Shower has low pressure — how to fix it

Clean the shower head first — limescale blocking the spray holes is the most common cause of poor flow and takes 10 minutes to fix. Unscrew the head and soak it in descaling solution or white vinegar for 2 hours.

While the head is off, check the flow: turn the shower on briefly to see if the pressure is actually fine without the head fitted. If flow is good, the head or its filter is the problem.

Check the inline filter (if fitted): many shower valves have a small mesh filter where the hose connects. This can become clogged with debris. Remove and clean under running water.

If you have a separate thermostatic shower valve, check its anti-scald cartridge is not stuck partially closed. This requires removing the cartridge — refer to your shower brand's instructions.

For electric showers, check the cold water pressure at the supply — electric showers are very sensitive to inlet pressure and most require a minimum 0.7–1.0 bar to operate correctly.

For mixer showers fed from a gravity tank, pressure is inherently low if the head height between the tank and shower is less than 1 metre. A shower pump fitted to the gravity-fed supply can dramatically improve flow.

If you have a combi boiler, run a cold tap and a hot tap simultaneously while the shower is on. If pressure drops sharply, the boiler's internal flow limiter may need adjustment or cleaning — this is an engineer job.