Ask Me Help Desk - Pressure reducing valve?

Hi again,

Firstly, thanks for all your advice so far...

I installed the thermostatic shower valve (by hudson reed of the UK) and shower arm (using drop eared elbow as per your advice - thanks!). I checked for leaks and there were none, but when I turn the volume of water up to try and get a warm flow the valve is very noisy. The owner's guide said for noisy valves you need to install a pressure reducing valve in the mains supply line immediately after the stopcock to the premises.

Is this something I should do myself or get a plumber? I'm confident with sweating and union joints etc... immediately after the mains water enters my house there is the meter and then a short run off old brass pipe (the only bit left in the house, at least that I'm aware of). I suppose if I were to install a valve in this section it would be a good time to upgrade this run to copper?

Also, do I have to install the pressure reducing valve immediately after the shut off valve for the whole house? Will that affect my other bathrooms/washing machine/kitchen etc? Can't I just install the valve somewhere in the line that I've branched off for the new shower...

Many thanks in advance for your advice,

Andy

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy ure

hi again,

firstly, thanks for all your advice so far...

i installed the thermostatic shower valve (by hudson reed of the UK) and shower arm (using drop eared elbow as per your advice - thanks!). i checked for leaks and there were none, but when i turn the volume of water up to try and get a warm flow the valve is very noisy. the owner's guide said for noisy valves you need to install a pressure reducing valve in the mains supply line immediately after the stopcock to the premises.

is this something i should do myself or get a plumber? i'm confident with sweating and union joints etc...immediately after the mains water enters my house there is the meter and then a short run off old brass pipe (the only bit left in the house, at least that i'm aware of). i suppose if i were to install a valve in this section it would be a good time to upgrade this run to copper?

also, do i have to install the pressure reducing valve immediately after the shut off valve for the whole house? will that affect my other bathrooms/washing machine/kitchen etc? can't i just install the valve somewhere in the line that i've branched off for the new shower...

many thanks in advance for your advice,

andy

Hi Andy,

Before I installed a pressure reducing valve I would cut back on the stops to the shower valve and see if that didn't help. Cutting back the entire house pressure for just one valve doesn't make much sense to me. Let me know if that works for you. Regards, Tom

Hi tom,

Thanks - that sort of worked. For some reason there's no shut off valve on the hot water supply, which I will correct, but when I turned the cold valve to barely open I could get hot water from the shower (it's had for me to really test it since the shower isn't tiled yet and I don't want to soak the new cement board). However, when I turned up the volume really high it still made some noise which I guess is from the pressure on the hot water. Also, this shower is in the basement of a 2 story house so I suppose the pressure will be greatest in the basement?

However, here's the problem. The shut off valve is a gate valve which I know should only be used open or shut, not to regulate flow. If I replace it with a ball valve would that be better? Are they all right to be partially open? Or am I better off putting pressure reducing valves / regulators on both the hot and cold supply to the shower, so the rest of the house can keep the current pressure?

Thanks again for your advice

Andy

Quote:

Originally Posted by andy ure

hi tom,

thanks - that sort of worked. for some reason there's no shut off valve on the hot water supply, which i will correct, but when i turned the cold valve to barely open i could get hot water from the shower (it's had for me to really test it since the shower isn't tiled yet and i don't want to soak the new cement board). however, when i turned up the volume really high it still made some noise which i guess is from the pressure on the hot water. also, this shower is in the basement of a 2 story house so i suppose the pressure will be greatest in the basement?

however, here's the problem. the shut off valve is a gate valve which i know should only be used open or shut, not to regulate flow. if i replace it with a ball valve would that be better? are they alright to be partially open? or am i better off putting pressure reducing valves / regulators on both the hot and cold supply to the shower, so the rest of the house can keep the current pressure?

thanks again for your advice

andy

Hi Andy,
I'd go with the ball valves. They're less expensive and take the place of both pressure/volume control and shut off valves. Good luck Tom