Thank you Adam. I bought the part from Amazon and hooked up to outside hose. Psi was 42....Went under house and increased it to 60 as the valve could handle up to 75. This was my first successful project after watching it on youtube first!
Thanks for the video. I had a plumber come to check my water heater. He actually turned up the water pressure to 95PSI and then told me I need to spend $1000 to replace the pressure regulator, in addition to $5000 to replace the water heater. He said he tried but was not able to adjust the pressure lower. After he left, I noticed the shower pressure was extremely high. I figured out how to adjust it and it's fine now. Gotta be careful with these Plumber scams!
Thanks SO MUCH! After I bought my home I was determined to have my dream refrigerator...REAL stainless steel Frigidaire Gallery Professional Series BIG side by side. Abt a year or so later my ice maker quit working. It was still under warranty from Sears. I was a under 30, a single homeowner & I'm female. I'm also the daughter of a former steamfitter who taught me how to do everything he taught my brothers. I did everything I was supposed to do. It was just a bad unit & needed to be replaced. The guy came from Sears & 1st tried to tell me I broke it & it wouldn't be covered. I KNEW I DIDN'T & it SHOULD & WOULD be covered. After he knew I wasn't budging he then went down to my basement & after several mins came back up & turned on my kitchen faucet. He rudely shouted @ me said "SEE?! :LOW WATER PRESSURE! YOUR PRESSURE VALVE IS BROKEN, WARRANTY IS VOIDED & YOU'RE PAYING FOR THIS!" He demanded over $500 for my new ice maker & the service call b4 he'd even order the replacement. I was so perplexed, ticked & a little scared but tried to keep my cool. Standing in my suit & heels I blurted out "Hey buddy, don't let the blonde hair fool you." That caught his attention. I had amazing water pressure before he went downstairs & told him so. Also told him my father, IQ of 165, former youngest foreman steamfitter, now President of a nationally successful automation company he started himself not only put in my hot water heater but my faucet & sprayer too & it was powerful before he came to look @ my ice maker...bcz it was...my dad would always joke how much stronger it was than his own. I asked him if he'd like me to call my father so he could tell my dad what he told me. He declined & the warranty covered it. I was so rattled & didn't know what the Sears guy did but knew he did something & also bcz I thought Sears would never be ok w/their employee doing that. I was young & naive but I know now THAT was part of his job. He JUST adjusted/lowered my pressure. I bought a new PRV & was going to learn to fix it but life happened & then my dad was in a fatal accident & water pressure was but wasn't high on my priority list. I still have the awful pressure & it's messing w/my Whirlpool fridge's ice maker & it brought it all back along w/the sadness of missing my dad...but YOU just taught me how to fix it. I'm sorry I am being so longwinded but I needed you to know YOU made a huge positive impact on my life w/your video today. You are AWESOME! I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart! I know my dad does too!🙏😇
I’ll tell you this. I increased my pressure over 70 psi and you gotta be careful. All the toilets and sinks and various connections seem to break faster and/or eventually leak. Pressures regulation is safer at default levels 45-50- I think out of reducer. The cheap toilet components and cheaper seals now days don’t seem to like higher pressures. Basically you’ll risk popping lines and instigate a flood. As me how I know. And when insurance companies come in, they check to see if you played with it as an excuse not to pay a claim. Just a heads up.
Your exactly right 60 psi is fine,the higher the pressure more water you use,water hammer can start and I've seen water heaters work backwards, not one of these guys factor in thermal expansion.
@@truth6600 I'm dealing with a new amazon site that is dealing g with all of the issues u are talking about. They have 80 plus psi, they blew some seals already too
Adam, you may want to mention to the people that Have a Thermal Expansion Tank on their system that when you adjust the water pressure in your water system that you also have to adjust the air pressure in the expansion tank. The two pressures must match for the expansion tank to work properly. This is a good informative video. Thank you for posting.
What happens if you adjust the prv but not the expansion tank? My prv was an issue (psi went up to 100) and it was just replaced under warranty, but ive noticed the psi increases throughout the day or early morning hours. At one point, it got back up to the max prv level of 75, but it was set to about 65...so its fluctuating anywhere from 5-10 psi When plumbers came to troubleshoot the psi and when they replaced the prv (and adjusting the psi after the prv replacement), they never adjusted the expansion tank
the air in the expansion tank is extremely easy to adjust yourself with a simple bicycle pump that has an air gauge attached to it. But be careful. Because I do not know the max air pressure of the expansion tank. You will have to do your homework on that part. My water pressure and expansion tank are both set at 45psi.
Just a footnote. If you try to attach the bicycle pump to the expansion tank and water comes out, that means the air bladder inside the expansion tank has gone bad and you will have to replace the expansion tank.
Just wanted make sure I dropped a comment here to let you and any of your viewers know that this is a very good, spot on , no bs, easy to understand and follow video that I've actually had different homeowning friends and customers look up and watch to help them with there water pressure issues. All have had good results afterwards. Thank you for your time and sharing your knowledge.
