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PLUMPEACHY12 · Feb 4, 2011, 06:48 AM

We have been having water pressure issues and no one can seem to diagnose the problem. We have had 2 different plumbers replace the Pressure Release Valve 3 times now and within a week they are blowing out and no longer functioning. We have had the city out. They say that it is something within the house. The plumbers are saying it is something to do with the meter... does anyone have any ideas? They water pressure from the street is measuring over 100 PSIs - their meters only ready up to 100 PSIs. On the exterior faucet of the house the pressure is surging up to 180 PSIs. Any ideas would be great!

massplumber2008 · Feb 4, 2011, 06:54 AM

Hi Plumpeachy...

Do you have a water heater? If so, do you have an EXPANSION TANK on the cold water supply into the water heater?

Let me know, OK?

Mark

PS I'll be out for the day and will check in tonight, but keep checking in throughout the day as plenty of people here can help.

PLUMPEACHY12 · Feb 4, 2011, 07:20 AM

We do have a water heater, but no expansion tank. We asked the plumbers about putting one on and they both said that an expansion tank would blow up with all the water pressure in the house.

hkstroud · Feb 4, 2011, 08:14 AM

When you say Pressure Release Valve are you talking about the T&P (Temperature and Pressure) release valve on the water heater or are you talking about the PRV (Pressure Reducing Valve) that reduces the water pressure coming into the house?

One hundred eighty (180) pound of water pressure is way, way out of line. Pressure from the street should be reduce to 60 lbs max.

mygirlsdad77 · Feb 4, 2011, 10:35 PM

Yes, please clarify. Are you talking about a pressure relief valve, or pressure reducing valve(prv). Sounds like you are saying the pressure relief valve is blowing off. In this case, you need to have a pressure reducing valve installed in the home on your main feed line to regulate your pressure down. You would then want to have the expansion tank installed for the water heater. This should cure your problem.

PLUMPEACHY12 · Feb 6, 2011, 10:45 AM

I am talking about the pressure reducing valve. To give a little more history, I have lived in the home for 9 yrs. We have never need an expansion tank. We started having issues a few months ago and no one has been able to correct the problem. We have even called a Class 1 Master Plumber out to try to help. He seems to thing there is some malfunction at the meter. The city says that the pressure is the same for all the homes in my culdesac & they are not having any problems so the pressure should be fine. The pressure is not a constant 180 PSIs. It just surges to that point. Now I am being told to put multiple PRVs on the incoming water line to reduce the pressure enough. I just don't understand how they are not going to blow out one at a time. I am not sure about the expansion tank, but the plumbers that have been to the house said they would just blow up from all the pressure coming in from the street.

PLUMPEACHY12 · Feb 6, 2011, 10:48 AM

I do have a pressure relief valve as well and so far it still seems to be functioning properly. The plumbers did check that.

massplumber2008 · Feb 6, 2011, 11:27 AM

Hi again...

Expansion tank sure would blow at such pressures! Almost anything can blow at such pressures!

Did the plumber explain how he thought a measuring device (water meter) could increase pressure like this? This doesn't make sense to me at all.

Next questions...

What are you using to measure the 180LBS pressure on the exterior faucet and how did you connect it?

What name brand pressure regulator valve have you used? What is the pressure range of the valve?

Do you have any back-flow preventers, check valves, filters, or water softeners in the home? How about a sprinkler system? Finally, far-reaching here, do you have a pool?

Please answer the questions, OK?

Finally, I think you should contact the WATTS regulator company... see links below:

Watts - Plumbing, Heating and Water Quality Products Manufacturer

Contact Us - Got a question? Watts is ready to help.

They should be able to help you to find a regulator that will work for your situation.

Let me know what happens here... :)

Mark

parttime · Feb 6, 2011, 11:27 AM

Plumpeachy12, I'm still confused. Is the thing you say that's blowing out screwed into your water heater?

PLUMPEACHY12 · Feb 6, 2011, 12:03 PM

The Pressure Reducing Valve that I am referring to is not attached to the water heater. It is on the main line coming into the house. OK massplumber2008, I am going to do my best here... I am not sure about why the plumber that I have had out seems to think that there is something at the meter. The city changed out the backflow on the meter & of course that didn't help a bit. I think that there is just so much pressure coming in from the street and it keeps making the PRV stop working he thought that it has to be coming from there...

We have been using a Watts water pressure gauge, purchased from Home Depot on the exterior faucet to get the 180 PSI readings. The max it goes is to 200. It has to needles, a black & a red one. The red one goes up with the black one and stays at its peak reading. The water company also used a pressure gauge on the line coming from the meter & the max their gauge read was 100 PSIs & the pressure was maxing out the gauge past the 100 mark.

I do not have a pool, sprinkler system or water softener. I am not sure about a backflow preventer other than the one that the city mentioned they just replaced on the meter. I do not know of a filter on the house or a check valve. I may have them & not know. Unfortunately, I am a banker and am not very well versed in all the language you guys use, but I do not recall hearing either of the plumbers mentions a filter or check valve.

There have been a couple different brands of regulators that have been put on. All of them have been residential. 2 were from home depot, Watts brands and the most recent 2 were from a builders supply store,I do not see a name brand, just a shark logo... not sure if that helps. I was told the most recent one was supposed to allow up to 400 PSIs.

Let me also say, it is really pretty strange, because it seems like the regulator will be working running 55 PSIs through the house and then all of the sudden we turn a faucet on and it almost blows the head clean off the sink. It surges to 180. So if the pressure from the street is at 100+PSIs and sometimes I am running a steady 55 PSIs... why would I get such a huge surge. Like I said, it almost seems as if the regulator is working... at least some of the time.

massplumber2008 · Feb 6, 2011, 02:02 PM

Thank you for answering the questions... tough one here and I doubt we can help much to be honest, but if you don't mind hashing back and forth we may, as a group, find a way to contribute, maybe?

Another question. What kind of heating system do you have... forced hot water, steam or forced air system? If you have a forced hot water system do you have a pressure reducing valve and a backflow preventer at the boiler... let me know?

Also, call the watts guys at the link I provided. Talk to the technical department and see what they think on this. These guys are experts on this matter so spend a few and chat them up... never know what they may come up with here!

Back to you...

PLUMPEACHY12 · Feb 6, 2011, 03:01 PM

We have a forced air system. I will call the watts guy in the morning... any help will be appreciated... this is terrible. Just really afraid if we don't get it fixed we are going to have a REAL problem on our hands!