Standards for water pressure in apartments: current SNiP, consumption standards, devices for increasing pressure

What should the water pressure be in the apartment, what to do if it decreases?

The water pressure in the pipes of houses must comply with SNIP.
At the same time, their own standards have been established for hot and cold water supply. They provide a clear range of indicators. For houses with a large number of apartments, they are calculated using a special formula. If you detect a discrepancy between the pressure in the water pipes and the established parameters, you must complain directly to the company servicing the house, i.e. UK.

Read the article about what the water pressure should be in an apartment building.

Normal pressure

To find out what pressure water is under, you need to know the units of measurement used for this purpose.

Bars are usually used. Sometimes this value is indicated in atmospheres instead. One bar is enough to raise water ten meters. The number of atmospheres that corresponds to it is 1.0197.

For hot and cold water supply to function normally, it is enough for the pressure to be 1.5-3.0 bar.

The pressure must be sufficient for normal operation. However, too much pressure is not advisable. In such a situation, additional wear and tear on the equipment will occur.

It is known that the needs of household appliances are:

A Jacuzzi requires a pressure of 4 bar.
Automatic washing works well at two bars.
To water lawns, cold water under pressure of 4-6 bars is used.
Water supply for fire extinguishing can occur at 1.5 bar.
To use the mixer, 0.3 bar is enough.

Most owners of private houses believe that the norm for pressure is 4 bar.

ATTENTION! Maintaining the correct water pressure becomes even more important when an autonomous heating system is installed in the house.

Both weak and too strong pressure in pipes are dangerous. In the first case, the circulation of the coolant will be disrupted, which will lead to overheating in some places and weak heating in others. If there is too much pressure in the heating system, equipment wear increases and the risk of an emergency increases.

It is believed that the optimal value of the parameter under consideration is 1.0-1.5 atmospheres.

Standard for multi-storey buildings

This parameter is recorded in a special SNIP. Also, the specified building rules establish the standard pressure in pipes.

The standard recorded in SNIP

Requirements regarding water pressure in houses are specified in SNIP 2.04.02-84.
These rules state that the pressure in the water supply must be at least 10 m .

If the house has several floors, then with each subsequent floor the norm should increase by 4 m. The required pressure indicator in a house with one floor is 1 atmosphere.

This SNIP also stated that the pressure in the water supply system should not exceed 60 m . This corresponds to an indicator of 6 atmospheres. Pressure in the range from 1 to 6 atmospheres is considered sufficient.

For hot and cold

In clause 5.12 of another SNIP numbered 2.04.01-85 it is stated that pressure in pipes with hot water will be considered normal if it does not exceed 4.5 atm.

For pressure in a cold water pipeline, general requirements are provided for, as stated in the previously mentioned building rules. An indicator of up to 5.5 atmospheres will be considered normal .

Minimum and maximum indicators

The same minimum is established for hot and cold water pipes. It is equal to 0.3 atm.

The maximum permitted hot water pressure is fixed by SNIP 2.04.01-85. It is equal to 4.5 atmospheres. The maximum pressure in cold water pipelines should be 6 atmospheres.

What to do if the pressure is high

If the pressure is insignificant, it causes inconvenience to residents, but cannot cause an accident. With excessive pressure, much depends on the quality and reliability of the pipes, and the greater the difference with normal pressure, the higher the risk of an accident.

If the water supply system has been in operation for several decades, then usually the pipes are already worn out and if used too intensively, they can become damaged and leak. This situation is possible both in a small town and in Moscow.

Therefore, in order to avoid such situations, it is recommended to install a pressure regulator on the pipes before water enters the apartment.

If plastic pipes are used in the house, then the upper limit is a value equal to 10 atmospheres. However, the optimal solution in most cases is to limit it to 5 atmospheres.

How to understand who is to blame for poor pressure?

The following reasons for insufficient pressure in the water supply system are possible:

clogs inside faucets, as well as in water filters;
failure of mixers;
fouling of pipes from the inside with plaque;
breakdown of the filter element inside the geyser, if it is used in an apartment.

In these cases, the tenant himself is responsible for poor pressure in the pipeline, since the decrease in pressure was caused by a breakdown or clogging of devices that are located within his own apartment.