I'm not one to comment on many videos, but I have to say that this was nearly a perfect tutorial vid. Limited b.s., good demonstration, and nice explanation. Two virtual thumbs up.
Agreed!! Thank you so much. All of it is great. After my guy replaced my water heater he said he turned down our pressure. My sprinklers won’t Eve pop up now!!! I need to turn it back up and I think I can with this video!!!! Thank you!!! ( and I never comment either!!)
please contact me. I am a local here at West Valley City and my first spring I already encountered the problem of having leaking sprinklers. I hope that is not the case.
Easy to follow. Your video helped clarify exactly where I could test the water pressure and where and how to regulate it. Exactly what I was looking to learn. Thank you for taking the time to make it. Much appreciated.
This was easy to do and seems to have help out with the water pressure. I was thinking about going 1 or 2 more turns but I thought I would give it a couple of days and look for water leeks. Thank You.
Great tutorial. Simple and to the point. My water constantly makes a running/hissing sound inside my garage. Hopefully this gauge and adjusting the pressure helps. Thx again
I'm a Kiwi living of the grid. My water comes from a storage tank that is feed via the roof from rainwater. I don't have anything like yours, but that valve thing you turn is that what is called the A-Jax valve here in NZ, ours being entirely different in shape and size. My hot water cylinder has a tap but it does not have an out let like yours. God knows where the hose joining the tap goes to perhaps outside, that being the case then ya it would be like your used to drain sh?? from the cylinder, but then to confirm this would be a test in its self when I know there is no way one could crawl under the house to check. I like your video and will test things my way as ya my hot water is almost none existent when it comes to showers. Takes much time just to wet the body let alone to wash :).
Thanks Adam, I suggest that you mention the physics of liquid pressure in a closed system (no escape), is distributed equally through the system to the farthest point and in all directions. When a faucet is opened, the system is no longer closed, and the pressure will drop and I would expect the regulator to compensate to keep the pressure close to the adjusted setting. Mine drops from 60 psi closed, to 40 with a faucet open. I was hoping to find a hint as to how much of a drop can be expected. I would guesstimate that nearly a 50% drop indicates a malfunction of the product. Think I may have to call Watt Customer Service for the info; not having much luck on the web. My source psi from the county is 150psi which kicks of the relief valve on most water heaters, interesting.
Thanks so much AdamDIY...I found the exact same PRV in my basement and now the pressure is much better. Just think. I bought the house a month ago and have been taking trickle type showers, now I'm back in waterpik massage HEAVEN. Bless u. LOL
Thank you so much!! Had a pipe burst and the regulator was turned way up when they were trying to shut the water off which resulted in the water pressure in the house being way too high. The adjustment at the pressure regulator is counterintuitive, you would think turning it clockwise would decrease the pressure. I found one of the gauges at Home Depot and I used it to adjust the pressure down to 50 PSI.
thank you sooo much for this!! the water pressure in my place was terrible and i was thinking it was the fault of the regulator that my landlord installed recently. Then I did some research, found this video, and just had my boyfriend fix it!! I can't wait to wash my hair tonight.
Adam thank you very much for sharing this procedure. Besides fixing or regulating the water pressure; you seem to have very soothing voice, and photogenic face. You should be a Hollywood movie star.........really!!!!!!! Thank you.
THNX-- for the info I am a senior on SS and having help like this is a big savings.. I will now see if I can find -- and do as you showed... I will try and remember to post later what I did..
This was perfect man. I know nothing about this stuff and 2 years ago in my condo I did the exact opposite thing and broke my PRV and $600 later the plumber fixed everything. I used your video tonight and adjusted it in my new house and it worked perfectly. Thanks so much for doing this.
You really need a gauge with two needles one tells you what the pressure surges to at night. That is the most important thing, If you have a regulator it creates a closed system. so you need to relieve the pressure with an expansion tank above your hot water tank. This comes from more experiance than this guy is old. I used to be a A plumber that solved problems. This is one of the most common ones.
My home has a regulator ... I do not have an expansion tank .. water frequently leaks from the hot water heaters pressure relief value. My water pressure is 62 ... would lowering the pressure help stop the leaking or should I get the expansion tank?
Excellent! I'm going to pick up a water pressure gauge and do this tomorrow. I am so sick to death of my terrible water pressure! Someone flushes a toilet in my house and every faucet in the house is reduced to a trickle.
You should be getting the same water pressure in your hot water tank as your hose bib. That drain valve probably is caked full of calcium restricting the flow. Put the gauge on your washing machine outlet. 👍
Adam you are from heaven sir. We've been dealing with low whole house pressure since we moved into our home. It took longer to watch your video than it did to fix this problem. We went from a sub 50 to nearly 80 and the difference is amazingly wonderful. Just took a shower that felt like I was in a spa. Thank you sir. I actually am looking forward to washing dishes now.
