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dollo_gw

High water pressure help

dollo
13 years ago

I have lived in this house for 10 years. The toilet gizmo, in the tanks, do not seem to last very long before leaking and just running. I think I have high water pressure so I got a gauge that goes to 300 psi. Two of my hose bibs have pressure regulators on the end, the one that does not. Says my pressure is 125 psi. I had some one flush a toilet and the pressure went down to 50, until the toilet stopped filling up.

Can I really have pressure that high without the pipes breaking? What should I do? Might the gauge be broken? What made me start thinking my pressure was too high was when one of the toilets that has never been a problem started to just run and run but would stop if the water was turned on in a nearby sink or shower, but would start running again when the sink was turned off.

Any hints or ideas?

Comments (3)

  • asolo
    13 years ago

    Don't quite get pressure regulators on hose bibs and a couple other things you said, but......

    Assuming you have, indeed, attached somewhere in your line a water-pressure gauge that is reading 125psi, that is too high and you're going to be having problems -- if you haven't had them already. You are right to be concerned about this pressure reading. Your static household water pressure should be, maybe, 60-65 psi. Believe code maximum is something like 80. The fact that your pressure reading is seen to decrease when you flush or open a spigot is typical. Don't worry about that.

    Assume you have city water supply. If so, I'll further assume there is a pressure-reducing valve attached to that supply-line just downstream of the meter. That PRV has failed and will need to be replaced. This is not complicated but will probably cost a couple hundred dollars to have somebody do it. It will be your responsibility as homeowner to take care of it. However, it should be undertaken at the earliest possible moment -- like today, right now. It is very important. Your household plumbing will not endure 125psi for long without giving you trouble.....likely expensive trouble.

    If I'm wrong about that and you're on a well, that's a whole different set of considerations. Please advise.

  • justalurker
    13 years ago

    There is a possibility that the water utility has made a change and your house now has a closed plumbing system where it didn't before.

    The symptoms would be as you described. Your static pressure of 125 psi is VERY high (80 psi is code limit and 60-65 psi is common) and opening any faucet will drop to dynamic pressure.

    The remedy would be to install a PRV (pressure reducing valve) at the water service inlet and a Thermal Expansion Tank at the cold inlet to your water heater.

    If you already had a closed plumbing system then either your PRV has failed or your Thermal Expansion Tank (if you have one and you should) has failed or both have failed.

    You should get this attended to RIGHT NOW as sustained exposure to extraordinarily high water pressure can damage pipes, fixtures, WHer, and appliances.

    Don't waste time on the internet... call a plumber.

  • alan_s_thefirst
    13 years ago

    II discovered my pressure regulator had failed when I was trying to find out why warm water was leaching across to the cold pipes, and discovered my water pressure was over 130psi.

    II didn't have any pipe issues but my water heater failed prematurely.

    This certainly is something you should deal with urgently. If you already have a pressure regulator, with a bit of luck it can be removed and replaced with hand tools, and not soldering if you have copper pipe. I made sure mine had bolt on type fittings.

    There are also overhaul kits for PRVs but my local box store didn't have one, and it was late Sunday afternoon so I just bought a new regulator - cost me around CDN$65.

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