Your water meter is usually in the basement if you have one. It may also be in a first-floor closet, boiler room, or even the backyard. If the psi readings on your home and spigot are way off from one another, you may have a leaky pipe somewhere in your home. If your home’s water pressure is well below 40, the problem is with your connection to your town’s water supply and you should contact them. There may be a busted water main somewhere nearby. Psi refers to pounds per square inch, and it’s the unit of measurement for water pressure.
It’s normal for a building’s water pressure to fluctuate roughly 10 psi, so don’t worry if the needle on your pressure gauge goes up or down a bit. [3] X Research source If you have a dedicated water line for an in-ground sprinkler system (you have one if you pay two water bills usually), you have a separate pressure gauge for the sprinklers. Check that one instead. [4] X Research source
The best times to use your sprinklers are from 10-4 pm when most folks are at work, or after 11 pm after everyone has gone to bed. People tend to use a lot of water in the morning, after work, and right before bed, so avoid 7-9 am, 5-6 pm, and 9-11 pm if possible.
Don’t use any solvents or soaps. A pipe cleaner or soft-bristled toothbrush is perfect for cleaning a dirty sprinkler head.
There are a variety of different backflow prevention valve styles. Some of them are even underground. Usually, they’re a set of 2 pipes coming out of the ground, 12–18 inches (30–46 cm) off of the floor, just outside of wherever your water main feeds into your building. [10] X Research source
This is part of why impact sprinklers are so popular when it comes to sprinkler systems. They may cost a fair bit, but you can adjust them individually to suit your needs. If there isn’t a dial on top of the sprinkler, read the manual for your sprinkler system. There may be a nut you can turn with a small wrench.
It should be obvious if you have one of these. On the outdoor control box or wherever your water main enters your home, there should be a large oblong-shaped fixture with pipes feeding into it. This is a boost pump. If you have a pump but the pressure suddenly feels like it has diminished, your pump may need to be replaced. [14] X Research source
For a fixed spray system, aim for 20-30 psi per sprinkler. On a rotor/pop-up system, shoot for 30-60 psi. Irrigation and drip systems require 20-40 psi.
Sprinkler systems either branch off of your home’s central water pipe, or have a totally separate connection from your home. In either case, if something is wrong with the water main, it will have a direct impact on your sprinkler’s water pressure.
How you do this depends on the sprinkler system, so refer to your instruction manual to find out how you turn off individual sprinkler heads. Typically, there are valves you can shut off directly on the sprinkler head to keep it closed.
Replacing a spigot can be kind of tricky if you don’t have soldering tools and a pipe cutter. You’re best off hiring a plumber or pipefitter for this one.
Make sure that you don’t have any kinks in your hose as well! A kinked hose will dramatically decrease your water pressure.
A wider hose will give you a better flow rate as well, but that would involve replacing the spigot that connects to your house, which can be pretty tricky.
If you try multiple solutions and you simply come to the conclusion that your city’s water pressure is kind of weak, this is the ideal solution.