Thank you soooo much for your Video . It took me 10 minutes to fix the problem.. I am sure there are many of us would greatly appreciated like I do. Stay safe, be safe. Happy New Year to all of yous!!!
This is a good video. I would like to add some comments. 1. The water heater is connected to the cold water at all times so the pressure is the same with no flow condition. 2. The pressure reducing valve also acts as a check valve *). The PRV shuts off when set pressure is reached and it does that with a rubber washer just like a faucet. Faucets will leak eventually and so will PRV's, causing the house pressure to creep up slowly. I have fixed them frequently but it's a pain. A new one at HD is about $100.- . From. China. for about $15.- , better build and easier to fix. (And it includes a gauge!) 3. After using hot water, cold water will fill the water heater up and the colder water heats up causing it to expand. This will increase the pressure in the pipes. *) In my case ~150PSI. (The pressure release valve on the water heater is usually not working.) (same brand at HD !). A pressure gauge with a red witness pointer will confirm this. 4. I resorted to installing an electric pressure switch which operates a cheap sprinkler valve to release excess pressure through a 1mm hole. (After a shower, about half a pint.) Keeps my water heater from bursting.
Agree. I'd also like to add that the potable water distribution piping in the video appears to be copper going to polybutylene. Polybutylene (PB) piping has a history of weakness/decay/ruptures over time. So much so, that some insurers won't cover a home that has it. My point: Adam - Careful. I'd error on the side of keeping the water pressure low in PB and avoid regular manual adjustments/fluctuations in PSI. Excellent video you made.
I probably shouldn't add this comment to what is just a basic information video on water pressure and how it may be checked with a pressure gauge. However, since there was a brief mention to how the pressure may be greater when closer to the water supply coming into the house or why it was different at the water heater in the house, I felt this basic piece of information should be added. Particularly since many times people will use this method to trouble shoot a low water pressure when USING water in the house. The pressure reading that this video demonstrates is what is referred to as STATIC pressure. Or in other words when there is NO FLOW. When this is the case, the only thing that would cause the pressure to be higher or lower between different locations is a difference in elevation. For example, for the pressure to be lower at the water heater tank, it would have to be at a slightly different elevation. One foot change in elevation represents +/-2.31 psi pressure. When one is concerned with the lack of pressure when using the water, trouble shooting for the pressure loss must take into consideration the rate of FLOW. Because flow is what creates pressure fluctuations. Well that enough of that.
If you have a thermal expansion tank on the water heater be careful with bumping up your water pressure as you might cause the pressure relief valve on water heater to leak. My expansion tank was installed horizontally and there is no room to allow me to add air to expansion tank due to a wall in the way.
My plumbing looks almost identical to your video except I have a double check valve leading to the house fire sprinkler system. Also, I have a permanent pressure gauge near where the sprinkler drain line is located. This gauge reads 150 psi (not controllable by PRV since it's not in that part of the line) . I bought a gauge like yours and checked pressure at a hose connection and at water heater drain connection - both read about 105 psi. I did all this because we had a recent violent pipe rattling when both washing machine and shower were in use. I discovered that the water heater expansion tank diaphragm has broken. (A pressure check at bottom of tank emitted water instead of air.) Our water pressure does not seem extreme, but it sounds like we need to get it down to a maximum of 85 psi.
Good video just one thing I noticed is the comment about water psi and water bill. One thing to note is adding pressure does not necessarily mean adding water volume. Meaning if you increase psi and leave hose on extended period of time your water bill could be more. I don’t think that will change just by adding psi. Because the water bill is determined based on volume. Again more psi does not equate more volume. If anything more psi would be less volume
Good video. Only question is; why not spend the extra $2.50, and get the gauge with the red needle for high pressure point? Seems like that would do the whole job, instead of just half in determining maximum pressure.
Zainab Muzzafar If it is only your shower that is low pressure and no other tap in the house is low pressure then you have a problem with a clog in the shower head or the shower valves. The head is easy to unscrew. Take it off and look inside the shower head inlet. You may see a filter or some debris blocking the flow. If you are sure it's not your shower head then you will want to look at the valves.
Yes, the low pressure is only with the shower. Water is flowing quite fast from the spout. The sink faucets in the washroom and kitchen are also fine. Many thanks for the advise, Adam. Will try to work on it according to the guidelines you gave.
If you take off the shower head and turn on the water you will see if the water flow is still bad. Then you will know for sure if the problem is the head or further back.
Zainab Muzzafar Not too bad. Depending on the brand of your shower faucet you may be able to get the replacement part for free. You may just need to replace the cartridge.
