County Water Pressure Too High

[STx]

When you do add the pressure regulator, go ahead and install a backflow prevention also. Cheap insurance for when and if a water line breaks out in the water system. Keeps your water line from draining. Hot water heater will burn up the elements without any in the tank. I had to add a new regulator on my line about 3 months ago. The old one gave out and busted the bottom out of it. It's not hard to do and the people at lowe's or hardware store will be able to help you. The backflow device is just a tube with a flap to keep water from flowing back out. Good luck. Oh, one thing you might do is ask the water crew if one of them would like to make a little money on a Saturday and take care of the problem for you.

If you install a backflow protection valve on the house with the water heater on the downstream side you MUST, MUST, MUST install a thermal expansion tank for your water heater. If you don't and your heater fails in a way that causes it to superheat, the water can't back up into the supply lines and your water heater will turn into a rocket or explode, neither of which is fun.

There really is no reason to install a bpv on a house, unless you're installing a booster pump (which you definitely don't need here). BPVs are used to protect the potable water supply from contamination and every fixture in your house already has that protection built into it. Faucets, showers and tubs are air gapped, toilets have ABVs, all hose bibs should have ABVs by current code, etc. You need them for irrigation systems, make-up lines for ponds, pools or water features and those sorts of things but, those are all open loop systems. On closed loop systems, you've got to have thermal expansion protection.

 

[TomSeller]

I like a low pressure in the 50 PSI range but find many of the new faucets now come with itty bitty hot and cold water supply tubes making filling the kitchen sink a little time consuming.

 

[CurlyDave]

I would splurge and go up to a 1" pressure regulator, even if the supply line is smaller than that. A pressure regulator can turn into a serious flow restriction under high demand situations.

 

[RNeumann]

Municipal water pressure will fluctuate throughout the day with the peak typically occurring in the early morning when water use is lowest. 120psi is high for a house but OK for a municipal system.

As mentioned, a pressure regulator located near, at or in the house is the best option to control pressure inside. I have never heard of a municipality providing this. I can't recall ever installing a 3/4" reducer- I use 1" or bigger. However I always use 1" pipe or bigger to supply the house. So if your house has a 3/4" supply pipe I see no reason to spend the extra money on a 1" pressure reducer.

The location of the pressure reducer will determine if your yard also has the reduced pressure. Some folks like this for sprinkler valves and hose bibs while others don't. I personally have and install a hose bib before the reducer.

The back flow preventer is not needed between municipal water and the house. The purpose of the device is to prevent water used for the yard etc from somehow getting pulled into the house/potable side. This is why new construction will have devices on house bibs. If you have sprinklers that have direct bury valves (typically no back flow preventer) then you will need a back flow preventer between the potable water and the sprinkler valves to be code compliant. You can get a device that will reduce pressure and provide back flow protection but you can't run the house and sprinklers off the same device- If you did the sprinklers could back flow into the house. However most sprinkler valves that are above ground have this feature built in.

Hope this helps. If you need more input or a basic drawing let me know.

 

[turnkey4099]

So what is IDEAL pressure?

Is it 60psi?

Anything above 100 psi would scare me since it could blow out some connections, especially plastic ones.

I have a VFD so I set the water pressure at 65 psi. The controller allows me to go as high as 120 psi but I would never do that.

General recommendation is max of 60psi for residential use. Over that can cause fixture problems. It is nice to have higher pressure for sprinklers but I can't imagine an impulse sprinkler standing up to 100psi for long.

 

[Deere Dude]

Just an question here. Is the house new to you? If it is fairly new, maybe it has a PRV in some location you haven't noticed and it may be broken. Sometimes we forget the obvious.

 

[Beltzington]

"If you are 1' below the highest level of water in the tower you will have .43 PSI. If you are 10' below you will have 4.3 PSI. A hundred feet will give you 43.3 psi and down the line."

Amazing, had one of the dozen of utility employees I have spoken with had given me the simple explanation of the pressure being a result of gravity not pumps I would not have been bothering them. Unfortunately they most likely do not know themselves.

I have lived in the house for 15 years, initially pressure was around 75psi, based on my new found knowledge, I guess the increase occurred when they built a new water tower a few years back. I like high water pressure, if I don't feel sand-blasted after a shower I'm disappointed. Recent events including the main line that supplies water for the whole community busting 3 times this year and more time on my hands made me decide to try and find a resolution.

It will be easy enough to install a regulator however I also wanted to replace the thin walled pvc off the meter the knuckle-headed builder installed which makes it a much bigger project. Always amazes me what contractors will do to save a few dollars.

Thanks for all the great information!

 

[Gary Fowler]

Just an question here. Is the house new to you? If it is fairly new, maybe it has a PRV in some location you haven't noticed and it may be broken. Sometimes we forget the obvious.

According to my builder and plumber, PRV's were required at any entrance to a building. I have one for my house and one at my shop (which has a bathroom). The rest of the system remains at county pressures so the sprinkler system and hose bibs are at 100-120 PSI which makes for good watering but I do have to keep good hoses on the hose bibs. A little bit of decay on the hose and it will spring a leak.

Edit: I just checked the county pressure and it was 135 PSI today. Sunday morning so I guess no one using much water.

 

[ray66v]

The rest of the system remains at county pressures so the sprinkler system and hose bibs are at 100-120 PSI which makes for good watering but I do have to keep good hoses on the hose bibs. A little bit of decay on the hose and it will spring a leak.

And that leak is probably going to be costly.

I am very careful not to leave my hoses on, and it still happened this year.

My water pressure is only 45 psi, and the leak cost me $50.

Water here is fairly cheap, compared to most places.

 

[Beltzington]

I would splurge and go up to a 1" pressure regulator, even if the supply line is smaller than that. A pressure regulator can turn into a serious flow restriction under high demand situations.

Dave, can you elaborate, my wife has several very large flower beds she waters ALLOT and during these times pressure and flow are noticeably reduced in the house. I know the PRV can't increase the flow but I don't want to reduce it any. Also, any negatives from upsizing other than the slight increase in cost.

Recommendations for PRV - All Brass, in line serviceable???