r/Plumbing • u/[deleted] • 3d ago

Ultra High Water Pressure

[deleted]

13 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

22

u/Pipe_Memes 3d ago

Get a gauge and check your pressure. You may need to install a PRV. Excessively high pressure causes problems, you don’t want to let it ride if it’s too high.

9

u/Wreckstar81 3d ago

Agreed, however if the water company made changes that caused your pressure to exceed 80 psi, they may be liable to pay to have the Pressure Reducing Valve installed on your water main (or they may send their own tech out to do it).

6

u/Own-Fold1917 3d ago

Checked, and it was 95-100psi. It's now down to 50-60. It's definitely goes up and down. They are probably still doing maintainence. Hopefully, everything goes back to normal, lol. These showers when the pressure is up don't feel great on the skin. 😆

10

u/Invader_Kif 3d ago edited 3d ago

Don’t count on it. Water pressure fluctuates throughout the day. Pressure in excess of 80PSI will shorten the lifespan of your fixtures and void warranties.

5

u/Wreckstar81 3d ago

Yep, all true. Test it again later at night when peak demand is lower. It should be fairly steady, and I’m betting it’s higher than 80. Call your water company tomorrow and tell them you want a PRV due to problems with your plumbing and tell them what the pressures are.

1

u/ThaScoopALoop 3d ago

Man, I'm so glad my water company just tells people to kick rocks when they do this sort of thing. New water main in a neighborhood I'm popular in = $$$.

2

u/Wreckstar81 3d ago

I dunno, I’m of the opinion that they make plenty of $$$ off ordinary folks and they can foot the bill on a PRV when their new pump station is pumping higher than expected pressures, causing customers to invest in a $800 install of a PRV. Screw those guys, let em pay.

1

u/ThaScoopALoop 3d ago

Oh, for sure. I still love it when they replace old ass pipes.

0

u/euphorbia9 3d ago

Is it solely an issue with the water company when a water pressure is really high? I am managing a house where most of the pipes and fixtures seem like normal pressure but there is an outside hose bib where the water pressure is crazy high (which causes hammering). I think there might be a pressure reducer for the main house.

1

u/jhra 3d ago

Not uncommon for some of the hose bibs to be connected before the PRV. Handy for washing cars and such.

1

u/euphorbia9 3d ago

Yeah, I'm just wondering if the water pressure is supposed to be under a certain amount when delivered to a house by the water company.

2

u/jhra 2d ago

That pressure will fluctuate, hence the need for a PRV in home. Middle of the night you could get pressure over 150psi, then daytime down to 50psi depending on what's near you pulling water. Locally for me a major building fire could put so much demand on the old city centre where they start pulling water FROM your building.

Housing near industrial areas have a higher tendency to get wild fluctuations.

A call to you local water provider should be able to get you an answer on the 'average' in your area.

1

u/euphorbia9 1d ago

Ok, thanks for the info - I appreciate it!

2

u/Own-Fold1917 3d ago

Finished my shower and just checked. I'm just hoping it's maintainence related to the transfer station. I went ahead and checked at the outside spigot where the main line comes in, and it was reading around 95-100 psi, but before I could grab my phone to record it, it was down to 50-60.

1

u/Pipe_Memes 3d ago

Pressure is fluctuating and 95 is too high even in bursts. I usually set them at 70, it’s safe and a decent amount of pressure. You’ll need a PRV.

1

u/TechnicalLee 3d ago

It should not fluctuate that much, 5 or 10 psi maximum. You should be calling the water department to report the pressure fluctuations and ask what the hell is going on with the system pressure. Pretty sure something at that station is broken or not working right. Rapid pressure fluctuations like that can break water mains. Don't assume they have any idea what's happening.

2

u/flyguy60000 3d ago

Found this after installing a whole house water filter with pressure gauges on both sides of the filter. Turned on the water and the gauges spiked - over 125 PSI. Got a pressure reducing valve installed pronto. My wife cried that the shower pressure was awful after I lowered it to 50 PSI. Somedays you just can’t win….

1

u/ntoca 3d ago

Most places, 80 psi max

1

u/flyguy60000 3d ago

I actually called the water company and spoke to an engineer. Our location was at the bottom of a large drop (vertically) of a few hundred feet from where the supply originated - causing the high pressure. Best was my water main was lead and it didn’t leak. 

1

u/Own-Fold1917 3d ago

Oh, the city also just went around and replaced everyone's water meters with brand new ones.

10

u/alrightgame 3d ago

What an amazing problem to have.

1

u/Infinite-Process7994 3d ago

My PRV has been failing cause it was old. I’ve never been happier.

7

u/aFreeScotland 3d ago

Back in the day we called that normal water pressure.

3

u/Own-Fold1917 3d ago

Edit: You can FEEL the push back from the pressure shooting from the shower head.

2

u/HateLanternFlys 3d ago

The Seinfeld low flow shower episode, HAHAHA

1

u/Own-Fold1917 3d ago

Great episode, Cramer knows a guy sent me. 😭🤣

1

u/Kayel41 3d ago

You’re gonna end up with water leaking out of your water heater pressure relief valve.

1

u/EnvironmentOk860 3d ago

As many others said, your property needs a pressure reducing valve (PRV) to eliminate this issues. 95-100 PSI is way to much for anything in your household. Need a PRV and cut pressure down to 60-70 PSI.

1

u/I_compleat_me 3d ago

The city will check your pressure. They will not fix it. You are responsible for anything past the meter, that includes the regulator you obviously need. My water heater started leaking, the pressure was tested at over 120psi, had to have a regulator installed, 600$, then the water heater replaced *with* expansion tank, 2500$. After you add a regulator you *have* to add an expansion tank since the water can't flow back into the city line when it expands in the heater. Fun times.

1

u/Secretlife1 3d ago

If you are in city water, there is a pressure regulator. Put a gauge on your water system and adjust the pressure below 80psi. The regulator’s job is to control your pressure.

Mine is at 60psi and my wife complains that it is too high and water splashes everywhere. Mine was set at 30 psi originally.

1

u/H2OSD 3d ago

Check the PRV. Not in this case, but they can fail such that static pressure (no flow) creeps up to incoming pressure and then immediately drops the pressure with flow going through. Then you get high pressure on all appliances and pipes when no demand. But open up a faucet and a pressure gauge will show a reasonable pressure.

FWIW many utilities requires PRV's on all services. Our city does, has 6 different pressure zones (terrain). Last city I worked for, pop nearly 1 mil, had one. Because it was flat Florida. Did have some lower pressure during high demand at some extremities.