Adam you do a great job of explaining your subject!we live in a second and thirdfloor apartment and the water pressure sucks since they put the valve in plus they r replacing the very old water lines in the street and now its worse.i use a nice shower as therepy for my heath issies and I will give it a try.thanks
I would note you risk leaks by putting plumbing under extreme pressure by going over 50+ PSI. Also you toilet fill/flush valves. I speak from experience in 2 plus homes when pushing over 50 + PSI. Just my .02
Only two comments, since the piping issue was addressed below. 1) in most jurisdictions, you want a backflow preventer after the right hand shutoff valve for the sprinklers. 2) The two nuts on the PRV should not be turned as one. The nearest nut should be fully loosened away from the second nut before they are turned, and then the near nut is tightened last, since it is a "jam nut." Turning them together can damage the threads.
Common sense would tell anybody going to try this that that's how it should be. He's just explaining the process... So please stfu and carry on with your day. You will not be responded to. Happy trolling clown
Thanks for posting, a life saver. I was about to call a plumber because I was trying to increase water pressure but turning counterclockwise instead of clockwise
Pressure gauge: Amazon / Harbor Frt: a bit more than $5, but close; you'll need another few $$ worth of fittings to fit the hose bibb. Don't raise your pressure to 80#: no point: it just stresses all the water components (which are generally rated 80#). Most expectations are filled at 60# which is where most flow restrictors are designed. Most irrigation systems max at 30#, so the more house pressure, the more stress on all that plastic in the yard: usually not worth it. Tank type flush fixtures are designed on 15#, so you will find that somewhere 15~60 is usually workable. [Flush type WC valves need 25#, but you usually only find those in commercial apps.] Broadly, the higher the pressure, the faster the wear on components. High pressure also causes more scaling on hot water: scaling is a function of temperature, calcium concentration, and sudden pressure loss (so more pressure = more scale upon release).
Jill Bierenbaum I bet you know more than anyone in your neighborhood! It's not info that plumbers like to share because it's possible that someone can mess things up if they don't know what they are doing and have too much pressure in their lines. That's why it should be done with a gauge.
You say in your video at the beginning when testing the hose spicket's pressure that you want it at about 80-85. But the regulator says it should be at 55. Are these different water pressures or are the same one and you just don't follow the manufacturer's instructions? It is really annoying that the regulator doesn't have the water pressure gauge built in so it tells you what the pressure is. I am afraid I have put mine up too high even though the water still comes out of the shower somewhat slowly. Thoughts?
I have a Watt pressure regulator (LF25AUB-Z3) and there is no screw but a second nut on top of the brass nut When I try to loosen the brass nut the second (outer) steel nut moves as well How do I tighten this nut, which I think represents the screw in your video, ?
Excellent tutorial.! My pressure regulator is a Zurn Wilkins and it has no screw driver type slot to adjust the water pressure.Only a xex bolt on the end. I guess i just hold the inner bolt nearest the valve with a wrench and just use another wrench to turn the bolt clockwise to increase the water pressure?
Hi, I have a pressure reducing valve as part of a Navien combi tankless water heater. There is also a pressure relief valve. The tankless needs to be less than 30 psi, otherwise the pressure sensor is constantly leasing pressure. I want to know if I can reduce the pressure to stop the constant release.
Suddenly the water pressure of my shower has become very slow. The pores of the shower head are clean. I've been here for over 5 yrs and this is the first time this has happened. I'm confused what might have gone wrong. Is it likely because of clogging of mineral deposits in the spout or hot/cold water mixer? Or, can it have anything to do with neighbors on the upper floor installing a new equipment like a washing machine? Any guidelines would be helpful.
For older buildings, 80psi is a bit too much. I adjusted mine to 50psi. Better play it safe than sorry. My plumbing runs along the crawlspace and the last thing you want to having a burst pipe and got your crawlspace flooded.
I hope it's not ghosts. Lol. But ghosts are actually real. If it's a plumbing problem you can fix it or get a plumber. If it's a ghost problem get your house smudged. You may Google what ghost smudging is all about.
excellent. I have one question how do we define one turn i saw it looks two turns each time. i have recently changed the regulator the pressure was almost 90. the plumber who changed set the new one at 65 psi but pressure is very low in the second floor shower head
Yes, this was helpful thank you. We learned that the pressure coming in to our house was over 115 psi, after a newly installed extension tank to our water heater was no longer working. The same plumber installed a pressure reducing valve like you have shown. Seems to me one could or should have been installed with a gauge on it, though it would have to fit behind wall paneling without protruding beyond the pipes. It seems odd that one wouldn't know how much pressure is added by just turning the end screw blindly. Any thoughts about this? Your easy solution of using a separate pressure valve would solve my asking him to change it out for one with a gauge. Thanks again for your good information.
our water pipes in the house always explode because the pressure is too high when all faucets are closed. what do we need to avoid this? Pressure Regulator or Pressure Relief Valve?
I cannot find this bolt anywhere. I see the pressure gauge, a green valve, and a small box with about 4 wires next to it. It doesn’t look like this. Any ideas?
