I live in Southern Calif. in a 2 story home, built in 1997. We have copper pipes, with circulating hot water, a water softner and purifier. Our water pressure seems a little low. The pressure at the entry to the house is 75#, can I safely increase the pressure at the pressure valve and if so what would be a safe pressure?
Thank you, paulsouth
Old masonry may look tough, but the wrong mortar can destroy it—here's how to choose the right mix for lasting repairs.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Dig into cutting-edge approaches and decades of proven solutions with total access to our experts and tradespeople.
Start Free Trial NowGet instant access to the latest developments in green building, research, and reports from the field.
Start Free Trial Now
Replies
40-80 psi is concidered normal, with 60 the design point.
Why do you think that the pressure is low?
His partially plugged low flow everything makes him think that...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
No specific reason,just seems low compared to other houses I have lived in and opther houses I have been to.
Don't mistake flow for pressure.
"It is as hard for the good to suspect evil, as it is for the bad to suspect good."
-- Marcus Tullius Cicero, statesman, orator, writer (106-43 BCE)
How and where in the system are you measuring pressure? A lot of times there's a hose bib ahead of the regulator.
I've heard that 50 psi is the design point, and that anything over 60 should be avoided.
-- J.S.
I am taking the pressure at the hose bib just in front of the regulator. Thanks, Paulsouth
Then you're measuring the town's water main pressure on your street. Go in the back yard and connect your gauge there, or disconnect a washing machine hose and check there, or both. Bear in mind that pressure upstairs will be a little lower.
Lots of us live on wells, with pressure tanks that supply a very consistent 38 psi. That's plenty, as long as your pipes are not full of crud (most likely with very old galv pipe, which you do not have) or if your strainers and shower valves are getting clogged. Try taking off the strainer on your kitchen sink faucet and see if that makes a significant difference in flow... and if it does, clean everything else too... the most tricky being the shower valves, which require disassembly and soaking.
David, thank you for your reply. I misspoke, or wrote, when I said the faucet was before the regulator, it is after the regulator. I did try the pressure at the washing machine cold faucet and it was 70#, which I assume from all the various comments is plenty. Thanks for that tip, I thought maybe the water softner/purifer was cutting down the pressure, but 70# is the pressure at the faucet just after the regulator, so nothing has been lost. Again, thanks for the reply.
paulsouth
My jet pump delivers 50# to the pressure tank. The pump itself is sucking through 200' of 1¼"x100# flex pipe with a 16' head. I keep the pressure decent throughout the house by removing all flow restrictors on installation. But then again, I own my water supply (a 55-acre lake)....
If you've got 70# delivered and are not happy with the output at your faucets, Imerc and David have got it pegged: the flow restrictors and/or screens are plugged. Clean 'em out or replace 'em as necessary. Dinosaur
'Y-a-tu de la justice dans ce maudit monde?
Thank you Dinosaur. My faucet screens are all cleaned, but my shower screens are probably causing me some of the problem. They are clean but they seem to be so small they are probably restricting the flow. I need to take them out and try the shower without them and see what happens. I have looked all over for a flow restricer but I could not find one, I do not think I have any in the showers. As I commented to another writer, I probably am all wet about the pressure, it probably is fine. It certainly is not terrible, just seemed a little low, but after all of the input from those of you who know I think it must be fine. Again, thanks for the feedback. Paulsouth
The flow restrictors are usally found inside the shower head..
Easiest to just change the head and leave out the restrictor...
Look at your problem as lack of volume and not pressure...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming.... WOW!!! What a Ride!
Seventy pounds should be PLENTY.....showers should feel like a commercial car wash!
If you are not getting "wet" enough in the shower, it is flow as indicated by others.
When I replaced shower heads on my house several years ago, I had the same problem....too long to rinse off. So I removed the restrictors from the shower heads....and YIKES it was like pins and needles being shot from a cannon.
Too much flow with full pressure. The restrictors were plastic washers with small holes...so with a few series of incremental bore size increases and shower tests I arrived at an optimal flow for my shower heads. Nice stimulating shower with enough volume to take away the soap.
The other loss of flow might be in the piping sizes and assembly configuration. Or it could be in the type of installed valves or one that is not fully opening or even defective.
.......................Iron Helix
If your pipes are properly sized and in good condition, 50 psi is pleanty adequate, and 60 is at the high end.
Hi Paulsouth,
70 psi is a good pressure. You say you have 70 psi at a sink faucett. Is that 70 psi reading on a gauge that is connected at the end of the faucett or is the gauge on the end of a "T" at the faucett outlet. If the gauge is on the end of the line as long as there is only a pin hole allowing flow you will get 70 psi at either end. Once you start the flow the pressure drops to (what you see what you got) I don't meen to insult your knowledge or intellegence but sometimes when we get into things we (can't see the forest for the trees) Just a thought to help you trouble shoot your problem.
Regards,
Virginbuild