The county came out and measured the water pressure. It was 40 psi at the house and 100 psi at the curb. Recommendation: Pressure Reducing Valve may need adjustment or has failed.
Now is the the county's problem or mine. The guy just left a note on my door, so I didn't get to ask him, and I found the note late friday evening so I couldn't call.
If this is my problem, where is the valve located. I do think I can adjust it, and probably replace it if it is b/w the main and the house.
Advice?
Everything after the meter is usually the homeowner's responsibility. The pressure valve could be in one of many places. At our house, it is in the same underground box with the main shutoff valve at the street. Typically, they are at the point where the water line enters the house. Especially if you have a basement.
Looks like this:
And what's the problem? 40PSI at the house sounds like it's about where it should be.
40 psi is adequate, 50 is better for irrigation, 60 is the recommended max for residential use.
Harry K
40-50 psi is what you use in a travel trailer or motor home. 40 psi provides a totally unacceptable water flow for domestic use and certainly is too low for pressure irrigation. The pressure at my house runs around 80psi. Have you ever measure the pressure at your house? Anything under 60-70 psi would indicate your city/county/subdivision lacks proper control of water pressure.
I just measured our house pressure after the regulator. It's 60psi, and less than that wouldn't be very satisfactory. I would say we are at the minimum acceptable for adequate shower pressure, yard watering, etc.
watering,
Too each his own. I just put out the industry standards. My pressure is 30-50 and I do a lot of sprinkler irrigation. It is marginal at 30, great at 50 so I supect 40 would do just fine.
Harry K
Brett,
I have between 40 and 50 PSI at my house. That is normal city water Here in Myrtle Beach, SC. When I lived in Greensburg Pennsylvania, it was about 120 PSI so I installed a pressure regulator and dropped it to about 70 PSI. Most shallow well pumps have their pressure switches to
20 to 40 PSI. That is: they come on at 20 PSI & shut off at 40 PSI. Some pressure switches go up to 30-50 PSI. That is adequate for yard sprinklers, I have been doing it at around 25-45 PSI for 20 years with no problems. I use well water for the yard, city water for domestic consumption. It all depends on where you live, your source of water and what you are used to.Anything after the meter is usually yours, but unless you are having trouble with low flow at a fixture, I would leave it alone. The higher the pressure, the faster your faucets will use water and the higher your water and sewer bills will be.
Stretch
I realize I am not very knowledgeable in this area, that is why I am asking for help. Perhaps you are use to 40 psi, but I am not. The shower is very pathetic, the water from the sink hardly flows and takes forever to fill the sink. The sprayer from the sink just dribbles. The hose pressure is too low to clean anything.
Maybe 40 psi is good for you. Maybe it saves you a lot of money by reducing the amount of water you use.
However, I am very conscious of the amount of water I use. I pay for it. I would like it at a higher pressure. My last house had great pressure. The neighbors have great pressure.
I would like to fix the problem.
BM
There is someting like what is in the pictures on the site, but I was told it was a back flow / anti siphon valve.
How much do the valves on the site run?
Thanks BM
Brett, you may have some other restriction in your water piping if the flow is so inadequate.
If you found the regulator, to increase pressure, loosen the jam nut on the screw on top of the valve body. Then turn the adjusting screw colckwise to increase the pressure. Then tighten the jam nut again.
If that doesn'y help. you may need to call a plumber to help diagnose the problem.
Stretch
Typical 3/4" Press Reducing Valve should cost around $75. Might find at BigBox or plumb supply house or on-line.
If you find yours, try adjusting first. Jim
If the flow is indeed as you say, you do not have a pressure problem. You have a blockage/flow restriction somewhere. Possible causes from most common to least.
I suggest you get a pressure gauge and measure the pressure at a faucet to see what it is. They don't cost a lot and you can get them that you just plug against the faucet and hold there. Keep in mind that there can be a great difference between static and dynamic pressure. Even a trickle through a blocked pipe will eventually raise system pressure as long as there is no flow. As soon as flow starts, the pressure goes down.
As to pressure. 40 psi will give a needle shower, 20 psi won't.
Harry K
My 40 year old house had a 3/4 inch line from the meter in the alley to the house located 75 feet away. Replacing that line with a 1 inch line solved all my water problems.
You probably need to replace your lines.
If that's so, (and it may well be), it's not because 40 PSI is too low a pressure. THere's probably something between where you measure the pressure and your point-of-use (like, 20 of head from a basement to an upper story bath?) that's reducing your dynamic pressure even further.
In my case, everything goes through a water softener first (except the outside hose bibs.) That's probably why 60psi seems only adequate to me. No doubt some restriction in the softener.
Dick
Harry,
Thanks for taking the time to help me with the problem I'm having. The pressure was measured by the county, at a faucet ( unless they really do have keys to everyones house ). The pressue was
40 psi at the house. 100 psi at the curb. The Water Man or water person, said likely cause was a failed or maladjusted valve (I paraphrased that.) The 40psi doesn't give a needle shower. Granted, I may feel different after I put on a new head.But, I am really trying to gather some knowledge on the subject, not ask for help then try to aruge everyone down.
I figured I'd try to measure the pressure by seeing how long it would take to fill a 5 gallon bucket. I actually filled the bucket and timed it before I realized how stupid that was. Maybe with a Flow Table and pipe size reference I could figure out the pressure, but not with just a stop watch and bucket. I think there is some kind of electricty anology here too.
Anyway, I'll try to adjust what I think is the valve as someone suggested. I'm sure I'll break it and wind up having to buy a new one. But it'd be wrong to buy a new one to start with.
When I rebuilt my car engine, I spent more on repairing what I broke then on anything else..
thanks
Stretch, This sounds like a plan. I'll break it and have to replace it, but I'll start off slow. If I get it up to 100 psi, I bet I'll never have to clean the toilets.
More to follow.....I'm looking for my wrentches now.
The regulator is probably the first thing that the cold water line goes to inside your house. It has an adjustable setting and an internal filter screen that could become obstructed. Over time they tend to fill with lime deposits. Perhaps you will need to replace yours. Maybe you should also disassemble and inspect your fixtures and check for lime and for half closed valves. I once had a new showerhead that was worthless until I took it apart and removed an idiotic plastic "thingie" that restricted the water flow. You fail to tell us how low the pressure drops when you have water running. Mine is set to 50 and drops to about 40 with running water.
You might also run a new pipe from the unregulated side to your outdoor faucet.
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