My regulator appears to be in a water meter box in the carport. When I opened to check, it was covered in dirt all the way to the top of the meter box space. I've dug to find it under the dirt. Someone in my condo (50yrs old) had a flood inside because the regulator was "corroded" and it blew out the water heater inside. Now everyone including me is wondering if we should all replace our valves. What do you think? Thx.
We had new shower head installed. After removing the shower head and the bath tub faucet the pressure is still low but prior to that the pressure was fine. I am thinking it may be the rough in valve?
Thank you Adam. I bought the part from Amazon and hooked up to outside hose. Psi was 42....Went under house and increased it to 60 as the valve could handle up to 75. This was my first successful project after watching it on youtube first!
Paul DeMore was your under the house cause I can’t seem locate mine
Angel F do you have a well house?
I can't find my valve
I always install a 3 valve bypass,and pressure gauge before reduction valve and after,you can see the results.
Thanks for the video. I had a plumber come to check my water heater. He actually turned up the water pressure to 95PSI and then told me I need to spend $1000 to replace the pressure regulator, in addition to $5000 to replace the water heater. He said he tried but was not able to adjust the pressure lower. After he left, I noticed the shower pressure was extremely high. I figured out how to adjust it and it's fine now. Gotta be careful with these Plumber scams!
$5,000 to replace a water heater? Report that scumbag to your local city hall immediately and get his contractors license revoked.
Yeah 5000$ for a water heater was your 1st sign
That shouldn't be much over 1000$. I had mine changed for 1000$ total.
Thanks SO MUCH! After I bought my home I was determined to have my dream refrigerator...REAL stainless steel Frigidaire Gallery Professional Series BIG side by side. Abt a year or so later my ice maker quit working. It was still under warranty from Sears. I was a under 30, a single homeowner & I'm female. I'm also the daughter of a former steamfitter who taught me how to do everything he taught my brothers. I did everything I was supposed to do. It was just a bad unit & needed to be replaced. The guy came from Sears & 1st tried to tell me I broke it & it wouldn't be covered. I KNEW I DIDN'T & it SHOULD & WOULD be covered. After he knew I wasn't budging he then went down to my basement & after several mins came back up & turned on my kitchen faucet. He rudely shouted @ me said "SEE?! :LOW WATER PRESSURE! YOUR PRESSURE VALVE IS BROKEN, WARRANTY IS VOIDED & YOU'RE PAYING FOR THIS!" He demanded over $500 for my new ice maker & the service call b4 he'd even order the replacement. I was so perplexed, ticked & a little scared but tried to keep my cool. Standing in my suit & heels I blurted out "Hey buddy, don't let the blonde hair fool you." That caught his attention. I had amazing water pressure before he went downstairs & told him so. Also told him my father, IQ of 165, former youngest foreman steamfitter, now President of a nationally successful automation company he started himself not only put in my hot water heater but my faucet & sprayer too & it was powerful before he came to look @ my ice maker...bcz it was...my dad would always joke how much stronger it was than his own. I asked him if he'd like me to call my father so he could tell my dad what he told me. He declined & the warranty covered it. I was so rattled & didn't know what the Sears guy did but knew he did something & also bcz I thought Sears would never be ok w/their employee doing that. I was young & naive but I know now THAT was part of his job. He JUST adjusted/lowered my pressure. I bought a new PRV & was going to learn to fix it but life happened & then my dad was in a fatal accident & water pressure was but wasn't high on my priority list. I still have the awful pressure & it's messing w/my Whirlpool fridge's ice maker & it brought it all back along w/the sadness of missing my dad...but YOU just taught me how to fix it. I'm sorry I am being so longwinded but I needed you to know YOU made a huge positive impact on my life w/your video today. You are AWESOME! I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart! I know my dad does too!🙏😇
I’ll tell you this. I increased my pressure over 70 psi and you gotta be careful. All the toilets and sinks and various connections seem to break faster and/or eventually leak. Pressures regulation is safer at default levels 45-50- I think out of reducer. The cheap toilet components and cheaper seals now days don’t seem to like higher pressures. Basically you’ll risk popping lines and instigate a flood. As me how I know. And when insurance companies come in, they check to see if you played with it as an excuse not to pay a claim. Just a heads up.
Your exactly right 60 psi is fine,the higher the pressure more water you use,water hammer can start and I've seen water heaters work backwards, not one of these guys factor in thermal expansion.
How do you know?
@@meme5887 I am a plumber.
Seen all kinds of problems with pressure over 60 psi.
@@truth6600 I'm dealing with a new amazon site that is dealing g with all of the issues u are talking about. They have 80 plus psi, they blew some seals already too
Adam, you may want to mention to the people that Have a Thermal Expansion Tank on their system that when you adjust the water pressure in your water system that you also have to adjust the air pressure in the expansion tank. The two pressures must match for the expansion tank to work properly. This is a good informative video. Thank you for posting.
Great point Roger. Thanks for the comment!
