High Water Pressure: Everything You Need To Know Do you have problems with your water pressure?
You may not know the signs and symptoms. Which means your pipes could at risk, or your water bill rising.
Symptoms of high water pressure include:
. Leaking faucets
. Toilets running
. Banging noises
If you are experiencing the symptoms of high water pressure, it is wise to call a professional at South East Plumbing and Gas. Water pressure issues may cause expensive problems if not addressed on time.
A majority of people think that having high water pressure is a good thing. However, what they do not know is that high water pressure in a home may cause expensive damage and annoying noises. Infarct, research shows that excessive water pressure is the leading cause of leakages, damages, and water wastage.
If you’re concerned about high water pressure in your home, here’s everything you need to know.
The Risks Of High Water Pressure
Some areas in Australia are experiencing serious drought at the moment, which makes high water pressure an important topic to look at.
When the water pressure is too high it increases the chances of dripping and leaks out of the toilets, showers, and faucets. With time, the leaking water adds up to a lot of precious water, which could be conserved.
Let’s not forget the fact that with time, high water pressure will damage a home’s indoor water plumbing.
Imagine being sprung for a repair bill costing you thousands of dollars?
Have you ever heard of the term ‘water hammer’? This word is used to describe loud banging noises in a plumbing system which is caused by high water pressure that has encountered a valve.
Custom architect Michael Yousef has seen many homes in his time and says it is important to note that low water pressure and high water pressure are different problems, each having a root cause. He says “there are cases where a homeowner will experience both. A majority of old homeowners experience low water pressure problems often. That is because its root cause is rust build up in the pipeline. This is where the physics of water comes into play.”
How Does High Water Pressure Occur?
When water pipes are clogged with rust, high pressure builds up.
After some time, the water pressure will then reduce dramatically.
There are many solutions to this problem. However, the best option is replacing the old galvanised pipes with copper pipes, which are also excellent at supplying water. However, if your problem is only high water pressure, then the best solution is installing a pressure reducing valve (PRV).
After installing this valve, you must install an expansion tank. The function of the tank is to compensate for thermal expansions when water is heated.
However, the main goal here is to reduce wear and tear in the pressure side of the plumbing system by controlling water pressure. This also includes monitoring the supply pressure by taking pressure readings.
Your pressure reading should be between 55 and 60 PSI. If the reading goes beyond 70 PSI, then definitely your plumbing system is experiencing high water pressure, and this will shorten the lifespan of many plumbing components in your home.
The components that will be affected include:
. Emergency shutoff valve
. All faucets, shower, and tub valves
. Water heater
. All flexible water supply connections
. Dishwasher and washing machine solenoid valves
. Ballcock fill valves in the toilet tank
NOTE: All the above are expensive repairs.
For this reason, you want to get as much service out of them as possible, before replacing them. The biggest risk comes from ruptured water supply lines. Interior designer Gary Hamer has dealt with many homes and says “in truth, fixing or repairing a water leak is an easy job and anyone can do it. However, pipe or water supply restoration is another very expensive job.”
The Symptoms Of High Water Pressure
What are the symptoms of unregulated or high water pressure?
This is the million-dollar question. Well, below are some of the symptoms that indicate you have a high-pressure problem in your plumbing system.
. Dripping Faucet
If you are experiencing a constant dripping water problem from the shower, tub, and all faucets, explains modern home designer Rick Buick, chances are that you are experiencing high water pressure. He says “when the water supply is turned off, no drop of water is supposed to leak, and when it does, it should be investigated. It is important to note that many home cartridges or valves are not designed to handle high pressure, and when they do, they will leak prematurely.”
Therefore, if for example, changes a tub or shower cartridge and it is still experiencing high water pressure, then it will have a shorter lifespan. This means that it will experience premature failure. If you constantly hear banging or slamming sounds coming from your plumbing system, then most definitely you have either a loose pipe or high pressure.
If the faucet spout rises hard when turning on, that is a clear sign of high water pressure. In a nutshell, all you have to remember is that when you experience water leakage, the chances are that you are not having a plumbing problem but a high water pressure problem.
When left unchecked this can damage your home and contents, explains the upholstery team at A Plus Carpet Cleaning. This also includes leaks from the end of the water heater pressure and temperature relief valve drain pipe. It also means that the T&P valve is defective and should be replaced immediately.
The best solution is having an experienced and highly professional plumber to install the PRV valve as well as a thermal expansion tank.
. Running Toilet
To identify this problem, first, remove the tank lid and place it somewhere safe carefully. The next step is listening to the water filling up the toilet tank. A normal water pressure filling water in a toilet tank seems like it has no-pressure and it is not loud. However, if you notice the water seems to flow very well, and it is loud, the chances are that you have high pressure in your plumbing system.
The best way to be sure is by calling a professional plumber. An experienced plumber is the right person to tell you if you have a high water pressure or simple the fill valve is worn out.
. Low Water Pressure
Rarely, low water pressure is caused by low pressure. In most cases, the problem of low water pressure is caused by the galvanised pipes in the system, which is often a sign it needs replacing. Another problem is undersized pipe supply (a piping system that supplies to many outlets). The best thing is that this issue is easy to fix.
What To Do When Experiencing High Water Pressure
The best thing about this problem is that it is never too late to fix it.
If you are experiencing strange noises coming from the piping system, or leaks, it would be wise to consult a plumber.
If they are indeed sure that the problem is from high water pressure, they will most likely replace some pipes, seal all leaks, and install a PRV for you.
Prevention is better than cure: Contact the team at SE Plumbing Supplies to fix your plumbing problem for you.
Written by: Samantha Robinson