How to Maintain the Right Water Pressure in Your Plumbing
There is, in fact, a problem hiding in plain sight when it comes to plumbing. We say this because it directly affects how your plumbing performs. Water pressure should be at a specific level for your plumbing system to operate smoothly. Too much or too little pressure will ruin your plumbing efficiency. So how exactly can water pressure affect your overall plumbing efficiency? How can you maintain the right water pressure? This article provides some answers to those questions.
Measurement unit for water pressure
Water pressure is measured in pounds per square inch, also known as PSI. To be precise, PSI shows how strong water comes into your plumbing system through the main water supply.
In most cases, your water pressure should be between 30 and 80 PSI, while the ideal level is from 60 to 70. Anything above 80 will be considered alarming as it can slowly cause terrible consequences in the long run.
How water pressure impacts your drainage system
An appropriate level of water pressure can ensure multiple water outlets operate without any issues regarding their functionality. In short, it allows you to shower and wash dishes simultaneously.
As mentioned earlier, your water pressure should stay between 30 and 80. Going anywhere below 30, your water-based appliances will not run as they’re intended to. On the other hand, having too high of water pressure can cause damage to seals, joints, pipes, and fixtures connected to your plumbing, resulting in leaks and, eventually, water waste.
How you can tell the signs of high water pressure?
Unfortunately, most of the signs below happen as the result of occurring high water pressure. There’s hardly a way you can tell if it’s going to happen beforehand. However, knowing what the signs are can save your plumbing from a severe impairment, thus minimizing the expenses later on.
Water leaks at the same place repeatedly: When you see a leak at the exact same place that got fixed recently, it’s more likely that extremely high water pressure is at play.
Snapped or burst pipes connected to household appliances such as dishwashers and ice makers. Even hoses Inlet lines aren’t immune to high water pressure. You might want to do a proper checkup of those lines as well.
Creaking or banging sounds from your pipes when they hit the wall or other pipelines. If left unchecked, they can create something called “the hammer effect” when you switch off your water outlets, such as toilets or faucets.
Fixtures start to fail after a short time of usage. Too much water pressure can cause pipes and seals to break, leading to malfunctioned appliances.
How to maintain the right PSI
Having a water pressure gauge is the most common preventive solution since you can keep your eyes on the pressure level all the time. If high-pressure water does occur, you can lower it by installing a regulator. Either an automatic or manual water regulator would do. We suggest getting an automatic one if you can’t adjust the pressure yourself.
Of course, when things get out of control, you can always contact a professional to assist you. Plus, they can train you on how to use water regulators.
That is how you can maintain the right water pressure in your plumbing. It’s pretty simple to address such an issue. However, it usually happens away from the naked eye; hence people not paying that much attention to it. If you are in San Jose and you’re currently having problems regarding water pressure, give us a call. We’ll come to you as soon as possible.