Appeal to the Criminal Code

If the pressure in the water supply system in an apartment building is too high or insufficient, you can try to cope on your own. However, this is often impossible to do. In this case, you need to contact the Criminal Code for assistance.

The application must be drawn up according to the following scheme:

Data of the organization to which the application is made and its head.
Personal information about the complainant or group of people on whose behalf the complaint is being filed.
Tell about the situation that has arisen and ask for it to be resolved.
Request for recalculation of relevant utility bills due to poor quality of services received.
Signature of the applicant or group of residents along with a transcript.

The document is drawn up in two copies and brought to the management company. On the second copy, the incoming number and date of reception are recorded.

IMPORTANT! The review period is 30 days. If the Criminal Code has not solved the problem, you can contact the Housing Inspectorate, the Prosecutor's Office or other regulatory organizations.

When there are problems with pressure in the water supply system, it is necessary to find out what caused it. When you cannot cope with this on your own, you need to contact the Criminal Code for help.

Where to contact if you do not meet the requirements?

If the cause is not the devices and pipeline inside the apartment itself, then you should file a claim with the Criminal Code .
You need to file a complaint. This document requires you to write that the company provides services of poor quality.

It is also necessary to require the management company to check the condition of the water supply system in the house and at the pumping station, as well as recalculate the completed and sent utility bills.

The management company must respond to the complaint within 30 days . If the company does not take proper measures, then you should contact the housing inspector. You can also complain about the inaction of the Criminal Code to the city administration and the prosecutor's office. If these structures do not take proper actions, then a lawsuit should be filed.

How to determine the cause

If water barely flows from the tap, this can cause significant inconvenience. In this situation, it is important to determine the reason that led to the low blood pressure. In this case, you must proceed as follows:

Check the screens through which water flows from the taps. Inspect the faucets and make sure they are not clogged.
You need to try to make sure that the pipes through which water flows are not clogged. One way to do this is to tap them and determine by the sound whether there are problems. If necessary, pipes must be replaced.
It is recommended to ask your neighbors if they have similar problems. If this is the case, then the cause of low pressure may be insufficient power of the pumping station.
In an apartment building, you need to inspect the pipes that are located outside the apartment (risers, fittings).

If necessary, you need to contact the management company with a request to check the quality of the water supply system. If it is not possible to increase the pressure, it makes sense to install a pumping station in the house.

Can I try to increase it on my own?

If the management company refuses to resolve the problem and there is no response from other organizations, you can independently deal with this issue.

If the cause is problems with house devices and pipes, then residents have the right to solve this problem themselves by installing pumps inside their homes .

This is allowed only if the residents of the house and the management company have been notified about this event, and the installation of the pump does not affect the water supply to other apartments.

Ways to increase

Sometimes it happens that there is enough water, but the pressure remains weak. In this case, purchasing and installing a pump can help.

For example, such a situation may arise in a private house if the water pipes are long. In this situation, you can install an additional pump before the water pipes enter the house.

It can be applied as follows:

Sometimes it is convenient to use manual mode. At the same time, it is turned on and it works until it is turned off. He himself will not stop working. It is important to monitor the equipment to prevent it from overheating.
It is permissible to install the pump so that it operates in automatic mode. In this case, there is no need to monitor the equipment due to the fact that it will turn off automatically in accordance with the data. If there is no flow, the pump will not turn on. These devices are more convenient than manually operated ones, but they are also more expensive.

The advantage of automatic devices is the absence of the need to monitor them and significantly lower electrical energy consumption. They do not operate when not needed and are much more durable than hand pumps.

Instructions for enlargement

The problem can be solved by installing an indoor pump . At the same time, only special devices designed strictly for one apartment are suitable for installation.

You should not try to install pumping equipment designed for private homes in apartments.

The pump must be installed according to the following diagram:

Notify the management company and the residents of the house in writing about the intention to install a pump in the apartment.
After receiving consent, purchase the device.
Before installing the device, clean all pipes from lime, check the condition of the mixers and filter elements. If necessary, clean them or replace them completely.
Turn off the water.
Cut a section on the pipeline for the pump.
Install ball valves on both sides of the pipes.
Connect the pump to the system using leads.
Check the tightness of the mechanism.
Perform electrical installation of the pump pump.

Features of autonomous water supply systems

Problems with the supply of cold water in such systems arise due to problems with the pumping equipment used to draw from the well, or a pipe break.

