Signs your Water Pressure is To High

Have you been experiencing small plumbing problems around your home? Even though a leaky faucet handle can seem like an easy fix, it may point toward a larger problem. The bigger issue at hand is the potential damage to your plumbing system that high water pressure can cause. High water pressure can cause other issues to pop up throughout your property.

Luckily, our team at Terry’s Plumbing knows all about plumbing issues! So, we’ve rounded up a few ways for homeowners to tell if their water pressure is too high.

Running Out Of Hot Water

Steaming hot showers are fantastic, but do you never seem to have enough? If so, your water pressure may be the issue. Water heaters can only heat so much water at a time. If high water pressure is causing your water to flow too quickly, then you’re probably running out of hot water quickly, too. This can overwhelm your water heater, making it die out sooner than expected.

Loud Plumbing Appliances

Your water-reliant appliances can be strained when your home’s water pressure is too high.

Here are some things to look out for with your appliances:

Your washing machine being extra noisy while filling up
An unusually loud dishwasher cycle
A toilet that continues to run or flush on its own

These are all signs of water pressure problems. The mechanisms and seals inside of these machines wear out quickly when they have to work with high water pressure. When these pieces wear out, your machines work harder and die out sooner.

Leaks

Faucets, shower heads and pipes can all leak when your water pressure is too high. Sometimes all of your faucets can have a constant drip, which is money down the drain! Faucets can also spit and spray water quickly when turned on. As for your pipes, high water pressure will put a ton of strain on your home’s water lines. This can cause loose joints and pressure leaks in the pipes. If pipe leaks aren’t fixed, they can lead to water damage and mold growth.

Noisy Pipes

When you turn off your faucet, do you hear a banging noise like a hammer? This is called a “water hammer” and excessive water pressure in your house’s main water pipe can cause it. This high water pressure causes the pipes to clang together whenever the water flow stops or changes. While this sound is definitely annoying, it can also be harmful. Water hammer often loosens plumbing connectors, and even breaks pipes.

Expensive Water Bills

If your water bill is raised suddenly, or if you’re paying more than your neighbors, you may have undiagnosed plumbing issues on your hands. Again, high water pressure could be the culprit. The reason for this is that high water pressure causes you to use more water. High water pressure can cause you to use 6 more gallons of water every 10 minutes when a faucet is running. This can make that water bill rise quite fast.

What Should My Water Pressure Be?

High water pressure is not good. But what exactly should a home’s water pressure be? And what is a high water pressure versus a low water pressure? We measure water pressure in PSI, or pounds per square inch. Typically, normal water pressure is from 40 to 60 PSI. However, the ideal measurement is usually 50 PSI, but it can vary slightly from home to home. You can always check and adjust your water pressure levels at home, or call in the experts!

Pittsburgh Plumbing Services

There are countless plumbing issues that can arise. So when you need a reliable plumbing company to call on, our experts are always here to help. We offer all kinds of services, from kitchen and bathroom plumbing, to water heaters, to sewer line inspections. When you call on our team, you can trust we will fix things right the first time!