How to Increase Water Pressure in the Garden (Expert Advice)

Many people look at how to increase water pressure inside the home, yet outside in the garden warrants just as much consideration.

When plants and flowers need watering, grass needs sprinkling or pools and ponds need filling and keeping clean, having adequate garden water pressure is vital to ensure the job gets done quickly and efficiently.

Now, if you’re new to the world of garden plumbing, this is where things can get a little complicated.

You may be wondering:

• How do I increase water pressure in the garden?
• How do I check my main water valve?
• What is a water butt pump?
  

All questions that are likely to overwhelm someone new to the plumbing world.

That’s why we’ve created this complete guide to increasing water pressure in your garden.

Taking you step-by-step through the world of garden water pressure, we answer every question we’ve ever been asked about garden pumps so that you can find the answer to your queries.

Here’s what you need to know…

What causes low water pressure in the garden?

If your outside water pressure is low, it can prove a time-consuming task to water your garden or fill your pool on a sunny day.

In some cases, your water pressure may not be forceful enough to reach the furthest parts of your garden.

Fortunately, there is no need to put up with low water pressure outside.

If you can find the cause of low water pressure, then you can easily solve the problem.

Demand for water

As a first step, is there any pattern to the low water pressure? Does it happen all the time, or only at certain times of the day?

If you are using water at peak times of the day, this may affect water pressure.

Mornings and evenings, for example, are more likely to result in low water pressure when demand for water is at its greatest.

Experiment to see if watering outside at different times of the day influences the pressure.

Pipe blockage

If you have low water pressure in your outside tap, and it's only the garden tap that is suffering from low pressure, or the garden tap is not working at all, and the pressure in the kitchen is sufficient, then it’s possible that there could be a slight blockage in the pipework leading to the tap or the garden tap itself.

Replacing the garden tap with a new one might eliminate the problem, although please make sure that you shut off the water at the mains valve before doing so.

The cost of a new tap will be approximately 10 pounds.

Leaks in your hose pipe

In many cases, outside water pressure can be influenced by something as simple as your hose.

Check your hose to see that there are no leaks or worn parts in your hose. A new hose, or making repairs to your existing hose, may be all that is needed to solve the problem.

If your hose appears in good working order, perhaps the attachment on the end could do with replacing. If it is old, or not providing you with adequate water pressure, a high-pressure spray attachment could make all the difference.

Make sure that the hose is correctly attached to the spigot. There shouldn't be any water leaking from the spigot. A corroded or damaged spigot may also reduce the efficiency of your hose, so if this is the case, consider getting a new one fitted.

If you have an extra long garden hose, it also may take a while for the water to reach full pressure, as large hose pipes need longer for the water to reach the end.

Check the main water valve

You may be thinking, why is my outside tap not working? It may seem obvious, but not turning the main water valve on fully is a common mistake that people make which can cause low water pressure outside.

Locate your main water valve - this is usually located under your sink. Check that it is fully open. If you suspect that the main water valve is damaged, please contact a plumber immediately.

Check the water pressure regulator

Locate your water pressure regulator to see if this can be adjusted, to increase water flow. This can often be found in the same location as your main stopcock. Identify what the pressure rating is (PSI) and whether there is capacity for this to be altered.

In many cases, calling out a plumber may be necessary to increase water pressure in your garden. This is especially the case if you want to make any adjustments to your pressure regulator. A plumber may also be able to offer suggestions, and diagnose potential issues that may be affecting your water supply.

How to increase water pressure in the garden?

If your water pressure outside has not improved after making the checks above, you will need to take further action.

If you have thoroughly cleaned the garden tap, and you’ve checked that your mains water valve is open, low water pressure in the garden is generally caused by mains water supply.

To fix low water pressure, these are some of the options available.

Note: You cannot add a booster pump directly to the mains water supply.

Buy a Submersible Water Butt Pump

Fed up with the hosepipe ban? Well, fortunately, we have the tool that can solve all your problems. A submersible water butt pump is a type of jet pump that you simply place in a water butt, connect to power and pump up to 37 litres of water per minute.

The tool is so much easier than filling up a watering can, watering the flowers, walking back to the butt, over and over again. Simply drop the submersible pump in the water butt, turn on the pump and water your garden. Easy.

Alternatively, you can switch the hose attachment to sprinklers.

Unfortunately, the pump cannot handle solids larger than 3mm, so it may not be suitable for pumping pond or river water.

How much will this cost?
Cost - £49.00
Installation - Self-installation

Buy a Stuart Turner Jet Boostamatic Pump

Another option is the Jet Boostamatic pump from Stuart Turner. Designed for pumping clean non-potable water, the portable jet pump is ideal for many households and light industrial uses including water pressurisation and lawn sprinkler boosting. The pump is ideal for integration with a water butt due to the fully automatic press/flow switch control.

This pump does not rely on gravity to activate, so it can work in both positive and negative systems.

How much will this cost?

Cost - £223.00

Installation - DIY for water butt installation, Plumber for break tank installation

Install a rainwater harvesting system

Rainwater harvesting is the practice of collecting rainwater from surfaces such as roofs, gardens and flooded areas, before then storing and filtering the water to make it suitable for human consumption or utilisation.

The majority of rainwater harvesting systems use a system of rainwater harvesting equipment - tanks, pipes and pumps, located either above or below ground. Most rainwater harvesting systems can be installed for use in the irrigation of lawns or flowerbeds, and can even be piped directly to your garden tap.

How much will this cost?

Cost - £0 - £2000

Installation - DIY/Contact a Plumber

Contact Anchor Pumps

Pumps can be quite complicated, especially if this is your first time buying a pump.

There are many different types of outdoor water pumps to suit specific applications. If you have a particular problem, then please contact Anchor Pumps to discover how water pressure can be boosted in your garden.

Contact us on 0800 112 3134

We’re open Monday to Friday: 07:00-17:30 and Saturday: 08:30-12:30

Looking for information on fixing water pressure? Read our complete guide here.