I have a situation that cropped up recently: the water pressure in our house becomes quite high from time to time. Other times it's fine.

The problem is apparent when a faucet is turned on and for a few seconds the water comes out with much more force then settles down to the normal flow. We've also noticed that our ice maker in the freezer also overflows when filling the ice tray when the pressure is high. We also notice that sometimes when a toilet is flushed you can hear an initial surge of water as the tank begins to fill.

The problem does not happen all the time, but it does seem more apparent just after the water heater has been heating a tank of water. To me it seems like a problem with the water expanding it the pipes from the water heater. If so, I have no idea how to correct it.

One guy with some plumbing experience thought it had to do with our reducer valve or some sort of inline filter that was clogged. That sort of makes sense since the problem started after we had some outside plumbing issues where part of the water main had to be replaced.

Any ideas?

That one guy is probably right. You need to determine what your psi actually is and if it varies. Replacing the PRV would be in line if the psi jumps up or down. Not waterheater related if your toilet is affected, that's cold only.

problem started after we had some outside plumbing issues where part of the water main had to be replaced.
I agree with Bob. Sounds like trash of dirt in PRV as a result of water main work.

"The problem does not happen all the time, but it does seem more apparent just after the water heater has been heating a tank of water. To me it seems like a problem with the water expanding it the pipes from the water heater. If so, I have no idea how to correct it."

I'm wondering if this guy might need an expansion tank next to his water heater. If the hot water heater is building pressure, wouldn't that affect hot as well as cold water? Just asking.