We have 2 water meters on our property; one for the main house and another for the guest house. We sometimes experience a drop in pressure if we use both showers plus any other fixtures at the same time in the main house. We only use the guest house periodically (when we have visitors) and there's only a .75 bath and a kitchen sink so it always has very strong water pressure. QUESTION: Can we T into the 1/2 line in the guest house and run a line over and T in to the the main house to boost pressure? Would we see any meaningful change by doing so? The expense would be mostly in the cost of the 8 or so ft of copper plus fittings. Thanks a bunch for your response.
Plumbing – Merge 2 water line to increase pressure
plumbingwater-pressure
Related Solutions
If you have a backflow preventer, aka a check valve, installed in the system, then the water will not siphon back. This could be installed near the pressure regulator or main shutoff inside your home. It's also possible for the municipality to install one near the meter.
A standard pressure reducing valve closes when the water pressure inside reaches a threshold. Once the inside pressure drops slightly, the valve opens, at which point a backflow is possible.
Pressure
In a system fed from a header-tank, the pressure depends only on the height of the tank. To increase pressure you have only two or three options:
- Raise the tank higher.
- Install an electric pump (these are often used for showers)
If your header-tank is filled from a high-pressure municipal supply, you would probably get better pressure from that directly but in most places this would be a large job involving extensive knowledge of plumbing and local laws or codes. Your existing pipework and fittings might not be suitable for high-pressure.
Flow rate
The rate of flow is affected by
- pressure
- diameter of pipe
- length of pipe
Half-inch pipe is usually adequate for sinks, basins, showers etc.
Related Topic
- Plumbing – could air in the line cause drop in water pressure
- Water – Funky water pressure issues
- Plumbing – Why would water pressure at the faucets change after turning off the water main for some time
- Plumbing – How to equalize the oscillating cold and hot water pressure in shower
- Plumbing – Whole house filter/water softener affect water pressure
- Plumbing – Cold Water Tap has High Pressure
- Plumbing – Sink Hot Water Spigot Controls Shower Temperature
Best Answer
Your pressure drop issue is really a problem with flow capacity. You will not be changing or improving the flow capacity of your main house's plumbing system by tying in that 1/2" line from the guest house and will likely see zero improvement by doing so.
You would be better off trying other things: Install low-flow water saving shower heads (this will help more than you think).
Check your water meter outlet size and ask your service provider to install a larger one if possible, then replace the main service line with larger pipe (I know, big job).
If you have a pressure regulator anywhere in the system, check it for proper operation. Raise the pressure setting if possible (check with city bldg. dept. for max allowed).