The minimum indicator for such water pipelines is calculated based on the diameter of the network. This indicator varies between 0.1-0.8 MPa.

For normal consumption, a pressure of 3 atmospheres is required. If several devices are used in a house connected to an autonomous system, then it will be necessary to install a more powerful pump and lay pipes with a wide cross-section. In addition, for such situations, a more productive source is needed.

Water pressure in isolated networks is controlled by a pressure gauge. If necessary (usually occurs in large houses), two pumps are installed to ensure normal water supply.

Read more about the rules for calculating water consumption per person

Why you need to know the rules

The other extreme is excessively high water pressure in the tap, exceeding the established standard. Many residents are pleased with the “good” water pressure. But, such a situation can lead to destruction of the water supply pipeline - rupture of pipes and connecting seams, squeezing out sealing seals and plugs.

To resolve the problem, you should contact the operating companies responsible for providing residents with utilities - housing departments, homeowners' associations, management companies. For this purpose, an official statement is drawn up, where the specific violation should be indicated. And this can only be done if you know the standards established by law and the real pressure at the outlet in your tap.

How to check the pressure in the house

In order to determine what pressure is in the apartment, you can measure it. Typically a pre-installed pressure gauge is used for this purpose. If this is not the case, pressure is measured as follows:

It is necessary to make a durable structure from a pressure gauge, a plumbing adapter and an extension cord. The parts must be secured using plumber's tape.
After the structure has been prepared, it is necessary to carefully check the tightness of the connections made again.
In the bathroom, you need to unscrew the shower head and connect the shower to the pressure gauge. After this, you need to switch the water to the tap or shower several times. This is done in order to remove air.
Now turn on the water at full pressure. On the pressure gauge you can see what the pressure in your home plumbing system is.

This method of checking pressure can be used in both apartments and private houses.

What is regulated

The pressure in the water supply system is regulated by the provisions of SNiP No. 2.042 of 1984, and the amended SNiP of 1985.

In accordance with this standard, the entire water distribution network of the building is designed, starting from the supply to the building and ending with water intake devices - mixing taps.

In an apartment building

The formula for calculating the required pressure in water supply pipes in a five-story building is as follows:

1bar + (0.4bar x 5 floors) = 3 bar.

Here 1 bar is the minimum pressure for the 1st floor, 0.4 bar x 5th floor. - an increase in the indicator per each of the subsequent floors of the house.

As a result, we get the minimum pressure that must be ensured at the entrance to a five-story building of 3 bar. Using the same formula, you can calculate what water pressure should be in the water supply of an apartment building if it has 9, 12...15 floors. To increase the pressure, you can install a booster pump.

In a private house

For a 1-story building, SNiP regulates the technical minimum of 1 atmosphere. This pressure allows shower and kitchen faucets, toilets and other standard plumbing equipment to function smoothly.

However, it should be taken into account that this standard was drawn up back in 1984, when residents did not yet have such a quantity of household appliances at their disposal. For their normal operation, a significantly higher water pressure will be required - at least 2 atm. This should also be taken into account when designing the water supply system of a private residential building.

Causes of insufficient water pressure

It is not uncommon for water pipes to last for many years. During this time, they cannot always provide the required water pressure. The most common reasons for its decrease in the water supply network are as follows:

Most likely the pipe is clogged. It is known that tap water is not perfectly pure. Foreign substances settle inside over many years, obstructing the flow of water. This process occurs more strongly in places of bending or turning. In some cases, the source of the blockage may be the formation of rust.
The pressure may decrease as a result of a leak . This may be due to a long service life, defects, or poorly made pipe connections.
In private homes, a situation is possible where pressure reduction was made by suppliers due to large debts in payment for utilities.

In cases where the water supply is not centralized, it can supply water from a well. In this case, the reasons for the decrease in pressure may be the following:

The well began to deplete and now there is not enough water in it.
If there is a lot of water in the well and the pumps have been adjusted incorrectly, this can lead to overloads, breakdowns and leaks.

In order to increase blood pressure, you need to determine the cause of this and take measures to eliminate it.

At what values does the equipment function normally?

The pressure of the water supply network has a direct impact on the functioning of household appliances.

Modern apartments are often filled with a variety of appliances directly connected to the water supply system - automatic washing machines, dishwashers, massage showers, etc.

