Pressure regulator for water to refrigerator

I have a problem with my refrigerator. I have extremely high water pressure and the filter in the refrigerator keeps popping. Then I have water dripping all over the place. So I just got a pressure regulator and put it in the line to the refrigerator. And I have what I should have expected. Nice low pressure when the water is running, but full line pressure when it is not running. Is there some kind of small bladder tank or something of the sort that I could put in the line to make it work right?

I will be thankful for any help.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Gill
Loading thread data ...

If the regulator is working correctly, the pressure should never go above where it is set even if the water is not flowing. Maybe it is set wrong. Set it to the minimum pressure, let the water flow and then stop the water. Then adjust the regulator to the pressure you want. If the pressure drops when the flow starts back up, the regulator is not rated for that flow. Or it is bad.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

Your home should have a pressure regulator for the whole house that limits the pressure inside the home to 50psi which is what Watts sets their regulators to in the factory. If you have high water pressure in your home, you will have all sorts of things blowing a gasket or valve. You can go for a lower pressure if you like. ^_^

formatting link

formatting link

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

+1

If the water pressure is extremely high, then the regulator should be at the main service line for the house. I don't see why anyone would put a regulator just on the fridge. Plus, if it's a working regulator, it should be working for the fridge, not working as described. If pressure regulators didn't limit the pressure even when water is not being drawn, they wouldn't be effective at preventing blowouts, etc.

Reply to
trader4

On 7/23/2013 3:20 PM, snipped-for-privacy@optonline.net wrote:

I've done a lot of work on commercial refrigeration and commercial ice machines. Some of the big ice machines had water cooled condensers and high water pressure going into those beasts really screwed with the operation of the heat exchanger control valves which followed the pressure changes in the head pressure of the compressor. The service station/convenience store/restaurant where the big water cooled ice machine was installed kept having problems with valves all over the store like in the kitchen and in the rest rooms where the Sloan flush valves were blowing out. It turned out that the water pressure was 90psi with spikes to 150psi. I found a 1" Watts pressure regulator in a wall in the kitchen. After replacing it with a new one set for 50psi all malfunctions with the ice machine and any sink or toilet ceased. One of my other customers had a pizza place where the pressure/temperature valve on the water heater kept running. It was a bad regulator for the whole little shopping strip with several stores and offices. A 2&1/2" watts regulator needed replacing and that was a fun job but it fixed all the problems in the little shopping strip. A sure sign of too much water pressure in a home is the T/P safety valve on a water heater that constantly leaks. I can't crawl under houses like I used to but that's often where the fracking pressure regulator is located. Every homeowner should have an inexpensive water pressure meter. O_o

formatting link

formatting link

formatting link

formatting link

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

Meh, the last house I had had about 80 PSI water pressure and I had zero problems save for a T/P valve that failed (but the water heater was 18 years old, replacement worked fine)

Everyone said that I needed a pressure regulator but I wasn't inclined to put one in, because the shower was so fabulous.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Well Nate, I believe you were lucky except for the T/P valve. I once traveled a bit to run service calls around the Southeast and I carried my own shower head that I had drilled out the darn EPA mandated flow restrictor. I even had Allen wrenches to loosen the locking screws and pipe wrenches plus adjustable wrenches to remove the motel shower heads so I could get a dang blasted SHOWER! ^_^

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

What makes it a pressure regulator if it doesn't regulate the pressure?

Reply to
micky

This one is interesting. The title says it's plastic. So does t he URL name.

But the overview says "Made of steel for durability and strength"

Reply to
micky

The spec writer was probably referring to the gauge housing and lens. It's obvious that the threaded inlet and hose adapter are brass or something metal that looks like it. I like a plastic housing and lens because it doesn't break if tossed into a tool bag containing a pipe wrench or two. ^_^

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

Hi, Our whole house regulator located near the main valve shows ~80psi, as soon as any tp is open gauge reading drops to ~60psi. It has been like that since new. You think the regulator is defective????

Reply to
Tony Hwang

It may be, but probably just under size. If it is set at 80 psi and never goes above that , it is regulating. If it drops to 60 psi when the water is flowing, I would say the regulator is not large enough to pass the required flow. Or it could be the pipes are not large enough. It could also be where you are measuring the pressure. If the gauge is far from the regulator, that could be the normal pressure drop of the pipes for the flow rate.

If you are getting enough flow from the pipes, I would not worry about that. It is when the pressure goes over where you set the regulator without flow you have a real problem with the regulator.

Reply to
Ralph Mowery

Maybe just talking about the gauge housing.

Reply to
willshak

Why? This is the first problem I have had. Frankly I think that the filter manufacturer has a problem. The filter is rated for 100 psi. If I was designing something rated at 100 psi I would design for

200 psi. That is normal design procedure, always over design.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Gill

Well, if you consider I have lived here for 15 years with no problems, and then think of the cost of having a whole house regulator installed compared to the cost of installing a small one myself just for the refrigerator you might understand it.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Gill

Is the water filter in the fridge still "popping"?

How many "things" (refrigerators, washing machines, dish washers, faucets, etc., etc.) draw their water supply through your new pressure regulator?

What is the regulator's output pressure? A screw-on pressure gauge should cost around $12 to $15 at Home Depot.

The regulator may actually be regulating. If it is regulating the water pressure for the entire house it may be designed to have an output pressure as high as 80 psi or maybe even higher. (Street pressure may be over 150 psi.) The "nice low pressure when the water is running" may be caused by under-sized pipes, partially clogged pipes, or whatever.

Again, is the water filter in the fridge still "popping"? Please post back if it is.

Reply to
pilgrim

It hasn't popped yet. It usually lasts about 6 months, so it hasn't had time yet. And as far as what runs off of it, I clearly said that the regulator was on the line to the refrigerator.

Bill

Reply to
Bill Gill

Bill, do you know what your water pressure is in your home? With no regulator, your water pressure will not stay constant. One customer of mine had 90psi on average but got spikes up to 150psi which was breaking a lot of stuff. Most homes that have a water pressure regulator installed don't have the outdoor spigots attached to the regulator and they get full pressure. You can check the pressure at an outdoor faucet then check it at the cold water washing machine faucet. Most modern homes will have a regulated water pressure that will be 40-60psi inside the home. If your water pressure is above 70psi you should be concerned and have a plumber check it out. ^_^

TDD

Reply to
The Daring Dufas

Sounds right, to me. He totally needs a regulator.

OTOH, he could use a garden hose, and water the neighbors flowers, three houses away?

. Christ>

Reply to
Stormin Mormon

check out

formatting link
for news and tips on appliance repair from a reliable company in California.

Reply to
solesorry

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.