Four Signs You Have a Water Pressure Problem

San Rafael

(415) 942-6565

Santa Rosa

(707) 452-3464

Many people don’t take their water pressure into consideration unless there’s an obvious problem with it. Water pressure plays a big role in how your home’s plumbing functions, including influencing nearly anything that relies on a water connection. Ideally, water pressure in your home should be around 60 pounds per square inch (PSI), but it’s not uncommon for those who are located near a water plant or distribution facility to have water pressures that can exceed 80 or even 100 PSI.

What does that do for your plumbing system? The answer is simple: nothing good. In fact, there’s a strong chance that your plumbing could be experiencing a number of issues that could all be traced back at least partially to excessive water pressure. If you’re experiencing any of these common symptoms of excessive water pressure, then you shouldn’t hesitate to reach out to a professional for help as soon as possible.

Frequent Plumbing Leaks

Have you ever filled up a water bottle to the very top and then frozen it? You probably came back to your freezer several hours later to find that the bottle had warped, deformed, and even cracked under the tremendous amount of pressure that the freezing water placed on it. Excessive water pressure can do this very same thing—putting too much pressure on the inside of your pipes is eventually going to cause them to wear out, weaken, and start to leak. The occasional leak may not necessarily indicate a water pressure issue, but repeated leak issues is usually a strong indication that your water pressure may very well be an issue.

Water Hammer

Do you hear a loud clanging or banging noise coming from inside your walls whenever a flushing toilet shuts off or when you turn off a faucet that was allowing water to flow with fairly high pressure? This is a common phenomenon known as “water hammer” or “plumbing hammer,” and is a direct result of a water pressure issue. When water is traveling through your lines at too high of a pressure, shutting the water off and stopping its flow causes the water in the line to violently thrash about and collide with the walls of your plumbing. Since it has nowhere else to go, it causes the entire pipe itself to shake and vibrate, creating the banging noise.

While the noise alone may not necessarily be cause for concern, the real issue is that water hammer left unrepaired can quickly turn into leaks or damaged water lines. Susceptible water lines could cause serious damage to your home that could have otherwise been prevented with a fairly simple repair. If you find that you’re dealing with water hammer in your home, have your plumbing inspected professionally and get your water pressure tested—you may be surprised to find out just how much pressure your water is under.

Running Toilets

Water pressure that’s too high puts a lot of stress and strain on things like seals, gaskets, and other small plumbing components that are responsible for controlling pressure and flow. One such fixture is your toilet’s fill valve. Your fill valve uses a rubber gasket to seal the water flow when your float reaches the set level, shutting off the water flow and keeping your toilet stationary until you start the next flush cycle. However, water pressure that’s too high could contribute to this rubber gasket wearing out, corroding, or falling apart to the point where it can’t contain the water flow evenly. This results in dripping toilets that become noisy and waste water.

Sure, toilet fill valves will always wear out eventually, but water pressure is one of the largest reasons for premature replacement. If you find that your toilets are leaking, even though you may have replaced your fill valve as little as two to three years ago, then there’s a strong chance that water pressure is the culprit behind your issues.

Dripping Faucets

A dripping faucet may seem like one of the most common plumbing issues you can have, but did you know they’re often the consequence of excessive water pressure? For much the same reason that water pressure can cause a running toilet, faucets can start to drip and waste water. When the water pressure in your home is too high, the gaskets and seals that contain the water in your faucets are forced to endure a barrage of water pressing against them. Because these components are made from soft and pliable materials for optimal performance, they can quickly wear out and lead to leaky faucets.

Are you tired of leaky pipes or fixtures making your plumbing a stressful part of homeownership? Let a professional technician from John Owens Services take care of the problem with a new water pressure regulator installation service. Dial today to schedule yours.

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San Rafael
(415) 942-6565
Santa Rosa
(707) 452-3464

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San Rafael
(415) 942-6565
Santa Rosa
(707) 452-3464