The 5 Best Water Pressure Booster Pump Reviews
We’ve all been there—enjoying a nice, hot shower, and then it happens. Someone starts the washing machine or someone in another bathroom starts to shower, and you’ve just been hit with an arctic blast of cold water. If you’re tired of standing under your shower on cold mornings and experiencing these arctic blasts, then you should consider purchase of a water pressure booster pump. This technology has been developed for home use in cases where low or inconsistent water pressure is delivered to the home.
Pressure problems create issues in the laundry room and particularly in bathrooms. What is water pressure anyway? It is the force of water pushing from the water main into the pipes of your home. The rate of flow depends on several factors, including the size of piping you have (1 inch, ½ inch or other diameter), whether your water is well-supplied or city-supplied, and how many water connections you have to one main water junction in the home. Modern homes usually have 1 inch pipe, but many older homes have 0.5 inch pipe. When homes have multiple taps or appliances all connected to the same pipe, there may not be enough water (or water pressure) coming into the home.
Top 5 Best Water Pressure Booster Pumps
Best Water Pressure Booster Pump Reviews
The best water pressure booster pumps are those that are quiet, work with gravity-fed hot water systems, and are easily installed to fit either existing or new pipes. These pumps work to elevate water pressure to a comfortably high flow rate. They deliver the water pressure you need in your home—particularly at the tap, at shower heads, and in the laundry room. Most pumps have a flow switch that is built in to activate the pump when someone in the home turns on a tap. The pumps boost the hot water flow into the tap to minimize that annoying “cold shower effect” we all know and love. There’s much less waiting time for hot water. Here are five of the best water pressure booster pumps on the market today.
1. Simer 3075SS-01 3/4 HP Pressure Booster Pump
Editor Rating:
The Simer water pressure booster pump offers an additional maximum water pressure of 40 psi, which is great since normal domestic water pressure is typically between 40 and70 psi. The pump has one water pressure setting and is not adjustable, meaning only one pressure comes out.
This may be a limitation, particularly in highly fluctuating water pressure systems in homes. The pump is electric-corded with a 0.75 horsepower engine, and is easy to install and use. This pump may prematurely corrode in more corrosive water environments like hard or acidic water environments.
PROS
- check
- check
- check
- check
CONS
2. Davey Water Products BT20-30T2-USA Home Pressure Booster Pump with Torrium II Controller
Editor Rating:
The Davey pump provides a much-needed pressure boost of 50 psi to your home and can be used with water temperatures up to 150 degrees. This quiet and efficient pump can be used to provide smooth and even pressure to showerheads and toilets—even sprinkler systems. Its stainless steel construction of both the impellers and the pump casing makes it impervious to hard water or highly acidic water, offering superior corrosion resistance in harsher water conditions.
The pump uses standard 120-volt power and offers high wattage at 984 Watts. The pump is dry-run protected, which is great because the pump won’t burn out. Pump controllers (Torrium II) allow fast pump start right away when tap is turned on, versus having to wait for a minimum flow to build up. Even though water may no longer be needed, the pump stays running for constant pressure. There is adjustable water pressure; the controller adapts to pressure fluctuations in the home’s water supply and usage. The pump is pricey, running nearly double the cost of other pumps, but well worth it for hassle-free water pressure.
PROS
- check
- check
- check
- check
- check
- check
- check
- check
- check
CONS
3. Zodiac PB4-60 Polaris Booster Pump
Editor Rating:
The Polaris name is known worldwide for providing high quality pool and water equipment. The Zodiac is a compact pump that offers several advantages. The efficient 0.65 horsepower motor offers high performance power and a very quiet operation. This pump also has the durability that the Polaris name is known for.
Its heavy duty base comes in a single piece for easy and quick installation, and the manufacturer includes all accessories such as hose connectors, hoses, clips and more. Several features ensure easy installation, like the backplate nut fasteners and the o-ring seal’s new design that creates a larger seal. This pump is rugged yet compact and lightweight, weighing in at around 30 pounds. It is specifically designed to operate at optimum efficiency.
