Excessive Water Pressure and the Importance

Many homes in the San Francisco Bay Area have high water pressure. High water pressure is considered any pressure over 80 PSI. When water pressure is at or over 80 PSI, then it is strongly recommended that a pressure reducing valve is installed on to your water line. High water pressure is much like having high blood pressure. High blood pressure isnt good for your body, and high water pressure isn't good for your plumbing systems. At excessive pressures it can cause damage to your plumbing fixtures such as your faucets, showers and bathtubs, and most importantly, your water heater. All water heaters have what is called a T&P safety device, or a temperature and pressure relief valve. On a domestic water heater, when certain parameters are met, such as 210 degree water or 150 PSI of pressure, this valve discharges and lets out that excessive pressure or hot water. When you have higher water pressure, this can cause a leaking T&P valve because the incoming water pressure into the tank is already high and excessive, and then coupled with thermal expansion it can cause it to trigger. A proper pressure range would be 50 - 65 PSI.

Most people get nervous about installing a pressure reducing valve because they tend to think that the high pressure feels good in the shower or in their faucet. However, all incoming pressure is flow-restricted at the fixture!! This means that all faucets are now required to have not more than a 1.75 gallon per minute (GPM) flow rate. So it really has nothing to do with the pressure when its restricted at the fixture anyways. When water is hitting the internals of your fixture at excessive pressure, you may experience leaks, drips, or flooding in the worst case scenario. Most homes that have high water pressure tend to be sitting on a hill, where the water utility has to forcibly pump the water upstream to reach your home, and to do that they have to have a lot of pressure. If you suspect you have high water pressure and you want to extend the lifespan of you plumbing system, give Steven Bailey Plumbing a call now to schedule an evaluation today.