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Everything You Need to Know about Pressure Reducing Valves

How many times have you said to yourself, “I wish my water pressure wasn’t so high?” Probably never. Nobody wants to take a low-pressure shower. Taking steps to reduce water pressure is probably the last thing on your mind as a homeowner.

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How many times have you said to yourself, “I wish my water pressure wasn’t so high?” Probably never. Nobody wants to take a low-pressure shower. Taking steps to reduce water pressure is probably the last thing on your mind as a homeowner.

But sometimes the water coming into our homes is under so much pressure it puts our plumbing systems at tremendous risk. Leaks, floods and busted appliances can all result from excess water pressure. High water pressure also shortens the lifespan of your home’s entire water system – from pipes and water heaters to dishwashers and shower heads. The bottom line is, having too much pressure will inevitably cost you money.

But you can prevent costly repairs and damage by controlling the pressure in your home using a pressure reducing valve (PRV).

In this guide, you’ll learn how pressure reducing valves work and why they’re such an important part of your plumbing system.

What is a Pressure Reducing Valve?

The genius of pressure reducing valves is that they’re set to regulate your water flow to a specific pressure. That means if there’s a sudden spike in your area’s municipal water pressure, the spring and diaphragm in the valve will tighten and you’ll still have a consistent amount of pressure in your home.

Some municipal water mains pump water at extremely high pressures — sometimes well over 100 pounds per square inch (psi). Local water companies will often crank up the pressure to deliver water to hard-to-reach places like high-rise buildings or high-elevation neighborhoods. But water pressure above 80 psi can cause significant wear and tear to your pipes, fixtures and appliances over time.

Homes built after the 1980s usually have a pressure reducing valve installed already, but they don’t last forever. If you have a pressure reducing valve that’s over 10 years old, you might want to look into replacing it.

How Much Does a Pressure Reducing Valve Cost?

Pressure reducing valves start at around $50. Having a new pressure reducing valve installed by a professional plumber will probably set you back around $350. If you’re more of hands-on, DIY homeowner, you can purchase one and install it yourself. It’s quite an involved project though, and often requires cutting out a section of your main water line and soldering on the valve. How to Check Your Home’s Water Pressure

If you think you might have a pressure problem at home, you can use a pressure gauge to get an exact reading on your water pressure. Using a pressure gauge is easy — it screws on to one of your outdoor spigots. Opening the spigot gives you an instant look at your home’s water pressure. Gauges can be picked up at most hardware and home improvement stores.

Smart water security systems like the Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff use sensors to monitor your home’s water pressure in real-time, detecting even the smallest fluctuations in pressure with daily automatic Health Tests. The Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff can even detect leaks as small as a drop per minute, giving you the chance to prevent small drips from turning into huge disasters. Your home’s fixtures are also monitored uniquely for water usage, which is extremely useful for identifying the presence and source of a leak.

Why Pressure Matters

Every fixture, appliance and pipe in your home was built to withstand a certain level of water pressure, typically between 60-80 psi. Showerheads, toilets, faucets, appliances, water heaters and pipe joints can all start to wear down and eventually malfunction if they’re constantly subjected to high pressure.

The bottom line? High pressure is expensive. Not only do you have to worry about replacing fixtures and appliances more often, you run the risk of small leaks forming in hard-to-detect places. Those small leaks can lead to structural water damage and black mold. On the other hand, you could end up with a sudden, massive leak if a pipe bursts or your washing machine hose tears. Imagine something like that happening shortly after you leave for work or while you’re away for the weekend.

Putting aside catastrophic events, having high water pressure is just generally expensive. Consistently high water pressure means more water is being used for day-to-day, water-related function in your home. Every shower you take and every toilet flush is using more water than necessary, inflating your water bill and damaging the environment.

Take a look at how having high water pressure affects different areas in your home:

Water Heaters

When water heats up, it expands. A water heater operating under normal conditions is equipped to deal with this expansion. Most water heaters even have an expansion tank, which takes on the burden of the expanding water during heating.

But if your water pressure is too high, there might be too much water in the tank. Once that water starts heating up and expanding and there’s nowhere left for it to go, you can end up with a leak, or even worse, a burst water tank. A burst water tank in your basement could mean thousands of dollars in water damage repairs, not to mention the cost of replacing the burst tank.

Washing Machines and Other Appliances

The most vulnerable area in these appliances are the inlet hoses. Too much pressure can cause these hoses to crack or suddenly become separated from the appliance, leading to leaks and floods. High water pressure also puts extra wear and tear on your dishwasher. Even if you’re lucky enough not to have a hose rupture, your appliances aren’t going to last as long if they’re under constant stress. Most home appliances are built to withstand water pressure no higher than 80 psi.

Toilets and Fixtures

Just like your appliances, your toilets and other plumbing fixtures are all designed to handle pressures of around 80 psi. High water pressure can cause your toilet to run constantly, leading to thousands of gallons of wasted water over the course of a year. It can also damage the flushing components in your toilet tank. Fixtures like faucets and showerheads can start leaking when under a certain amount of pressure. That’s because the cartridges inside these fixtures weren’t built to handle high levels of water pressure.

Pipe Leaks and Bursts

Pipes are great about letting us know if our water pressure is too high. Ever hear a loud banging noise in your pipes when you shut off the tap? That noise is called water hammer, and it’s the sound of fast-moving water coming to a sudden stop in your plumbing system. Under a more reasonable pressure water hammer is non-existent.

The constant stress of high pressure running through your pipes is especially hard on your pipe joints. You might end up with a tiny leak in your pipe that goes undetected for a long time. Those small, invisible leaks are actually quite dangerous, compromising the structural integrity of your home and encouraging the growth of toxic black mold.

Smart Water Detectors

In the event of leaks inside your home, whether they are trickling from your washing machine or sink, leak-detection devices that alert you once moisture is detected can prevent harmful and costly water damage. Smart Leak Detectors alert your smartphone and set off an audible alarm from the device if it detects moisture or changes in humidity wherever it’s placed in the home. And, if you have a Flo Smart Water Monitor and Shutoff, it will even work with it to automatically shut off your home's water to prevent serious damage.

Conclusion

Just like having a healthy blood pressure is vital to your health, having a normal water pressure is key to maintaining healthy plumbing in your home. Left unchecked, high water pressure will wear out just about everything that comes into contact with your plumbing system.

Monitoring your home’s water pressure and having a working pressure reducing valve will help you save money over time. Spending a few hundred dollars today can save you thousands in the future.

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For more information contact:
Email Address:

Samantha Eastman or Emily Baker

Falls & Co.

Phone: 1-216-696-0229

Email Address:
seastman@fallsandco.com or ebaker@fallsandco.com