What happens if you adjust the prv but not the expansion tank? My prv was an issue (psi went up to 100) and it was just replaced under warranty, but ive noticed the psi increases throughout the day or early morning hours. At one point, it got back up to the max prv level of 75, but it was set to about 65...so its fluctuating anywhere from 5-10 psi
When plumbers came to troubleshoot the psi and when they replaced the prv (and adjusting the psi after the prv replacement), they never adjusted the expansion tank
the air in the expansion tank is extremely easy to adjust yourself with a simple bicycle pump that has an air gauge attached to it. But be careful. Because I do not know the max air pressure of the expansion tank. You will have to do your homework on that part. My water pressure and expansion tank are both set at 45psi.
Just a footnote. If you try to attach the bicycle pump to the expansion tank and water comes out, that means the air bladder inside the expansion tank has gone bad and you will have to replace the expansion tank.
Just wanted make sure I dropped a comment here to let you and any of your viewers know that this is a very good, spot on , no bs, easy to understand and follow video that I've actually had different homeowning friends and customers look up and watch to help them with there water pressure issues. All have had good results afterwards. Thank you for your time and sharing your knowledge.
I'm not one to comment on many videos, but I have to say that this was nearly a perfect tutorial vid. Limited b.s., good demonstration, and nice explanation. Two virtual thumbs up.
Agreed!
I came to say exactly this. Thank you Adam
Agreed!! Thank you so much. All of it is great. After my guy replaced my water heater he said he turned down our pressure. My sprinklers won’t Eve pop up now!!! I need to turn it back up and I think I can with this video!!!! Thank you!!! ( and I never comment either!!)
9 minute video and a 5 dollar gauge vs a minimum $100 + visit from the plummer. Thanks!
please contact me. I am a local here at West Valley City and my first spring I already encountered the problem of having leaking sprinklers. I hope that is not the case.
Where did you find it for 5 bucks?
Oscar Ortega p .
It’s spelled plumber. Damn son where did you to school at 😂👋
Where did you get for $5?
I've been having issues with busted lines , today I checked my water pressure and it's 125 psi , going to get it fixed !
Damn. You must be clean as hell after your showers 😂😂
Easy to follow. Your video helped clarify exactly where I could test the water pressure and where and how to regulate it. Exactly what I was looking to learn. Thank you for taking the time to make it. Much appreciated.
Thanks so much , I was able to do this while my husband slept 😍 great video.
Can you tell what causes this value to make s whistle noise
More pressure = use more water, spend more of husbands money when y’all could invest it
I would love to wake up and find out that my wife took care of some problem around the house. God bless you :)
Did you tell him or wait for him to notice? If you waited.. did he notice?
I'm going to try this! My old house has water pressure like a firehose; blows the plastic plumbing fittings to smithereens. Very informative, thanks.
thanks, I managed to increase my 35psi to now 50 psi which is great! was scared to do this but after watching your video, helped alot.
thanks!
This was easy to do and seems to have help out with the water pressure. I was thinking about going 1 or 2 more turns but I thought I would give it a couple of days and look for water leeks. Thank You.
This was incredibly helpful. Our water pressure has been very low and this has helped me increase it. Thanks!
Thanks Adam. 7 years later this video is still helping people!
Great tutorial.
Simple and to the point.
My water constantly makes a running/hissing sound inside my garage. Hopefully this gauge and adjusting the pressure helps. Thx again
I'm a Kiwi living of the grid.
My water comes from a storage tank that is feed via the roof from rainwater.
I don't have anything like yours, but that valve thing you turn is that what is called the A-Jax valve here in NZ, ours being entirely different in shape and size.
My hot water cylinder has a tap but it does not have an out let like yours.
God knows where the hose joining the tap goes to perhaps outside, that being the case then ya it would be like your used to drain sh?? from the cylinder, but then to confirm this would be a test in its self when I know there is no way one could crawl under the house to check.
I like your video and will test things my way as ya my hot water is almost none existent when it comes to showers.
Takes much time just to wet the body let alone to wash :).
Thanks Adam, I suggest that you mention the physics of liquid pressure in a closed system (no escape), is distributed equally through the system to the farthest point and in all directions. When a faucet is opened, the system is no longer closed, and the pressure will drop and I would expect the regulator to compensate to keep the pressure close to the adjusted setting. Mine drops from 60 psi closed, to 40 with a faucet open. I was hoping to find a hint as to how much of a drop can be expected. I would guesstimate that nearly a 50% drop indicates a malfunction of the product. Think I may have to call Watt Customer Service for the info; not having much luck on the web. My source psi from the county is 150psi which kicks of the relief valve on most water heaters, interesting.
Thanks so much AdamDIY...I found the exact same PRV in my basement and now the pressure is much better. Just think. I bought the house a month ago and have been taking trickle type showers, now I'm back in waterpik massage HEAVEN. Bless u. LOL
Im gonna try it myself. Trickle showers are the worst. How can you even wash your nuts properly with that type of pressure? 😵
George Robinson m
@@AntonioCalderon1974 😅🚿
Thank you so much!! Had a pipe burst and the regulator was turned way up when they were trying to shut the water off which resulted in the water pressure in the house being way too high. The adjustment at the pressure regulator is counterintuitive, you would think turning it clockwise would decrease the pressure. I found one of the gauges at Home Depot and I used it to adjust the pressure down to 50 PSI.
Thanks God I found this video! There are too many tutorials out there but this is the right model and very accurate tutorial I've seen so far.
thank you sooo much for this!! the water pressure in my place was terrible and i was thinking it was the fault of the regulator that my landlord installed recently. Then I did some research, found this video, and just had my boyfriend fix it!! I can't wait to wash my hair tonight.
Have not tried it yet, but I thought it was a good detailed video. I will try it this weekend and let you know how it goes.
This is the only video that showed me exactly what i needed to know. Thank you for uploading youve earned a sub
Adam thank you very much for sharing this procedure. Besides fixing or regulating the water pressure; you seem to have very soothing voice, and photogenic face. You should be a Hollywood movie star.........really!!!!!!! Thank you.
You just saved me major money man, thank you. I could not figure out why my sprinklers were not working properly, this immediately fixed the problem
THNX-- for the info I am a senior on SS and having help like this is a big savings.. I will now see if I can find -- and do as you showed... I will try and remember to post later what I did..
You never posted what you did! Could you fic your problem
This was perfect man. I know nothing about this stuff and 2 years ago in my condo I did the exact opposite thing and broke my PRV and $600 later the plumber fixed everything. I used your video tonight and adjusted it in my new house and it worked perfectly. Thanks so much for doing this.
You really need a gauge with two needles one tells you what the pressure surges to at night. That is the most important thing, If you have a regulator it creates a closed system. so you need to relieve the pressure with an expansion tank above your hot water tank. This comes from more experiance than this guy is old. I used to be a A plumber that solved problems. This is one of the most common ones.
My home has a regulator ... I do not have an expansion tank .. water frequently leaks from the hot water heaters pressure relief value. My water pressure is 62 ... would lowering the pressure help stop the leaking or should I get the expansion tank?
You sir, are a damn genius! This solved my water pressure problem instantly! Thank you!!
Excellent! I'm going to pick up a water pressure gauge and do this tomorrow. I am so sick to death of my terrible water pressure! Someone flushes a toilet in my house and every faucet in the house is reduced to a trickle.
You should be getting the same water pressure in your hot water tank as your hose bib. That drain valve probably is caked full of calcium restricting the flow.
Put the gauge on your washing machine outlet.
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Adam you are from heaven sir. We've been dealing with low whole house pressure since we moved into our home. It took longer to watch your video than it did to fix this problem. We went from a sub 50 to nearly 80 and the difference is amazingly wonderful. Just took a shower that felt like I was in a spa. Thank you sir. I actually am looking forward to washing dishes now.
Did this fix your problem long term. Also where was your valve located
Thank you soooo much for your Video . It took me 10 minutes to fix the problem.. I am sure there are many of us would greatly appreciated like I do. Stay safe, be safe. Happy New Year to all of yous!!!
Thank you for information, took 10 minutes to adjust the psi of my house accordingly.
This is a good video.
I would like to add some comments.
1. The water heater is connected to the cold water at all times so the pressure is the same with no flow condition.
2. The pressure reducing valve also acts as a check valve *). The PRV shuts off when set pressure is reached and it does that with a rubber washer just like a faucet. Faucets will leak eventually and so will PRV's, causing the house pressure to creep up slowly. I have fixed them frequently but it's a pain. A new one at HD is about $100.- . From. China. for about $15.- , better build and easier to fix. (And it includes a gauge!)
3. After using hot water, cold water will fill the water heater up and the colder water heats up causing it to expand. This will increase the pressure in the pipes. *) In my case ~150PSI. (The pressure release valve on the water heater is usually not working.) (same brand at HD !). A pressure gauge with a red witness pointer will confirm this.
4. I resorted to installing an electric pressure switch which operates a cheap sprinkler valve to release excess pressure through a 1mm hole. (After a shower, about half a pint.)
Keeps my water heater from bursting.
Agree. I'd also like to add that the potable water distribution piping in the video appears to be copper going to polybutylene. Polybutylene (PB) piping has a history of weakness/decay/ruptures over time. So much so, that some insurers won't cover a home that has it. My point: Adam - Careful. I'd error on the side of keeping the water pressure low in PB and avoid regular manual adjustments/fluctuations in PSI. Excellent video you made.
utoopuser
I probably shouldn't add this comment to what is just a basic information video on water pressure and how it may be checked with a pressure gauge. However, since there was a brief mention to how the pressure may be greater when closer to the water supply coming into the house or why it was different at the water heater in the house, I felt this basic piece of information should be added. Particularly since many times people will use this method to trouble shoot a low water pressure when USING water in the house.