PROS
- check
- check
- check
- check
- check
- check
CONS
4. Grundfos MQ3-35 96860172 3/4 HP Pressure Booster Pump
Editor Rating:
The Grundfos MQ series is a complete and compact (12 x 12 x 12 inches) all-in-one unit–pump, motor, diaphragm tank, pressure and flow sensor, and controller and check valve for your in-home pressure boosting needs. The pump comes with several built-in safety features to ensure long life, such as a temperature overload mechanism and automatic shutoff.
The pump also features a built-in dry run protection, which is great because the pump won’t burn out. Weighing in at around 30 pounds, the pump is lightweight and very simple to operate. The built in pressure tank has a self-priming unit to reduce the number of starts to extend pump life. The pump can be used in an outdoor environment with a weather protection cover. Unfortunately, these pumps don’t last as long under harsher hard water or acidic water conditions, and replacement parts are in very limited supply or non-existent. If you need a repair, the parts are difficult or impossible to find and you end up having to throw the pump away and buy a new one.
PROS
- check
- check
- check
- check
- check
- check
CONS
5. BurCam 506532SS Water Pressure Booster Pump
Editor Rating:
The BurCam water pressure booster pump is very compact and economical. Its 0.75 horsepower engine and dual application pump are designed for boosting, primarily with water wells. The unit can pump from depths as much as 200 feet and is designed for 4-inch inside diameter or larger wells. The innovative design comes with the patented “floating stack” to resist sand accumulation and thus reduce sand locking, and the impellers and diffusers are precision-molded.
The motor is a water-filled submersible design and comes equipped with a pressure regulator. The stainless steel pump and motor resist corrosion in hard or acidic water environments.
PROS
- check
- check
- check
- check
- check
- check
CONS
How To Choose The Best Water Pressure Booster Pump
If you’re experiencing low water pressure at any point in your day, you are likely a candidate for a water pressure pump. The pressure switch in a water pump is activated by the pressure fluctuations in your home as you turn water sources on and off. To determine the best water pressure booster pump for your needs, you first must determine how much water you use and how much pressure you will need.
To determine water usage, you can look at your latest water bill to determine the total number of gallons you have used in the last month. For most people, water usage is fairly continuous except in cases where swimming pools are being filled and water sprinkler systems are active.
Here are some ballpark typical domestic water usages:
- square
- square
Next, you need to work out appliances and water sources that you need to run all at once. For example, look at the number of showers and toilets that are needed to run all at the same time, like in the morning when the family is readying for work and school. Also look at appliances you need to run at the same time, like the dishwasher and washing machine. As an example, a shower, dishwasher, toilet and washing machine all running at the same time use a whopping 44 liters per minute of water demand.
Here are some typical water usages for common home water outlets (all figures are reported in flow rates of liters/minute):
- square
- square
- square
- square
- square
- square
- square
Next, you need to determine how much pressure you need. You might need a professional’s help with this, to determine things like:
- square
- square
- square
- square
- square
Conclusion
If you’re experiencing continued issues with your water pressure in your home, seriously consider installing a pump for boosting water. The clear winner is the Davey model, which has been used to boost pressure in not only residential, but also commercial and light industrial applications. It costs a little more, but it is definitely worth the extra up-front money because it will last a long time. The pump runs quietly in the background, and boosts water pressure whether it is from a city-supplied source or a water well. We’ve consistently seen it effectively boost water from city-supplied pressure below 30 psi all the way up to 60 psi, which takes some getting used to at first, especially in the shower! This pump performs well when water demand is high yet pressure is inadequate. We even installed it in a five-story office building with nine toilets, and it was like a whole new plumbing system was put in.
If you’re looking for water pressure that is constant and not fluctuating, the Davey pump will meet all your expectations.
About the Author Darrell Webster
I believe there is a handyman in all of us as long as you have the right tools. I started this blog to help anyone who is interested in fixing things to learn their way around the different tools and to know how to perform different DIY tasks. I have been doing this for years and believe I am a master of this art.