Water pressure?

[Bonnie Campbell]

We finally got a pressure regulator on our water line. The city pressure is so bad it blows out pipes and wrecks faucets. So, now I need to figure out what is a 'standard' water pressure. I think the city pressure ran at 80-90. The regulator we had installed can go from 25-75. Not sure what they set it up at right this moment since they didn't have the do-hickey to measure it, but it's a LOT slower than it had been. I need to have them boost it up some. Any suggestions for a good (standard?) flow rate?

Thanks!

[Fred Haydon]

Being one of them country folk, we've got a well. I have the ability to adjust my water pressure and the local experts around here say that pressure is a personal preference type of a thing. You certainly don't want to damage pipes, joints and fixtures, as was your case, but you do want a practical flow rate with adequate pressure. Play around with different settings until you find one you like.

If you don't have an in-line pressure gauge, I would strongly urge you to get one installed before you start making a lot of adjustments. They are <$20 and I would install it just after you pressure regulator. Then you know what the pressure is at the source, as the pressure drops as you propagate away from that point.

Just my $.02.

Cheers,
Fred

[David Epperson]

Bonnie, I've been right where you are with water pressure. 45psi is a good place to start. You can go up or down from there, but that will give you good shower pressure without blowing pipes and fittings.

[Mitchell Andrus]

I've got the opposite problem. Instead of upgrading the pipes to accomodate the housing boom of the past few decades, the water co installed new meters that cut down on flow and pressure so we'll all get at least something out of the tap.

Take a shower or run the dishwasher, not both.

[David Epperson]

I've got the opposite problem. Instead of upgrading the pipes to accomodate the housing boom of the past few decades, the water co installed new meters that cut down on flow and pressure so we'll all get at least something out of the tap.

Take a shower or run the dishwasher, not both.

You can get around that problem as well, though it's not as inexpensive.
If you look at your water meter as a slow flowing well, you can install a booster pump and a air bladder reservoir - just like a well. Then you can have the pressure and flow that you want - for as long as the reservoir holds out. And the booster pump suction might even coax a bit more flow out of the meter.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

I agree with the 45 psi recommendation (for starters). We have a well for outside water use, and we get decent water flow out of it. Our house pressure is around 60psi, which works well for us. Like anything, I'm sure you'll get used to it after a while.

[John Newell]

We were also getting ~90 psi off the town line. My regulator is set to 55 psi. It was a bit of a shock...90 psi made even the low-flow shower heads feel nice...55 psi, we can tell the difference!

BTW, you should be able to find a cheap (<$10) pressure gauge at Lowes or HD - it's the right season (used for in-ground sprinklers, among other things).

[Bonnie Campbell]

Thanks for all the replies! I guess my first hurdle is finding out what the flow is right now, for sure. Then I can have him boost it up from there. Our fridge water dispenser takes forever to fill a glass now. The rest of the low flow I can live with (sort of). Beats calling someone in to fixed busted faucets!

[Tom Veatch]

... Any suggestions for a good (standard?) flow rate?
...

My situation is a private water well in a rural area with submersible pump. Pressure switch set to turn pump on at 40, off at 60. I'd suggest about 50 for a constant pressure supply.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I can't imagine the town pressure being enough to burst a pipe or harm a faucet.

I've seen water pressure ranging from the 40's up to the 60 and 70 PSI and no harm occurs.

I'd wonder first if the water is highly acid and that is what has (over time) ruined the copper and brass.

If it's coming out in pin holes it's acidic and probably hard water.

[David Epperson]

I can't imagine the town pressure being enough to burst a pipe or harm a faucet.

I've seen water pressure ranging from the 40's up to the 60 and 70 PSI and no harm occurs.

I've had line blown off. it's not usually from "normal" city water pressure, but when they hydro test the lines (like after a repair). I would guess that at those times the pressure can spike to some fairly high levels(90psi and higher). Our lines blew because our pressure regulator had trapped some dirt that had gotten in from a broken water main at some point and it let full line pressure get through to the house. That pressure spike blew the lines off of 3 sinks and damaged the connections to a couple more.

[Mike SoRelle]

I've always gone with 55psi, and on many watts regulators, that's the factory setting. Anything less than 60 is well with the safety range of pretty much anything.

When I lived in Raleigh, NC, the city pressure was around 125psi unregulated and after it caused a nearly new water heater to rupture it's tank (lo and behold it's max rating was 120) I had to install one.

I will say it took some getting used to not having an explosive spray in the showers, etc.

I installed mine after the first spigot so I still had one source of high pressure, worked great for spraying off the driveway and things like that.

Mike

[Bonnie Campbell]

After ordering the third replacement sprayer faucet for our kitchen sink we decided it was time for the regulator (Thank goodness I had sense enough to buy a 'lifetime' warranted faucet!). I miss the pressure, but not the added costs.

[Joe Pelonio]

I can't imagine the town pressure being enough to burst a pipe or harm a faucet.

I've seen water pressure ranging from the 40's up to the 60 and 70 PSI and no harm occurs.

I'd wonder first if the water is highly acid and that is what has (over time) ruined the copper and brass.

If it's coming out in pin holes it's acidic and probably hard water.

I worked for 17 years at a water district. Water pressure varies greatly over the system It's determined by the difference in elevation between your home and the reservoir, most of the time a tank, that serves you. Even people a block away from each other on the same reservoir can vary greatly in pressure. For example we live on a steep hill, at the top. Ours is less than those people living at the bottom.

I have seen homes with 125lbs pressure that have had to install a regulator when fixtures broke, especially plastic lawn sprinkler valves. I have also seen homes that do OK with 25 lbs with newer, larger pipes, but at the low end with old galvanized pipes you need at least 50 psi.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have seen homes with 125lbs pressure

One would have to be under a pretty tall column of water to get 125 PSI.
Every person I've encountered who had any additional stuff to affect their city water flow were using booster pumps not restriction regulators.


This is a new one for me.