when you know how and where to use them.

If your home has low water pressure, you're probably tired of dealing with it. Booster pumps can increase water pressure anywhere you need it, so even upgrading to a waterfall shower head in your bathroom is easy, and it's definitely satisfying.

The uses of booster pumps are many, and it's even a necessity for applications like watering your lawn or garden using an irrigation or sprinkler system, or for increasing water pressure in a multi-story building or apartment complex.

Learn how booster pumps can dramatically improve your life by increasing the water pressure in your home, yard, commercial property, and more.

How Booster Pumps Work

Booster pumps operate as their name suggests; they boost water pressure along the water line to recover lost pressure from water traveling through the pipes in the plumbing system.

Generally, booster pumps are centrifugal pumps that use a motor and a single or multiple impellers to suck water into the inlet and thrust water through the outlet of the pump. Most booster pumps are usually controlled by a pressure-sensing device attached to the pump.

However, some booster pumps can use different methods to boost water, such as using an oscillating diaphragm to squeeze water into and out of the pump, similarly to how an air compressor works. Those are much less common, however.

What Causes Low Water Pressure?

Hopefully, you've never had to ask yourself, "why is my water pressure low?" If you have, the cause may not be so straightforward. Some water pressure loss is caused by gravity and friction as water flows through pipes in the plumbing system. If water is being sent over long distances or needs to travel vertically, then water pressure loss is guaranteed to happen. Pipes that are too small, having too many water fixtures in use, and various other plumbing problems can all contribute to unsatisfactory water pressure levels.

Additionally, the age and type of water pipe can decrease the water pressure as well. In older homes, galvanized steel can attribute to the problem because of sediment buildup that reduces the pipe's diameter. This type of pipe can also erode at the joints, creating the potential for leaks and other small issues that could lower overall water pressure. In these cases, the plumbing would need to be replaced to correct the issue.

Other Causes of Low Water Pressure:

• Law of Gravity
• Vertical Lift of Water Delivery
• Long Distances for Water to Travel
• Too Many Water Fixtures
• Piping Too Small
• Low City Water Pressure in Urban Areas

Do Booster Pumps Increase Water Pressure and Flow?

Booster pumps solve these problems by restoring water pressure to desired levels regardless of how far or high the pumped water needs to travel.

Another important thing to note is that, as the force required to move water increases (pressure), the flow rate decreases as a result. This mathematical formula is shown in a pump's pump curve (right), which is shown for each pump model to illustrate the limitations and optimal performance rates each pump has. It's just like what happens when a thumb is placed partially over the end of a garden hose: higher pressure and lower flow rate.

Horsepower is also a good metric to measure power and draw for booster pumps. Water weighs about eight pounds per gallon, which is not a small force to move vertically through piping. A pump with higher horsepower will do better at drawing water from a distance or sending water vertically through piping.

Booster Pumps for Homes and Residential Use

Remember the last hotel you stayed at? How was the water pressure? If it made you wish you had that kind of water pressure at home, you can!

Residential booster pumps are extremely versatile pumps that can transform how you use water throughout your home and your yard. Residential booster pumps can increase water pressure throughout the faucets and showerheads in your home, make it possible to install a water fountain feature, water your lawn and garden on a set schedule, and even irrigate crops with the proper GPM ratings.

The most common household application for a booster pump is to pressurize the water that comes from the storage tank in homes that use a well water system. The main benefit of a booster pump installed in a home is increased water pressure to all water fixtures.

Booster pumps are especially helpful because most household members share morning routines, using multiple showers or water fixtures simultaneously, which challenges your plumbing system to keep up with high water demands. Do you entertain during the holiday season? When guests are over, they use more water for faucets, toilets, and showers, so water demands increase along with the need for higher water pressure.

What Can a Residential Booster Pump Do?

• Increase Water Pressure in House at All Fixtures
• Get Water to Remote Locations like Garage Bathrooms, Sheds, or Cabins
• Pressurize Well Tank Systems for On-Demand Use
• Run Water to a Sprinkler System or Irrigation System - Learn how to size a
  Sprinkler System
• Transport Water to Pond Features or Water Fountains

Booster Pump Applications for Commercial Use

Have you ever lived in a high-rise apartment complex? What about work in a multi-story building? Commercial booster pumps ensure each water source in the building has a steady pressure and flow of heavenly, hot water at any time of day to your apartment or commercial building.

Installing a commercial booster pump will improve the water pressure quality for employees in multi-story office buildings, residents in high-rise apartment complexes, or people using other commercial business spaces or municipalities.

Whether you own a high-rise apartment complex or own a commercial landscaping business, there are applications and opportunities to use booster pumps to increase the value of your business and your clients.

Common Commercial Booster Pump Applications

• Increasing Water Pressure in Multi-Story Buildings (Apartments, Offices, etc.)
• Consistent Water Delivery For Municipalities or Buildings Using Well-Water Systems
• Irrigation Solutions for Farmers and Other Agricultural Needs
• Installation and Maintenance For Sprinkler Systems or Water Fountains
• Work in Tandem With Condensate Pumps (Commercial Ice Machines)

Other Benefits of Booster Pumps

Booster pumps are usually small and can be incorporated into almost any existing plumbing system already in place. These pumps are a non-intrusive upgrade that avoids turning installation into a large project. Because of their low-profile designs, water booster pumps can be installed almost anywhere you need them. Their versatility creates opportunities to have pressurized water in places you didn't think you could, like in your barn, at the far edges of your property, or even a cabin in a remote location.

It is a common misconception that booster pumps can also increase the flow of water throughout your system when many faucets are in use at the same time. Booster pumps can only increase pressure, not flow because the nature of these pumps prevents them from being able to produce more water than what is already coming through the system.

In times where you may not be using water for a while (seasonal or vacation), booster pumps can also be shut off temporarily or bypassed if ever needed to prevent downtime if there were ever an issue with the pump or line. This way, no water or electricity is wasted when the pump is not in use.

Advice for Installing a Booster Pump

Installing a booster pump is easier than installing a sump or sewage pump because it is designed to "plug into" the plumbing system you currently have in place. It's best to install a booster pump at the main water line source and always install with a bypass just in case there are ever issues with the pump. That way, water can still get into the house.

Also, keep in mind that booster pumps normally vibrate at intense levels, so it's recommended the booster pump is not attached directly to copper pipes so vibrations aren't sent through all the pipes in your house. Instead, install the pump using flex connectors instead to minimize sounds from intense vibration.

Is A Booster Pump Right For You?

Generally speaking, almost any pump application in a home or business can benefit from having a booster pump installed. If you have issues with low pressure at faucets, showerheads, or other fixtures in your home or building, booster pumps are an easy and efficient long-term solution.

If you need help choosing the right type of booster pump, we're here to help! Just Give us a call!

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