As we approach home renovation season – a time when bathroom updates and refurbs are a priority for many – water boosting solutions provider Stuart Turner Group is keen to educate people on the importance of water pressure. Nationwide, water pressure is an important topic, especially when considering the strain it has on water performance, waste and experience. Ensuring customers are happy is therefore a priority and renovations are a great place to start the discussion on water pressure solutions. John Blackburn, divisional manager for domestic products, explains.

Water pressure determines the flow of water from the tap and all UK properties should have a mandatory water pressure of at least 0.7 bar. Poor water pressure not only has a negative effect on the appliances in the home, forcing them to work harder for a longer period of time, increasing costs, it also effects water usage, which is a concern to the UK as whole.

While awareness of low water pressure and its implication on domestic kitchens and bathrooms has risen in recent times, most homeowners will still not include a pump when budgeting for a kitchen or bathroom renovation.

A report from international home improvement company, Kingfisher plc, discovered that seven out of 17 regions in England are set to experience severe water stress by 2030, rising to 12 by 2040. The same report also found that Brits significantly underestimate how much water they use per day, estimating on average they use just 57 litres, compared to the reality which is 144 litres. The Government target for 2050 is to reduce the current personal consumption to 110 litres per person, per day.

Recent research undertaken by the University of Surrey, Bristol and Swansea set out to look at how increased water pressure could actually help to reduce water consumption in showers, and enhance energy efficiency. Through installing sensors across 290 showers around the University of Surrey campus, the team analysed more than 86,000 individual showers across 39 weeks. The researchers found that while some showers were very long, the average duration was 6.7 minutes. Half of the showers took between 3.3 and 8.8 minutes. The results reveal that at any given flow rate, higher-pressure showers were associated with lower water consumption.

In addition, the team installed visible timers into showers so users could see how long they were taking – and this coupled with the high pressure shower that on average showers used up about 17 litres of water. In contrast, those with low pressure and no timer, used nearly 61 litres per shower.

Costly upgrades

For those that are looking to renovate their bathroom this year, water pressure should be an absolutely priority, not only for the impact on energy and water saving, but also to make the most of your home investment. Many customers looking to upgrade their bathroom look and are inspired by the luxury hotel or spa experience. The average cost of a new residential bathroom lies between £5,500 and £8,000 – and can certainly go upwards from there, with more bespoke and luxury fittings costing upwards of £14,000. Ensuring that this cost is providing the best possible investment is therefore an essential for any customer and installer to consider, and underlines the importance of factoring a shower pump into the budget.

A high-quality hot shower has also been proven to improve cardiovascular health, soothe stiff joints and significantly improve sleep, while a cold shower has several benefits too, including lowering stress levels and reducing fatigue.

Solutions

When it comes shower pumps, Stuart Turner is an internationally recognised brand, with a history dating back more than a century. Among the many products designed to support enhanced pressure, its latest release STORMBOOST has been targeted at domestic properties. The pump aims to increase mains water pressure by up to 2.5 bar and connects directly to the mains water supply and offers a maximum output flow rate of 12 litres per minute for improved water performance across the home. It’s also great for boosting pressure for combi-boilers.

In properties with vented systems, the popular MONSOON pump is known for its reliability and longevity, boosting up to 4.5 bar pressure and improving water pressure across the home, not just the bathroom.  It is compact and quiet in operation. Both MONSOON and STORMBOOST come with a five-year extended warranty.

For more information visit www.stuart-turner.co.uk