Pressure pump on the third floor?

We're getting mixed advice on whether or not a pump is going to make any difference to our water pressure if installed on the 3rd floor (the entrance to our apartment) as opposed to the ground floor. The 3rd floor is approximately 15 meters from ground level where the water enters the building.

I understand that pumps are limited in the amount of "pull" they have (somewhere around 8 meters or 25 feet), but my reasoning is that the pump is not having to "pull" the water up 15 meters as the water already has some pressure behind it. If that's the case, would it improve the pressure, and by how much?

I appreciate your thoughts!

 

What I'm understanding is that water is already making its way to the 3rd Floor; you just want to boost the pressure after it gets there ?

 

Correct, either with a pump, or a pressure tank (and pump?).

 

I don't know a lot about them but you'll want to check into booster pumps.

 

Yes, a booster pump should work. All you are doing is increasing the pressure. You will need to make sure you size the pump correctly. You do not want the pump and your water usage to exceed what your water supply can deliver.

 

Thanks for your replies.

So looking at the numbers:

We're getting about 35 PSI on the ground floor.
We're losing 15 PSI on the way up the third floor because of gravity and are left with 20 PSI.
The pump we're looking at is capable of pulling around 10 PSI.

Does the 10 PSI pull of the pump reduce the 15 PSI loss to just a 5 PSI loss? Or does it not work that way?

 

35psi sounds low. Most residential plumbing is between 40-60psi. Do you have access to where the water comes in from the street in the basement or first floor to see if there's a pressure reducing valve there? (not suggestion you touch anything, but if there is one - it can probably be set differently)

If the city or building could increase the pressure on the 1st floor, it would benefit those residents (they will like the higher shower pressure) and will help you immensely.

 

Sorry, the 35 PSI figure was just an estimate as a base for the numbers. The real answer I'm looking for is whether the 10 PSI pull of the pump will reduce the 15 PSI loss due to gravity.