A very important factor in minimizing wear-and-tear in the pressurized side of your plumbing system is controlling excess pressure from damaging your water supply side. This means monitoring the supply pressure by taking pressure readings at your hose bib:
The items effected include: the ballcock fill valve inside of your toilet tank, the washing machine solenoid valves, dishwasher solenoid valve, water heater, all of your faucets – including the shower valve cartridges inside your tub and shower – and all of the flexible water supply connectors and emergency shutoff valves.
These are all expensive repairs and you want to get as much service life as possible from them before you replace them. The risk of water damage resulting from a ruptured water supply line is the biggest risk. The repair to fix the water leak is usually simple, and the restoration bill is the big one.
The Uniform Plumbing Code requires a PRV (pressure reducing valve) be installed if the water pressure exceeds 80 PSI at the time the home is built, or for any inspection of a plumbing task that involves a water test thereafter resulting in high-pressure. You should perform an overnight pressure test and if it exceeds normal operating pressure, a PRV should be installed, or the existing one replaced with the pressure set to 55 to 60 PSI. Installing a thermal expansion tank is a must when installing a PRV on a domestic water system that produces hot water.
The installation of a PRV without a thermal expansion tank will have adverse effects if you produce hot water in the home. When you install a PRV, the water pressure steps the water pressure down on the homeowners side but does not allow water to flow backwards offsetting thermal expansion. In the event there is no thermal expansion tank on a water system that is protected by a PRV and produces hot water, the water pressure will spike to a point higher than before there was a PRV.
The PRV works like a check valve not allowing the water to push back into the City main when the water heater is heating. When installed correctly, a thermal expansion tank will accept the higher-pressure spikes and contain the excess pressure in the tank until the water cools back down, or somebody uses the water allowing the pressure out.
Here are some of the symptoms and repairs that should tip you off to a possible high or unregulated water pressure scenario in your water supply system:
Faucet Drip: If your tub or shower is dripping in the off-position the water pressure should be checked right away. Most cartridges are not designed to handle higher pressures and will prematurely leak when high pressure exists.
If your water heater is leaking water out of the temperature and pressure relief valve drain pipe. Note: We said ‘water is leaking,’ not ‘steam blasting.’
If steam, or steamy hot water is blasting out, then someone should:
We only recommend hiring a plumber to install a PRV valve and a thermal expansion tank.
Low Pressure: Rarely is low water pressure a result of having low pressure. One easy way to determine what your water pressure is: