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Why聽Should You Test the聽Water Pressure?

Getting educated about聽your home’s water pressure聽ensures聽a satisfying shower, but more importantly, it聽shields聽your plumbing system from聽harm.聽Just like聽you聽consistently聽check the oil in your car,聽examining聽your聽water pressure聽a few times聽a year can prevent bigger problems聽in the future.

After all, low water pressure is聽aggravating, but high water pressure can聽actually聽damage your plumbing system, including pipe connections, water heaters and appliances. The聽chances聽of blowouts in flexible lines, like those connecting to your washing machine and dishwasher,聽goes up聽with high water pressure, potentially聽resulting in聽leaks and extensive water damage.聽Testing聽your water pressure and聽acting on聽the results can聽help avoid聽these issues.

Necessary Equipment for an At-Home Water Pressure Test

To聽get started, you need a聽basic聽and聽low-cost聽tool called a pressure gauge. These are聽easily聽available at hardware or home improvement聽shops. When聽selecting聽a gauge, look for one with female hose threads (to easily attach to an outdoor faucet or hose bib), a rubber gasket for a tight seal and the聽ability聽to measure聽as high as聽300 pounds per square inch (psi).

An Easy聽Guide to Testing Water Pressure

With a pressure gauge聽at the ready, you’re set to聽check聽the聽water pressure. Just聽take聽these steps:

1. Preparation: First,聽ensure聽that all water outlets in your聽household聽are聽switched聽off.聽Make sure you check the following:聽faucets, showerheads, dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerator ice makers and sprinkler systems. Any water聽use聽during聽testing may聽impact聽your readings and give a false聽impression聽of low pressure.
2. Get out聽the pressure gauge: Attach the gauge to an聽outside聽faucet or hose bib. If your water聽is from聽a municipal source, connect it to the faucet聽closest聽to the water meter聽to get聽the most accurate reading. For homes聽connected to聽a well system,聽attach聽it to a hose bib聽in the vicinity of聽the well’s pressure tank.
3. Determine聽the pressure: Tighten the gauge by hand and open the faucet聽to the max. Now,聽check聽the readout to聽see聽the pressure.聽A preferred聽reading聽runs聽from 45 to 55 psi. If your reading is聽lower than聽40 psi or聽greater than聽80 psi, it’s time to聽do something.

Fixing聽Water Pressure聽Problems

Here are聽remedies to solve water pressure problems:

• High pressure:聽Install聽a water pressure regulator on your water main. This聽tool聽restricts your water pressure to聽a maximum flow of 75 psi. Even if you already have a regulator, it’s聽a good idea聽to聽review聽the pressure聽routinely, as聽regulators聽can fail without聽you knowing.
• Low pressure:聽To start off with,聽examine聽any聽existing聽pressure regulators, which should be set to聽approximately聽50 psi. Adjusting the screw on top聽should聽increase聽flow. If a pressure regulator isn’t聽what's causing the low pressure, the problem聽could聽be with the municipal water聽provider. In聽this case,聽installing聽a water pressure booster may聽aid in raising the pressure.
• Normal pressure: If your pressure聽falls in聽the聽recommended聽range, no聽additional聽action is聽required. Just聽keep in mind聽to test your water pressure聽regularly聽to ensure it聽remains聽within this range.

When to聽Seek Professional Help聽for Water Pressure Problems in the U.S

If you’re聽uncertain聽about testing the water pressure聽on your own, or if you’ve聽found聽an issue that聽needs聽professional聽attention, don’t hesitate to聽contact聽黑料社区 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing. Our聽experienced聽plumbers can help you test your water pressure, diagnose聽problems聽and聽check to be sure that聽no fixtures have been聽negatively affected聽by high pressure. We can also聽help with聽outfitting your home with聽a pressure regulator or booster if聽needed. Thanks to our 黑料社区 Guarantee, you can聽trust聽us to聽make the correct fix聽the first time around. The next time you聽encounter聽water pressure problems or other plumbing聽challenges聽in the U.S, call 黑料社区 Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing to schedule an appointment. We’re here聽for you!