Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A lot of you may know this, but I didn't, so I am sharing for the benefit of others. I found that the pressure relief tube on my water heater had leaked water onto the garage floor. I called my favorite plumber who came out and determined that the water pressure to my house was very high. There were already two pressure reducing valves near the water shut off....he deduced that the second cheaper one had been added by a prior owner because of water pressure issues. But, apparently, the valves had failed and ultimately also caused the expansion tank at the water heater to fill with water. So, he replaced both valves and the expansion tank. He also left the pressure gauge on my outdoor spigot overnight so I could check the pressure in the morning before most of the neighborhood was up and using water. I did check it and the pressure was good, so the new valves are working and no water is leaking from the heater.
I posted on Next Door to see if neighbors had issues with their water pressure. A real estate agent who lives in the neighborhood responded and said a home inspector had told her that our pressure to our neighborhood was high and that it could cause residents to have problems with reducing valves failing over time. Now I know this is something I have to keep an eye on.
The information that I really want to share is that my plumber recommends that people check their water pressure twice a year. The gauge is around $10 at Home Depot. If the pressure is too high, it can cause problems in your house with leaks and damage. By checking it twice a year, you can take action needed before you have a problem if you find the pressure coming into your house is too high. It is very simple. You screw it on an outdoor spigot, just like you would a garden hose, and turn the water on.
There are other people on this forum who know more about these issues than I do. Please feel free to comment or correct, as needed.
I have one PRV just my side of the meter that failed after about 15 years. Apparently the utility keeps the pressure on the line segment I use well over 100psi so the failure of the PRV really caused problems in the house. I replaced the unit in a day of rain and mud that was a lot of work but well worth the effort.
I have one PRV just my side of the meter that failed after about 15 years. Apparently the utility keeps the pressure on the line segment I use well over 100psi so the failure of the PRV really caused problems in the house. I replaced the unit in a day of rain and mud that was a lot of work but well worth the effort.
Before the repairs, mine was measured at 150 psi! The plumber left the gauge so I could check it at a low neighborhood use time. I was up at 3 AM with my dog, who is recovering from surgery, so I went out and checked the gauge when there wasn't much water being used in the neighborhood and it looked good (photo, sorry it is sideways). I have checked again twice today and it did spike up somewhat but then went back down. I can see why it is worth monitoring periodically.
As a home inspector, I called out pressure that was too high frequently. I have had my gauge break because the pressure was over 200 psi from the street.
The pressure in my area isa quite high. In the 25 years I have lived in this house, I have replaced the PRV 5 times.
I added a 3 filter whole house water filtration system after the water shut off inside the home. It has gauges for each filter so I can see the PSI as it enters the system, through the system and as it exits. Probably not 100% accurate but certainly good as a guideline.
Very few homes require (or benefit from) more than 60psi.
A few years ago many public water systems INCREASED their standard pressure
in order to serve homes farther and farther out.
At my home the Incoming has been over 120psi.
I tapped in at the main connection and put the pre-regulator pressure on one hose bib.
I also use more than one gauge that remain in place.
My plumber said if you are hitting 80, you need to have a pressure reducing valve. If you leave the test gauge on for a day and keep checking it, you can see that the pressure fluctuates some based on how many households are using water on the line, whether you are using water in your house, etc. So, if you test, leave the gauge on for a day and go out and look at it a few different times.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