Each of these complex technical devices has its own technical characteristics, which, among other parameters, determine the minimum permissible pressure in the water supply network.

For each device these indicators are different:

Washing machines and dishwashers of standard type require a pressure of approximately 1 bar. Ideally, for their best functioning, the recommended pressure is about 2 bar. True, the latest models of this technology have adjustable inlet valves, which can open at a pressure of 0.3...0.5 bar.
Plumbing equipment can already function at a pressure of 0.2 bar. True, using a washbasin from which water flows in a thin stream will be very uncomfortable.
For plumbing fixtures designed for high pressure (jacuzzi or hydromassage shower), much higher pressure will be required - 3-4 bar. Therefore, if in your water supply system the maximum pressure does not exceed 1.5-2 bar, it will be absolutely impractical to purchase such expensive devices - they will not function at full capacity.
An automatic watering system for a lawn or beds requires about 3.5 bar.

Pressure boosting devices

As a rule, insufficient pressure is typical for city apartments on the top floors of the house and for country houses during the summer, when there is a shortage of water. As was said at the beginning of the article, if there is insufficient pressure in the apartment, it is necessary to find the cause of the problem. For example, if communications have not been repaired for a long time, then the pipes may become clogged and their capacity may decrease. In this case, only replacing the plumbing system will be effective.

If there are no problems with clogging, you can increase the pressure in one of three ways:

Install an autonomous water supply system.
Equip a pumping station with a hydraulic accumulator.
Install a circular pump capable of increasing pressure and drawing out a larger volume of water.

Installing a circular pump will be the most effective solution if the pressure is insufficient. The main condition is that the water supply be uninterrupted. If interruptions do occur, it is better to equip an autonomous system or a pumping station with a hydraulic accumulator.

Features of the functioning of pumping stations

The self-priming pumping unit consists of:

Centrifugal unit providing increased pressure;
Hydraulic accumulator (1-3 m3);
A special relay that provides system control.

If the pressure in the water supply of the house is normal, then the installation will not be activated - the relay will automatically activate it when the pressure changes below the permissible standard. The tank is filled at night, since at this time the water pressure in the water supply system of the house is much higher.

Such an installation requires more complex maintenance than a pump that is mounted directly into the water supply:

The need for more space to install equipment;
The need for constant cleaning of the tank, since it is not recommended to allow the water to stagnate for more than 2 days.

Detailed calculations of the productivity of such installations must be obtained from the company that directly provides installation of the equipment. The modernization of the system according to the developed project is carried out by housing office employees or directly by the owner of the property, provided that he has the appropriate skills and experience.

Ways to reduce water pressure

If the pressure in the water supply, on the contrary, is too high, this can lead to breakdowns of household appliances and plumbing equipment. Many apartment residents have heard of “water hammer.”

As a result, leaks appear in faucets and pipe joints. A pressure reducer is a simple device that allows you to minimize the risk of property damage from high pressure in the central water supply.

Versions for domestic use have the following characteristics: inlet pressure up to 60 bar, and outlet pressure is adjustable and ranges from 0.5-6 bar.

The reduction gear is mounted anywhere at the discretion of the owner: on the incoming pipe or in front of pressure-sensitive household appliances.

Watch the video. What is a water pressure reducer:

Optimal pressure indicators

To overcome the situation, optimal indicators of network parameters have been developed. The basis for calculating optimal hydraulics is the rate of fluid consumption per person. According to SNiP, each resident uses approximately 4.5 m3 of water per month.

Having carried out calculations that take into account the throughput of intra-apartment pipes, the optimal value for a five-story apartment building was determined to be 2.5 - 4.0 atmospheres.

When designing high-rise residential buildings, a house pumping station is simultaneously calculated, the task of which is to bring water to people from the upper floors. To do this, a pressure pump with the necessary piping and automation is installed.

But at the same time, the pipes must have a safety margin to withstand hydraulic shocks, which can occur during an unplanned pressure surge of up to 6-10 atmospheres. This must be taken into account when choosing pipes for installing the internal system.

Household appliances are designed specifically for this indicator. For full operation of an automatic washing machine and dishwasher, 2 atmospheres are enough, and for a shower cabin with a massage function – 4 atmospheres. In the case of installing autonomous heating for the boiler, the optimal pressure is 1.5 - 2.5 atmospheres.