The water pressure within each of our homes can vary. Typically, the closer your home is to the water source, the greater your water pressure will be.
When the pressure begins to run high, you can begin to hear “screaming” noises, loud metal bangs, and even experience water leaks throughout your home. If this sounds like your home, you’re going to want to install a pressure-reducing valve (PRV) to regulate it.
The PRV protects your home from excessive water pressure beyond what your plumbing fixtures were designed to handle. The valves in your home are designed for water pressure less than 80 pounds per square inch (psi).
Installing a PRV can be relatively simple; you can call your local plumber or follow our step by step video to do it yourself.
- First things first, in any kind of home maintenance that involves plumbing work, the water in your home needs to be shut off and drained. This will help you avoid a potential mess or water damage when tapping into your water system.
- Locate the lowest faucet that is closest to the main shutoff and open it.
- Open all other faucets in the home and flush all the toilets as well to drain your home’s water lines.
- Make a cut in the main water line using a pipe cutter leaving enough room to install the pressure reducing valve. Sand down ends of pipe where cuts were made to remove burrs.
- Slide the valve over top of the cut ends of the pipe and secure with glue.
- Turn the water valve back on and the job is complete!
Watch Jon & Jack demonstrate these steps in the video below.
PRVs can help to fix a number of issues including water waste, protecting water-using appliances, and reducing the energy needed to heat water in your shower, dish washer, etc.
Home maintenance doesn’t have to be a headache. Identifying the problem is the first step, and then, with a little time and effort, you can keep your home in tip-top shape saving you hundreds if not thousands in bills and other expenses.
