Many homes in Marin suffer from high water pressure. Aside from being dangerous to your plumbing fixtures, high water pressure is also wasteful!
Symptoms
- Banging, clanging or noisy pipes, typically noticed when turning a plumbing fixture on or off, can be caused by “water hammer” from homes with high water pressure.
- Unusually high water bill.
- Faucets and fixtures “blow out” or degrade quickly.
- Faucets and fixtures that leak or drip is sometimes a sign that you have high water pressure, especially if more than one fixture develops a leak simultaneously.
- In extreme cases, high water pressure can cause supply hoses (such as those feeding a toilet, faucet, or washing machine) to burst or fail.
How is water pressure determined?
Water pressure varies from street to street. Some homes do not require pressure reduction; the pressure coming from the municipal supply is adequate (between 60 and 80 PSI). However, some homes may have high water pressure (anything over 80 is worrisome, over 100 is definitely not good!) and will require a pressure reducing valve to regulate the supply coming into the home. You can test your water pressure using pressure gauge, available on Amazon or at your local hardware store. Connect the pressure gauge to a hose bib to determine your pressure.
A typical water pressure gauge.
Yikes! I’ve got high water pressure. What do I do?
Using a pressure reducing valve, you can bring your water pressure down to a safe level. A home with a water pressure around 60 PSI will have drastically reduced chances of water damage inside the home (caused by pipe failure). In some instances, reduced water pressure will soften and/or remove water hammer (banging pipes). Your fixtures will be under less pressure, usually allowing a longer lifespan for faucets and plumbing parts. Lower water pressure is particularly important in homes that utilize an on-counter water filter system, such as charcoal or reverse osmosis filters systems, as these typically use plastic pipe and compression fittings, which can leak or become disconnected because of high water pressure.
3/4″ Watts pressure reducing valve, installed at the building water feed.
Installing a pressure reducing valve on the cold feed to the house is generally easy. A typical installation will take an hour or two. It can lead to reduced water usage and save your plumbing fixtures. Call us today for an estimate on installing a pressure reducing valve.