If you would like your water pressure issue resolved, give us a call today and let our expert technicians diagnose and solve your water pressure problem.
Water pressure regulators control the incoming pressure. Depending on design and condition of the inline filter, they can also greatly effect volume.
What You Should Know About Water Pressure Regulators:
- Water pressure regulators are safety feature and required by code.
- High water pressure can cause leaky pipes, pipe to explode, leaky fixtures and premature failure of faucets and fixtures.
- Max allowable pressure is 80 PSI. Most plumbing fixtures manufacturers void there warranty when the pressure is over 80 PSI
- High pressure can cause underground water leaks that may require leak detection or water line pipe replacement or repair. Most emergency leaks typically have high water pressure caused by failed regulators or no thermal expansion relief device.
- Most common pressure regulators are Wilkins, Watts, Honeywell, Cash Acme...
- Pressure regulators come in all sizes. Common preset pressure is 40-60 PSI. Common incoming pressure max is 200-300 PSI. And adjustable working range is typically 25-75 PSI. Special order regulator can be purchased with set ranges higher or lower, for situations where you may want to lower the pressure in the same line at different location in the system.
Low Water Pressure
You Might Have a Water Leak!
If you have come to realize that your water pressure has dropped off and is consistently low, you need to investigate the problem. Low water pressure could be caused by a number of issues such as a water line leak. Many homeowners are surprised at the amount of water that can be lost even with a small leak. In fact, sometimes the leak goes undetected for a long time. Only after the water bill has become so high that it can't be ignored and the question then needs to be answered. "Why is my water bill so high?".
Determining if you have a plumbing leak is not that difficult for the trained professional, however finding the leak is an entirely different matter. At Atlantis Plumbing we provide both leak detection and leak repair. Most plumbing companies have to hire a leak detection specialist or have the homeowner first hire a leak detection company to locate the leak and then the plumber repairs the leak. We are a one stop shop and have literally performed thousands of leak detection and repairs all over the greater Atlanta area.
About Water Pressure Regulators
Water pressure regulators are an essential component of almost every building on the public water supply.
There are many different types of water pressure regulators to consider, each one made for different applications. Pressure regulators are mounted inline on the incoming water supply and can be exposed or buried.
Water pressure regulators control both the water pressure and the flow rate of the incoming water supply. A damaged or worn out pressure regulator can result in destructively high water pressure in the building.
The most common indicators of a malfunctioning water pressure regulator are:
- High/low water pressure
- High/low water flow
- Surging water
- Banging pipes
- Vibrating pipes
- Leaking toilet fill valves
- Leaking hot water relief valves
- Broken pipes and leaking faucets
You may or may not notice the symptoms listed and these symptoms may be related to other plumbing system problems.
Recommended water pressure in a home is 55 PSI; the Georgia Plumbing Code lists the maximum safe allowable pressure at 80 PSI in any building. Most faucet, toilet and water heater manufacturers void their warranties when water pressure exceeds 80 PSI, and if you have a home warranty, some warranty companies void your coverage if your home has excessive pressure.
The life expectancy of a water pressure regulator is most commonly in the range of 10 to 15 years. However, you will see a regulator malfunction at 3 years and you will see a regulator still working at 20 years old. Most manufacturers recommend swapping the valve every 5 years and most plumbing contractors would suggest you change the valve every 10 years.
The operation of a regulator is basically the action of a spring and rubber gasket. After open and closing thousands of times, it will eventually wear out like any other moving part. The following pictures are some of the most common types of water pressure regulators valves.