How To Adjust The Water Pressure Regulator

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How to Conform Your Water Pressure level Regulator

Posted on 16/x/2020 past Gabriel Halimi

Water pressure regulators, or pressure reducing valves , are an important role of your habitation'due south plumbing arrangement. They aid keep the water flowing through your pipes at a regular, consistent pressure. You might observe that the pressure in your abode is as well high or too low, and are wondering how you can adjust the pressure yourself.

In this commodity, we'll go over how force per unit area regulators work and why information technology's and then of import to have one that works properly. Then, we'll give you an overview of the aligning process and then you can tweak your home'south water pressure level to your liking. Then nosotros'll let you in on some tips to help y'all decide if it's fourth dimension to replace your one-time pressure level regulator.

What Is A Water Pressure Regulator?

H2o pressure level regulators are devices that are installed near your h2o main. They take high pressure level h2o flowing from a municipal water supply and lower the pressure to a level more suitable to homes and their fixtures. Any domicile built later the 1980's should have a pressure regulator already installed.

Pressure regulators are important because about municipal water suppliers pump water at very high pressures – often four or more times college than your home can handle. That's because municipal water sometimes has to service high-rise buildings, high-height neighborhoods or fire hydrants.

Why Does Water Pressure Matter?

Water pressure is huge for the health of your home plumbing network. And while a high-force per unit area shower might experience great in the morn, water pressure can (and often does) go also loftier. Any sort of high h2o pressure level will put stress on your habitation in a number of ways.

High h2o pressure wears out pipe joints, which can somewhen lead to leaks hidden behind walls and under floors.
High force per unit area can wear out your fixtures and appliances and cause them to fail or suspension downward prematurely. Faucets, shower heads, dishwashers and washing machines are all designed to operate at standard domicile pressure levels.
During winter, when pipes are at take a chance of freezing , loftier water pressure can atomic number 82 to sudden pipe bursts, costing you thousands of dollars in water impairment cleanup.
Your water heater is likewise sensitive to high water pressure level. A healthy, well-maintained h2o heater can last ten yr or more. If it's nether the constant stress of high water pressure, you'll have to replace information technology sooner.
High water pressure level means higher water bills .

How To Adjust The Regulator

pressure regulator valve adjustment

As far as plumbing jobs become, adjusting your water pressure regulator is pretty easy. You don't demand too many tools, and y'all tin finish the task in less than an hr. If you experience a sudden drop in pressure, you might desire to check in with the local water supplier and run across if the problem is on their end earlier y'all make whatsoever adjustments.

Tools You'll Need

Crescent wrench
Pressure gauge

Adjusting The Regulator

Before you start adjusting the pressure regulator, become an accurate reading on your home's current water pressure. Adhere a pressure level judge to any hose spigot and take notation of the reading.

Next, locate the water pressure regulator. It should be close to your water primary, and sits on top of the pipe. Look for a "bell shape." On elevation of the regulator should be an adjustment screw and a lock nut. The adjustment spiral raises and lowers the water pressure, but before it tin can be adapted, you need to loosen the lock nut below it.

Loosen the lock nut by half a turn with the crescent wrench. Plough the adjustment screw counterclockwise to lower or clockwise to raise the pressure. Merely become i total revolution at a fourth dimension and become a new psi reading with your pressure guess. In one case yous've reached your desired pressure level, tighten the lock nut on the force per unit area regulator.

When To Replace Your Force per unit area Regulator

Like most plumbing components, your water pressure regulator isn't going to last forever. The average pressure regulator has a lifespan of well-nigh x years. The question is, when practice you demand to replace it?

Water hammer, a banging, hammering noise in your pipes, is a mutual sign that your pressure level regulator is nearing the terminate of its lifespan. The dissonance happens when high-pressure level water suddenly stops in your pipes, literally hammering into the pipe walls. You lot'll probably discover h2o hammer afterwards you shut off a fixture or flush a toilet.

Noisy pipes

If you discover regular fluctuations in pressure and take to frequently adjust the regulator valve, it's probably time to start looking for a replacement. Having a new water pressure regulator professionally installed will set you lot back a few hundred dollars. Just information technology's a worthwhile investment considering the risks of leaks, pipe bursts and appliance failure that tin result from a faulty regulator.

Monitoring Your H2o Pressure

Water pressure is one of the virtually critical measures of your home's plumbing health. Non only is high water pressure dissentious to so many components in your home, merely as well, sudden changes in pressure tin can be signs of other bug that need to be addressed. But how can you lot keep a watchful eye on your water pressure? You're not going to walk around with a pressure judge all solar day.

Hither at Flo by Moen, we know all nigh the importance of force per unit area. OurSmart Water Shutoff works by constantly measuring the pressure level in your home'due south water network in combination with the flow charge per unit and expanse temperature. Non only that, it even performs daily automatic Health Tests, which are pressure level loss tests on the entire supply line to detect a leak as minor as ane drop per minute.

Flo by Moen Daily Automatic Health Test

And since it connects to your wireless network, you go upward-to-the-minute alerts no affair where you are. As soon as something out of the ordinary comes up, you'll get a notification. The Shutoff will even close the h2o principal automatically if it detects a leak to prevent h2o damage.

Conclusion

Keeping the water pressure level in your dwelling house at a safe level tin can assistance keep your pipes, fixtures and appliances rubber. Pressure regulators help reduce loftier water force per unit area coming from your municipal supplier, but sometimes they need to be adjusted to either lower or enhance your water pressure level. Knowing how to adjust your pressure regulator and keeping a close eye on your home's h2o pressure volition help y'all protect your dwelling house.