High Water Pressure Problems?

[grayesun]

A few weeks ago my kitchen faucet started dripping, no big deal change the valve seat and spring; leak fixed. Then the bath-tub, same problem, same repair. Then the bathroom sink...same deal. Then the toilet valve...removed & new one installed.
Common finding was that none of the parts removed & replaced seemed worn or defective.
Yesterday, I noticed a puddle of water atop the water heater at the inlet connection, pulled of insulation and found some serious corrosion between copper fitting and tank (a separate problem) but a new leak also.

Last night, the bath tub faucet started dripping intermittently again.

I'm starting to suspect that we're getting high water pressure surges that are enough to bypass the valve seat seals & springs. Going to put a pressure gauge on system today to check.

Anybody experience this type of problem? Thanks.

[graciegirl]

I hope it is not poltergeists. They are pesky to get rid of.:oops:

It sure sounds like high pressure surges. You can't live at the bottom of a hill because it isn't very hilly in TV/ Please keep us posted. It would be very strange that all of your plumbing would go bad at the same time. (What age is your home?)

Gracie. Plumbers daughter. (actually Brewmasters daughter but they have to know a lot about plumbing)

[downeaster]

A few weeks ago my kitchen faucet started dripping, no big deal change the valve seat and spring; leak fixed. Then the bath-tub, same problem, same repair. Then the bathroom sink...same deal. Then the toilet valve...removed & new one installed.
Common finding was that none of the parts removed & replaced seemed worn or defective.
Yesterday, I noticed a puddle of water atop the water heater at the inlet connection, pulled of insulation and found some serious corrosion between copper fitting and tank (a separate problem) but a new leak also.

Last night, the bath tub faucet started dripping intermittently again.

I'm starting to suspect that we're getting high water pressure surges that are enough to bypass the valve seat seals & springs. Going to put a pressure gauge on system today to check.

Anybody experience this type of problem? Thanks.


How old is the house?

I believe the water pressure is a factor of the level of water in the water towers. There may be reduction valves between the source and your home.
You might call the water company to confirm this.

Let us know the results of your pressure check.

[grayesun]

House just became a teen ager this year...hence I should have anticipated some behavior problems!

Thanks for the feedback...between the erratic dripping everywhere & the ice machine in the fridge cycling at night think I'm living in a water park...or maybe it is spooks!

And Gracie...hmmm, I thought the plumber's daughter was named Josephine?

[graciegirl]

House just became a teen ager this year...hence I should have anticipated some behavior problems!

Thanks for the feedback...between the erratic dripping everywhere & the ice machine in the fridge cycling at night think I'm living in a water park...or maybe it is spooks!

And Gracie...hmmm, I thought the plumber's daughter was named Josephine?

Brewmasters daughter. I worry to this day that that is the reason Sweetie married me.:oops:

[grayesun]

About 85 psig...good street pressure; but my faucets aren't leaking right now. Hardware store didn't have a gauge with separate needle to record pressure spikes...so I'll be getting up during the night to check pressure when faucet starts dripping again! Wow...now talk about late night water sports...can't wait :a040:

[Bogie Shooter]

Only the shadow knows...........

[batman911]

My current home (not yet in TV) has a pressure reducer in the main line connecting to the house. It looks like a relief valve if you know about valves. Do the homes in TV have a pressure reducer installed? May need adjustment.

[grayesun]

My current home (not yet in TV) has a pressure reducer in the main line connecting to the house. It looks like a relief valve if you know about valves. Do the homes in TV have a pressure reducer installed? May need adjustment.

Thanks for the question; if it turns out that we're getting pressure spikes, will look into installing a pressure regulating valve in main line to house...don't believe there is 1 there currently - odd; seems I'm having a deja-vu moment here...thinking I talked about this with one of my neighbors when we 1st moved down here. As I recall, he had a major leak in main water line outside feeding into his house and he said something about having to install a pressure regulator...again thanks for the whack up side the head.

[Rag Bagger]

85 psi is very high for residential property. Should be around 40 psi. I haven't looked in TV but in our home back north we have a regulator between the street main and the house to maintain about 40 psi. I intend to look for one down here tomorrow. It's not in the house but it may be in the small manhole that has the meter and sensor that the water company reads.

[grayesun]

85 psi is very high for residential property. Should be around 40 psi. I haven't looked in TV but in our home back north we have a regulator between the street main and the house to maintain about 40 psi. I intend to look for one down here tomorrow. It's not in the house but it may be in the small manhole that has the meter and sensor that the water company reads.

It's a little higher than we've had in the past; typically up north our homes ran 40 to 80 psi...as long as it stayed in this range, I'd never seen any problems with what appears now to be high pressure leaking. Haven't had any leaking (faucet dripping) for 2 nights in a row - so I'm thinking still that we were getting pressure surges over 100 psi and a regulator will do the trick to get is into a steady normal range. But, I'm going to miss those awesome skin scouring deep cleansing showers.
Thanks for input.

[Rag Bagger]

FYI, I checked and can not find a whole house regulator. So I called the water company. They said individual homes do not have regulators. They offered to come out and review any problem I may be having. So you may want to call the water company maybe they can help diagnose your problem with high pressure.
I don't have a high pressure issue. I think our pressure is a little low but not enough to warrant a call from the water company. It is probably within their acceptable range. So I didn't ask for a service call.

[getdul981]

Is there a shut-off valve where the water line comes into the house or is the only cut-off at the street? If there is one inside the house, you may be able to open the valve about 3/4 instead of wide open.

[grayesun]

FYI, I checked and can not find a whole house regulator. So I called the water company. They said individual homes do not have regulators. They offered to come out and review any problem I may be having. So you may want to call the water company maybe they can help diagnose your problem with high pressure.
I don't have a high pressure issue. I think our pressure is a little low but not enough to warrant a call from the water company. It is probably within their acceptable range. So I didn't ask for a service call.

Thanks Rag ****** :thumbup:...for all the additional information, faucets have not leaked now for several days; if problem resumes will contact water company.

[grayesun]

Is there a shut-off valve where the water line comes into the house or is the only cut-off at the street? If there is one inside the house, you may be able to open the valve about 3/4 instead of wide open.

Thanks for the input Greg...but throttling back on the valve will not reduce the pressure into the house, just the flow rate when the water is turned on...think of what happens when you adjust the nozzle on your garden hose for less flow (closing the nozzle opening)...the water velocity increases out of the nozzle and you can create a powerful streaming water-jet. But when you close the nozzle, the pressure in the line once again becomes the same street pressure it was before, regardless of the position of the valve in your house, whether it's fully open or almost closed.

Another example: I worked with a fellow many years ago, sort of a technician type that was setting up a test using a high pressure bottle of nitrogen (3000 psi) - he was attempting to plumb the N2 into a test rig without using a regulator - we needed about 100 psi for test and he thought he could achieve this by piping directly into the system and just barely cracking the 3000 psi valve open on the bottle...the results would have been disastrous.

Hope this helps. :thumbup:

[Zass38]

One of the issues that could contribute to the high water pressure spikes is water hammer. This can happen when your dishwasher or washing machine stops the water, or any automatic valve.

Generally, this is taken care of by a "surge tank" or air column in the water line. This is an easy install. I believe in the newer houses surge tanks are installed, but they must be reset over time to ensure that there is an air cushion to eliminate water shocks.

Just a thought .....