Roseheart Water Pressure As Of: June 28, 2017

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Roseheart Water Pressure As Of: June 28, 2017 Potential Problems Within Roseheart Recently, there have been a couple of homes in Roseheart that have experienced damage due to spikes in water pressure.

1 Roseheart Water Pressure As Of: June 28, 2017 Potential Problems Within Roseheart Recently, there have been a couple of homes in Roseheart that have experienced damage due to spikes in water pressure. These included exploding water softener membranes, leakage at Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems, and water pipe leaks. When a water softener membrane explodes, silicon (beads) particles travel through the pipes and clog appliances such as dish washers, washing machines, water filters and some ice makers. They also clog faucet aerators, shower heads, settle in the bottom of commodes and in your hot water heater. These become expensive repairs to include the water softener itself. Unfortunately, in the fine print of many home owner warranty services, you are NOT covered for the repair if it is due to HIGH water pressure. As for water leaks from pipes bursting/leaking, we have all heard of the horror stories (EXPENSIVE)! Low pressure, on the other hand, is more of a nuisance except that your sprinkler heads may not raise up enough to get proper coverage and lower flow through the faucets. Homes in Roseheart were built with water pressure-reducing valves designed to protect against such problems. Over time, these valves may need to be adjusted or replaced. Read on for some valuable information. SAWS Water Pressure Information (from SAWS Website) High Pressure Water pressure within SAWS' service area can range from 35 to 175 pounds. High water pressure can be controlled by a pressure-reducing valve (PRV) installed on the property owner's side of the water meter. If you already have a pressure-reducing valve, it may need to be adjusted or serviced. Recommended maximum water pressure, especially if you have a water softener or a sprinkler system, is 80 pounds. Low Pressure Is the problem at every faucet? If not, you may have a clogged aerator. Check the screens for rust or other particles that may be restricting flow. Clean and/or replace the aerator. In single-handle fixtures, the trouble could also be in the mixer valve cartridge of the fixture, the water supply line may be crimped or the water supply valve may be partially closed.

Is the pressure the same at both hot and cold fixtures? If only hot water, the problem could be with your water heater.

If this increases your pressure, the problem is probably in the water softener. Do you have a pressure-reducing valve (PRV) on your property?

These are usually located on the property owner's side of the water meter (see picture on page 4). This is the valve that allows you to turn off water to your house for repairs or other purposes.

Aerators are small screens that fit inside some faucet down spouts (bathroom & kitchen), water softener filters, and some flexible water lines (e.g.

2 Is the pressure the same at both hot and cold fixtures? If only hot water, the problem could be with your water heater. Check the shut-off valve near the water heater to make sure it is not closed or partially closed. Do you have a water softener? If so, put the softener on bypass and see if the pressure increases. If this increases your pressure, the problem is probably in the water softener. Do you have a pressure-reducing valve (PRV) on your property? These are usually located on the property owner's side of the water meter. If you do, it may need to be adjusted or serviced. Is your customer valve fully open? These are usually located on the property owner's side of the water meter (see picture on page 4). This is the valve that allows you to turn off water to your house for repairs or other purposes. Clarification of Some SAWS Terms Above The SAWS Website mentioned a clogged aerator. Aerators are small screens that fit inside some faucet down spouts (bathroom & kitchen), water softener filters, and some flexible water lines (e.g. hoses connected to washing machines, watering hoses, and sprinkler pop up heads, etc.). If you are uncertain about the possibility of crimped water supply lines, water supply valves that may be partially closed, water shut off valves near your water heater, or water softener bypass valves (NOTE: The bypass does not shut off your home s water supply, it only shuts off your water s access to the softener.), it is always best to consult a licensed plumber, or someone else (knowledgeable neighbor) experienced in such matters. Pressure-Reducing Valve As noted in the name, the valve reduces the high SAWS water pressure. The valve has a spring inside that controls the pressure. There is an adjustment at the top of the valve that can set the desired pressure. However, after much usage and age, the spring just wears out. This can lead to either low or high-water pressure. Low pressure is a nuisance but as noted earlier, high pressure can potentially lead to expensive repairs. It is recommended that a licensed plumber be the one who does an inspection, adjustment of the valve, and/or service/replace, if required.

Water Cutoff and Pressure-Reducing Valve Location When homes were built in Roseheart from 2003-2008, the builder s plumber installed the cutoff and pressure-reducing valve on the property owner s

The small, round, green, plastic covers were to allow access to the water cutoff valve and the water pressure-reducing valve (usually about 6 inches in diameter and identical to the irrigation zone

If you cannot locate them, you can use something like a long screwdriver (or equivalent) and poke around until you hear a hollow plastic sound. You can then dig down and uncover the plastic covers.

