Effects of High Water Pressure in Your Home or Business
Typically when we think about the water pressure in our homes or businesses, we think “The higher the better” Because who wants to take a shower with water just trickling out of the shower head? The truth is however, high water pressure in your home can lead to leaks, plumbing breaks and costly water damage.
What causes high water pressure?
The main cause of high water pressure is the municipal water supplier. The water company must set and adjust the water pressure to meet the needs of their customers. Multi-family dwellings, apartment buildings, and high rise buildings all put a strain on the municipal water system. In addition, when there are large booms of new construction like what the Phoenix valley is experiencing now, the local water companies must compensate for the new buildings and do so by increasing the water pressure to meet the higher demand. The maximum recommended pressure for a residence is around 60 pounds, however the water pressure in some valley neighborhoods are 100 pounds or higher.
Water pressure isn’t necessarily consistent and varies throughout the day. For example in the morning when you and all of your neighbors are showering and getting ready for work/school, the water pressure is lower because of the greater demand. During the day when most people aren’t home or at night when most people are sleeping, the water pressure may increase due to the lack of demand.
Why is high water pressure bad?
Simply put, water is a highly erosive substance. High water pressure causes wear and tear on all plumbing fixtures, but especially the newer fixtures that are designed to conserve water by having a considerably lower flow rate. This is also the case for plumbing pipes, the higher the water pressure, the greater the wear on the pipes, especially plumbing joints and valves.
Symptoms of high water pressure
If you are noticing recurring leaks in your home from water fixtures such as shower valves and faucets, you may have an issue with high water pressure.
If your toilet starts running without being used (especially during hours of peak pressure like at night), you may have an issue with high water pressure.
If you can hear a hammering or banging noise from the plumbing in your walls when you turn off a faucet, shower or flush the toilet, you may have an issue with high water pressure.
What can we do if we suspect we have high water pressure?
If you think you may have high water pressure in your home, we recommend either having a licensed plumber come out to your home to determine what the water pressure is, or you can purchase a water pressure gauge that screws on to a hose bib to check the water pressure yourself.
If you determine that you do have high water pressure, you can we recommend that you contact a licensed plumber to install a pressure reducing valve on the main water supply coming into your home. A pressure reducing valve will reduce the water pressure from the main line to a safe level before it reaches any of the internal plumbing pipes or fixtures in your home.
We get a lot of calls and help a lot of people with their homes and businesses experiencing water damage due to High Water Pressure in Johnson Ranch San Tan Valley, Phoenix, Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, and Gilbert.
If you have a water damage or flood restoration issue because of High Water Pressure call our experts today at 480-500-5481
