High Water Pressure and Noisy Pipes
Many people probably consider high water pressure a good thing. However, water pressure that is too high can be more than just annoying: it can cause costly damage. High water pressure is one of the leading causes of water leaks, pipe damage, and wasted water in homes and businesses.
Signs You May Have High Water Pressure
There are several signs you might have a high water pressure problem in your home or business.
Multiple water leaks
Constantly running toilets
Noisy pipes
You might see intermediate leaks occurring at only certain times of the day, leaks in multiple faucets at the same time, toilets that are constantly running, and even noisy pipes!
Water hammers are also commonly caused by high water pressure. The pipes and faucets inside your home are only designed to support a certain amount of PSI. If the PSI is too high, the opening and closing of your faucets cause the water to ram into the faucet. The water then looks for a way to escape, which can cause burst pipes.
Water hammers can also cause pipes’ mounting straps to become loose, causing a lot of noise and rattling when you open and close the faucets in your home.
What Causes High Water Pressure?
The most likely source of your high-pressure water problem is the municipal water supplier. Water companies set the water pressure high to support enough pressure for safety reasons. These include fire hydrants. It could also be for those tall buildings downtown. It takes a lot of pressure to get to the 40th floor!
The recommended water pressure limit on most plumbing supplies is 80 PSI. More often than not, city water pressure exceeds 100 PSI. In some cases, it can even be higher than 150 PSI. And you could be dealing with high water pressure for anything higher than 60 PSI.
If you are unsure about the water pressure inside your home or office, it’s quite easy to check this yourself.
Buy a water pressure gauge
Select a water outlet A faucet or hose bib that close to the water supply source will be your most reliable source.
Turn off anything that uses water This includes all faucets, washers, sprinklers, and even fridge ice makers.
Attach the gauge Screw the fitting end of the gauge into the water outlet you’ve chosen.
Let the water run Make sure that you slowly open the valve until it is fully open.