3 Water Cutoff and Pressure-Reducing Valve Location When homes were built in Roseheart from , the builder s plumber installed the cutoff and pressure-reducing valve on the property owner s side of the water meter (as noted by SAWS). The small, round, green, plastic covers were to allow access to the water cutoff valve and the water pressure-reducing valve (usually about 6 inches in diameter and identical to the irrigation zone covers). However, over time in many yards, the green plastic covers are now covered by dirt, mulch, river rocks and/or grass. If you cannot locate them, you can use something like a long screwdriver (or equivalent) and poke around until you hear a hollow plastic sound. You can then dig down and uncover the plastic covers. Water Pressure Gauge One of the other problems that has surfaced in Roseheart is that the water cutoff handle (see photo on page 4) has rusted off at many homes. The environment where this handle is located is in a damp soil which accelerates the rusting. This handle was intended for homeowners to easily cut off the flow of water to both the house and irrigation system. If the handle is unusable, you can only cutoff the total flow of water to your house and yard by a shutoff valve in the water meter. How do I know if I have a high-water pressure problem? One way initially without having to call and then pay a plumber s service charge, is to use a Water Pressure Gauge (see picture). Make sure you have one with a red limit needle. One can be purchased at a Home Improvement store (i.e. Home Depot, Lowes, Ace, etc) for about $10 or maybe your neighbor has one you can borrow. The water pressure gauge is hooked onto one of your hose bibs. After securing it, slowly turn on your hose bib. The gauge will then indicate your line s water pressure (measured in Pounds per Square Inch (PSI)). The red line indicates the highest pressure that was put on the gauge. You may have to rotate the red line back to current pressure if you turned on the faucet too fast to get a correct starting position for maximum pressure. As noted by SAWS, the recommended maximum should be 80 PSI or less to protect your water softeners and irrigation systems. It is recommended leaving the hose bib faucet in the On position for a day or two to experience a full water cycle to include your water softener going through its flush cycle, as this is one of the times that pressure really fluctuates.

If you are experiencing LOW pressure, you will have a much slower rate of water from your faucets and your sprinkler heads will not pop up enough nor spray as far as they had been in the past.

If the normal pressure is higher than you feel comfortable with, it can be adjusted at the pressurereducing valve (if it can be accessed).

4 If you are experiencing LOW pressure, you will have a much slower rate of water from your faucets and your sprinkler heads will not pop up enough nor spray as far as they had been in the past. However, HIGH water pressure is what can damage your items in your house (particularly the water softener and a reverse osmosis system) or cause a weak plumbing joint to leak or break. If the normal pressure is higher than you feel comfortable with, it can be adjusted at the pressurereducing valve (if it can be accessed). You may get some smaller spikes in pressure especially when one suddenly turns on a faucet or the water softener flushes. This is normal. You may want to reset your gauge a couple of times to see if the spikes consistently occur. The weaker the spring in the pressure-reducing valve gets, the less it protects your home system by allowing higher water pressure. If, after resetting your pressure gauge back to the baseline, you still get big spikes, it may be time to consult your favorite plumber. Even if you have good readings for now, you may still want to check your pressure every couple of months, especially if you have an older pressure-reducing valve. What Do I Do If I Have High Pressure Spikes? The spikes may be a warning that the pressure-reducing valve is going bad. A similiar example is the sound that the brake pads on your vehicle make when your pads are getting extremely worn. They still work, but one of these times the brakes may just fail. Your pressure-reducing valve may let through too much pressure than what your water softener or reverse osmosis system can handle. Most water softeners have a warning of NOT To Exceed 120 PSI. Most Reverse Osmosis Water Systems specifications call for a maximum pressure of 100 PSI. The connection lines are the limiting factor. If you have any spikes above 100 PSI, it may be like the squeaky warning of your brakes. Time for some serious action. It is recommended contacting your favorite licensed plumber immediately. Tell him/her what you observed regarding your pressure readings. The plumber will then inspect, adjust your system, or replace as needed. If you have spikes between 90 and 100 PSI, it is a general warning. However, considering the age of your valve, you may still want to consult with the licensed plumber. The price to replace your valve will vary. The valve itself will run about $110 +/- $30 as it will depend on the size and quality required plus any additional box, fittings and/or pipe, if required. The major cost will be labor of the plumber. According to Angie s list, it should take about 3 hours. This could vary depending on how hard it is to access the existing valve (remember earlier picture about small green covers), as it may take quite a bit of digging. Once a plumber is having to dig a bigger hole to access, you may want to have him inspect the cutoff handle and replace if needed while he is down there. In addition, you may want to consider having him install a larger access box to make it easier to get to the cutoff handle as well as the pressure reducing valve. A little extra cost now but less of an access problem in the future for both you and the plumber.

5 Bottomline It may be hard to believe, but the normal warranty for a pressure-reducing valve is only one year. Some of the folks in Roseheart had to change out their valves after only 3 years of use. On the other hand, many Roseheart homes have the original pressure-reducing valve. Sooner or later, it will have to be replaced (spring wears out) as well as the cutoff handle (due to rusting). It is not a cheap endeavor to replace a cutoff handle and pressure-reducing valve. Unless it is urgent, you may want to check with different plumbers as to what it may cost for this work. Do not let them try to up-charge you on stuff you may not need. Being informed is a key to not being ripped off by an unscrupulous plumbing firm. Meanwhile, once you talk with someone who has had a water softener membrane explode or one who has dealt with water damage inside a home, you do not want to have that experience. You decide on the time to have a licensed plumber inspect and service the pressure-reducing valve and cutoff handle. Knowledge is Key to Minimize Potential Water Damage 1. Know your home s water pressure and does it spike 2. Know where the water meter cutoff is located 3. Know where your house/yard water cutoff valve is located near your home s water meter and how to use it 4. Know where, and the difference between the softener by-pass handle and the water cutoff handle/valve (near each other) and how to use both 5. Know where your hot water heater cutoff valve is located and how to use it

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