While every homeowner desires to have high water pressure, too much pressure can lead to severe plumbing problems. Fortunately, knowing how to determine water pressure in a pipe can help you avoid these problems.
This post will take a closer look at residential water pressure, helping you learn how to detect excessive water pressure and what to do to address it.
Causes of High Water Pressure
Your home could have high water pressure due to various reasons. For instance, urban areas usually maintain high water pressures to supply taller buildings and fire hydrants.
Other causes of high water pressure include:
- Water heater expansion – The expansion of your home’s water heater as it functions can increase water pressure.
- A malfunctioning water pressure regulator – Your water pressure regulator valve has a limited lifespan and can fail at any time, resulting in a sudden increase in your home’s water pressure.
- House location – Since water naturally runs downhill, a house at the bottom of a hill will have higher water pressure.
Signs of High Residential Water Pressure
When you open a tap or step into the shower, you are probably not concerned about how your plumbing works. Most times, your focus is on the water’s temperature and pressure.
Having high water pressure might seem like a good thing. However, with most fixtures only able to handle a maximum of 80 pounds per square inch (PSI), too much pressure can be detrimental to your plumbing system.
For instance, excessive water pressure in a pipe can cause the following plumbing issues.
Leaking Faucets
Excessive pressure will often cause water to drip and dribble from your shower, faucets, and toilets. Though this might seem like a minor issue, over time, the loss of water can add up to quite a lot.
Fortunately, opting for professional water leak repair in Edmond, OK, will help you resolve this and minimize the waste.
Banging and Rattling Pipes
Have you noticed loud banging noises coming from your home’s pipes? These rattling noises occur when pressurized water encounters a valve and causes your home’s plumbing to creak and groan. Sometimes, the pressurized water could loosen connections in your plumbing system.
On top of the potential damage, these noises can be extremely disruptive.
Eroded Pipes
Without prompt action, the high water pressure will begin eroding your pipes, causing severe damage to your home’s plumbing.
In extreme cases, you might have to replace the plumbing, which is a costly and irritating endeavor.
Water Meter Problems
Water meters are great at helping you manage your water use. Unfortunately, water pressure issues can cause your meter readings to deviate from established baselines, especially when you haven’t changed your usage levels.
Damaged Appliances
Excess water pressure in a pipe damages more than your home’s plumbing. It can also damage your dishwasher’s and washing machine’s solenoid valves, significantly shortening their lifespans.
Ultimately, the pressurized water could cause the permanent failure of several plumbing components, including your water heater.
How to Resolve High Water Pressure
As damaging as high water pressure is, there are measures you can implement to address the problems it causes. Here are some of the steps you should take if you notice your home has excess water pressure.
Replace the Pipes
Replacing your property’s old galvanized pipes with copper pipes will go a long way in facilitating adequate water supply delivery. You’d also be able to get the right pipe size for your water supply.
In turn, this can help you address the issues resulting from high water pressure.
Regularly Monitor Water Pressure
Monitoring the water pressure in a pipe will help you protect your plumbing from damage. Consider taking regular pressure readings, checking to see if the pressure reading falls between 55 and 70 PSI.
Install a Pressure Regulating Valve
A pressure regulating valve (PRV) is a valve that regulates the flow rate of your home’s plumbing system. Installing this valve can help you limit water pressure.
Fortunately, PRVs have been mandatory in every home since 2002. Therefore, if you built your house after that date, its plumbing system probably already has a PRV.
However, PRVs tend to have a lifespan ranging between seven and 12 years. As such, you should consider replacing your PRV if your home is older than 12 years or if your water pressure is currently above 80 PSI.
Install an Expansion Tank
After installing or replacing your home’s PRV, don’t forget to also install an expansion tank. This tank will help compensate for the thermal expansion that occurs every time you heat water.
Contact a Qualified Plumber
You don’t have to be a plumbing expert to resolve excessive water pressure in a pipe; that’s what we’re here for! Reaching out to a qualified plumber promises to provide you with the best solutions to your water pressure issues. The plumber will examine your property’s plumbing system, looking for worrying signs like strange noises or leaky pipes.
Once they determine high water pressure to be the root cause, they will offer customized solutions to restore your water pressure to safe and comfortable levels.
Call Champion Plumbing for Reliable Services in Edmond, OK
High water pressure might be beneficial to you, but it is often a nightmare for your pipes, plumbing system, and household appliances. Excessive pressure can easily lead to cracked or burst pipes, leaky faucets, and damaged heaters and washing machines.
Resolving water pressure issues is challenging to do on your own. With the help of a skilled and experienced plumber, you can attain favorable results.
At Champion Plumbing, we have a team of highly qualified residential plumbers ready to take on and address all your water pressure concerns. We will evaluate your home’s plumbing and implement personalized solutions that will effectively remedy your situation.
Don’t let excessive water pressure in a pipe place your home’s appliances and entire plumbing system at risk. Contact Champion Plumbing today at 405-889-1318 for quality plumbing services in Edmond, OK. We can also help you deal with poor water pressure at home.
