Low Hot Water Pressure From Your Kitchen Tap
To view our complete Range of Taps suitable for Low Water Pressure visit our dedicated shop section at Low Water Pressure Kitchen Taps
Choose the right kitchen tap to help low hot water pressure from your kitchen tap.
Best option: All water pressures: Kitchen Tap with Compression Valve (twist turn on/off)
San Marco Milano Kitchen Tap – suitable for all water pressures
San Marco Venice Kitchen Tap – suitable for all water pressures
Low Water Pressure (min 0.3 bar): Kitchen Tap with 1/4 turn valve (two levers) that only require 0.3 bar water pressure.
Carron Phoenix Opus Tap – suitable for low water pressure (0.3 bar min)
San Marco Davenport Kitchen Mixer Tap – suitable for low water pressure (0.3 bar min)
NOTE: Some two lever taps are only suitable for Standard water pressure (0.5 bar water pressure) which is why we always recommend that you check the water pressure details in the technical specifications of the tap before you purchase and always consult a plumber if you are unsure of your own water pressure and think that it is low.
Least favorable Option: Kitchen Tap with Single Lever
San Marco Cubic Kitchen Tap (suitable for Standard water pressure 0.5 bar min)
San Marco Elmira Pull Out Spray Hose (needs a minimum of 08 bar water pressure)
This is only something that needs to be considered if you have low water pressure on the hot water side of your kitchen tap i.e. you might have adequate water pressure on the cold side but the hot side is slower.
This can often be the case if you are living in a bungalow and you don’t have a combi boiler i.e. the hot water is gravity fed from your hot water tank.
We had a case recently where a customer moved into a very old bungalow and upgraded the kitchen.
They changed their tap from an old twist turn tap (compression valve) to a more contemporary 2 lever tap, and then complained that the tap was faulty because the hot water was much slower coming out of the tap.
We were pretty sure that the Tap was not the issue because every tap is tested in the factory for water pressure (as well as everything else) but nevertheless we got a plumber to check the tap and also check the water pressure.
As we thought, the Tap was perfect but unfortunately, for the customer, they just had really poor water pressure, compounded by old narrow water pipes.
They had never been aware that the water was so bad because there was an old tap with a compression valve in the kitchen when they bought the bungalow.
The solution for them (short of buying a pump which can be very expensive) was to revert to a Kitchen Tap with a compression valve and immediately they had better water pressure.
Mostly this is never an issue as most houses have standard water pressure.
But if you are in the situation where, for whatever reason, you have low hot water pressure from your kitchen tap (usually more so on the hot water side as its coming from your tank) then at least by purchasing the most suitable tap you will, at best, maximise the water pressure, and at the least, not make it any worse.
1. BEST OPTION: Compression Valve: San Marco Milano Kitchen Mixer Tap or the San Marco Venice Kitchen Mixer Tap).
How will you know a compression valve? You have to twist it to turn it on or off.
The compression valve in these taps ensures the greatest water flow from as it has a bigger opening in the valve than the 1/4 turn valve (which has a smaller opening).
2. SECOND BEST OPTION: 1/4 Turn Valve – All twin lever taps have a 1/4 turn valve e.g. (Carron Phoenix Opus Kitchen Mixer Tap or the San Marco Davenport Kitchen Tap).
This valve has a 1/4 turn action, ie. you turn the lever one way to turn it on, and the other way to turn it off.
Again, even if you have low water pressure, the flow on the hot side of your tap might still be sufficient for you.
If you have any doubts over your water pressure then it is always worthwhile getting your plumber to test your water.
We have put a quick water pressure guide at the bottom of this post.
3. WORST OPTION – but only if you have low hot water pressure – is any tap with a Single Lever (ie. Single Lever Cartridge (examples of this would be our San Marco Cubic Single Lever Tap or San Marco Elmira Pull Out Spray Kitchen Tap but this would apply to any tap with one lever.
This valve has a single lever action.
If you don’t have any issues with your water pressure then the single lever can add a real contemporary look to your kitchen.
About water pressure
It is very important that before you purchase your tap you establish the water pressure in your home. If you have a combi boiler then you should have NO issues with your hot water pressure. If you have a traditional hot water cylinder the pressure will be determined by gravity only. Measure the height from the bottom of your cold storage tank (usually located in the attic) to your kitchen tap – the longer the drop the more pressure you will have – see table below:
[table] 2.0 bar = 60 foot head of pressure – very high pressure|may require pump system1.5 bar = 45 foot head of pressure – high pressure only|*
1.0 bar = 30 foot head of pressure – moderate to high pressure|* *
0.8 bar = 24 foot head of pressure – moderare pressure|* * *
0.5 bar = 15 foot head of pressure – low pressure|* * * *
0.3 bar = 9 foot head of pressure – very low pressure|* * * * *
all water pressures|* * * * * *
[/table]
SUMMARY
1. Compression Valve (used for example in San Marco Milano Kitchen Mixer Tap or the San Marco Venice Kitchen Mixer Tap). This valve has a twist turn action. A Kitchen Tap with this type of valve works perfectly in a house with low hot water pressure from your Kitchen Tap and can usually solve the pressure problem in a bungalow.
2. 1/4 Turn Valve (Carron Phoenix Opus Kitchen Mixer Tap or the San Marco Davenport Kitchen Tap)This valve has a 1/4 turn action. A Kitchen Tap with this type of valve also works well with a low water pressure system, but it can take a little bit of pressure from the hot water side of the Kitchen Tap. But again this usually only happens with a bungalow styled house.
3. Single Lever Cartridge (San Marco Cubic Designer Kitchen Tap or San Marco Elmira Pull Out Spray Kitchen Tap): This valve has a single lever action. A Kitchen Tap with this type of cartridge should have no problem working in a two story house, but it can be a problem in a bungalow styled house where you already have low water pressure. The problem is usually on the hot water side (this is because of the header tank as discussed above).
If in doubt get your plumber to check your water pressure.
0.8 bar pressure on the hot water side usually gives enough water pressure for all valve types (Kitchen Mixer Taps).
All our Kitchen Mixer Taps are from San Marco and Carron Phoenix.
Tips for choosing a tap where you have low water pressure
Posted in: Helpful Tips, Plumbing Guides
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