'Lowering' house water pressure

[Charles Pisano]

I'd like to lower the water pressure. I understand the pressure valve has to be screwed 'out' as opposed to (the expected in) to lower the water pressure??

And there are 2 nuts on the pressure valves stem. Not sure why there are

2.?? I want to lower it because ever since I had a frozen meter replaced and the kid upped my pressure for me, I'm getting a little (intermittent) noise feedback through the line when nothing is running.

It's almost like a faint knocking (not water hammer). And the meter spins just a bit at the same time. (but again nothing in running-toilet is not even self adjusting)

I think he may have upped it too much as it didn't make any noise before and the home is new.

CP

[trader4]

Rather than focusing on the pressure, I'd be looking for a leak. The meter can't be spinning unless water is going somewhere. And if you have a slow leak, it's not unusual to have some noise in the pipes associated with the leak. When my water heater sprang a slow leak, I woke up in the middle of the night from kind of a strange buzzing sound.

I'd start by checking all the toilets.

[Tony Hwang]

Hi, You may have a leak. Meter should never show spin unless water is being used. My house running pressure is at 60.

[Charles Pisano]

No sign of a leak anywhere. But I did observe it a little better just now. And the meter has one of those spinning indicators that tell you if water is moving through the system.

Ant it goes backwards and THEN forwards when the sound happens and nothing is running. There is a check valve in line 'after the regulator and meter. Actually it says 'dual check no. 7' on it. Could that be bad and allowing water to go back and forth through the meter causing this noise?

Recently the meter was replaced (froze and leaked) and the pressure reg. also because pieces from the meter got into it. The check valve is after the press. reg.

[Joe]

The inner nut is a locking or jam nut to keep the stem from turning. Loosening it several turns will allow the adjusting stem (screw) to be turned for adjustment of pressure. The locking nut then should be snugged down tight to hold the setting.

Excellent advice. Look for telltale sounds and water ripples in the bowl as evidence of leaking flapper valves. If you find none, then set your pressure the scientific way: go to a hardware or farm supply store and buy a decent pressure gauge, the 0 - 100 PSI type. Cobble together an adapter for the gauge which will attach to a hose bib or your water heater drain. Typically this will be a female hose repair end, a 1/4" NPT female to 1/2" hose barb connector, a short length of

1/2" hose, and a couple of hose clamps. Screw the gauge into the hose barb adapter, the barb into the hose and the repair end into the hose. Secure with hose clamps, attach to your outdoor hose bib (sillcock, whatever) and open the tap. Check the pressure and if it's around 45-50 PSI you are average. Much more than that and adjustment might be a good idea. HTH

Joe

[Joe]

The inner nut is a locking or jam nut to keep the stem from turning. Loosening it several turns will allow the adjusting stem (screw) to be turned for adjustment of pressure. The locking nut then should be snugged down tight to hold the setting.

Excellent advice. Look for telltale sounds and water ripples in the bowl as evidence of leaking flapper valves. If you find none, then set your pressure the scientific way: go to a hardware or farm supply store and buy a decent pressure gauge, the 0 - 100 PSI type. Cobble together an adapter for the gauge which will attach to a hose bib or your water heater drain. Typically this will be a female hose repair end, a 1/4" NPT female to 1/2" hose barb connector, a short length of

1/2" hose, and a couple of hose clamps. Screw the gauge into the hose barb adapter, the barb into the hose and the repair end into the hose. Secure with hose clamps, attach to your outdoor hose bib (sillcock, whatever) and open the tap. Check the pressure and if it's around 45-50 PSI you are average. Much more than that and adjustment might be a good idea. HTH

Joe

[Proctologically Violated©®]

That faint knocking may be faint water hammer. Tough to diagnose sounds over the 'net. :)

What is your current water pressure? Why do you want to lower it?

Lowering it will help any water hammer proportionately, and is kind of a brute force method to solving water hammer, not a real solution.

[Reed]

(snip)

Also try food coloring in tank to find flapper leak. I did not know I had a slooooow flapper leak until I had to replace the inlet valve, and changed from old-style "ball and arm" to newer "ball" slides up and down pipe style. Old unit apparently would refill noiselessly, new style sounded like a regular flush when it decided to refill from leak !!!

--reed

[DanG]

Regulators deliver MORE gas/water/whatever when you turn them clockwise (IN).

Regulators deliver LESS when they are screwed OUT.

[AZ Nomad]

Or they do the opposite. It depends on the make and model.