The pressure reading that this video demonstrates is what is referred to as STATIC pressure. Or in other words when there is NO FLOW. When this is the case, the only thing that would cause the pressure to be higher or lower between different locations is a difference in elevation. For example, for the pressure to be lower at the water heater tank, it would have to be at a slightly different elevation. One foot change in elevation represents +/-2.31 psi pressure.
When one is concerned with the lack of pressure when using the water, trouble shooting for the pressure loss must take into consideration the rate of FLOW. Because flow is what creates pressure fluctuations. Well that enough of that.
This cleared up a lot for me! Thank you for sharing this and for taking the time to film and produce this video.
If you have a thermal expansion tank on the water heater be careful with bumping up your water pressure as you might cause the pressure relief valve on water heater to leak. My expansion tank was installed horizontally and there is no room to allow me to add air to expansion tank due to a wall in the way.
My plumbing looks almost identical to your video except I have a double check valve leading to the house fire sprinkler system. Also, I have a permanent pressure gauge near where the sprinkler drain line is located. This gauge reads 150 psi (not controllable by PRV since it's not in that part of the line) . I bought a gauge like yours and checked pressure at a hose connection and at water heater drain connection - both read about 105 psi. I did all this because we had a recent violent pipe rattling when both washing machine and shower were in use. I discovered that the water heater expansion tank diaphragm has broken. (A pressure check at bottom of tank emitted water instead of air.) Our water pressure does not seem extreme, but it sounds like we need to get it down to a maximum of 85 psi.
Good video just one thing I noticed is the comment about water psi and water bill. One thing to note is adding pressure does not necessarily mean adding water volume. Meaning if you increase psi and leave hose on extended period of time your water bill could be more. I don’t think that will change just by adding psi. Because the water bill is determined based on volume. Again more psi does not equate more volume. If anything more psi would be less volume
Thank you! My pipes stopped vibrating with just one counter clockwise turn. I will have to get a gauge to confirm the pressure.
Good video. Only question is; why not spend the extra $2.50, and get the gauge with the red needle for high pressure point? Seems like that would do the whole job, instead of just half in determining maximum pressure.
Zainab Muzzafar If it is only your shower that is low pressure and no other tap in the house is low pressure then you have a problem with a clog in the shower head or the shower valves. The head is easy to unscrew. Take it off and look inside the shower head inlet. You may see a filter or some debris blocking the flow. If you are sure it's not your shower head then you will want to look at the valves.
Yes, the low pressure is only with the shower. Water is flowing quite fast from the spout. The sink faucets in the washroom and kitchen are also fine. Many thanks for the advise, Adam. Will try to work on it according to the guidelines you gave.
If you take off the shower head and turn on the water you will see if the water flow is still bad. Then you will know for sure if the problem is the head or further back.
In case the problem is further back, I'll then have to call a plumber. Will that be a complicated issue?
Zainab Muzzafar Not too bad. Depending on the brand of your shower faucet you may be able to get the replacement part for free. You may just need to replace the cartridge.
Okay, thanks again so much for helping, Adam.
Awesome video Adam. Thank you, I will try to adjust mine before I actually replace it and hopefuly it works.
Adam you do a great job of explaining your subject!we live in a second and thirdfloor apartment and the water pressure sucks since they put the valve in plus they r replacing the very old water lines in the street and now its worse.i use a nice shower as therepy for my heath issies and I will give it a try.thanks
Glad to help!
Thank You! I learnt more then I knew.
You are my hero, you did a wonderful job showing and explaining. I now have Great water pressure
I would note you risk leaks by putting plumbing under extreme pressure by going over 50+ PSI. Also you toilet fill/flush valves. I speak from experience in 2 plus homes when pushing over 50 + PSI. Just my .02
That is part of the reason most plumbing codes LIMIT the pressure in your house to 70 PSI.
Only two comments, since the piping issue was addressed below.
1) in most jurisdictions, you want a backflow preventer after the right hand shutoff valve for the sprinklers.
2) The two nuts on the PRV should not be turned as one. The nearest nut should be fully loosened away from the second nut before they are turned, and then the near nut is tightened last, since it is a "jam nut." Turning them together can damage the threads.
Common sense would tell anybody going to try this that that's how it should be. He's just explaining the process... So please stfu and carry on with your day. You will not be responded to. Happy trolling clown
Great Video! Now I know how to check and adjust the water pressure myself.
I'm either getting too much pressure or not enough. I have water on my drip tube around water heater
Thanks for posting, a life saver. I was about to call a plumber because I was trying to increase water pressure but turning counterclockwise instead of clockwise
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This is what I needed to know. Very good video on house water pressure. Thanks
very good video thanks. I have low pressure recently and the water company measure the outside hose is 100 psi so they told me that my PVR is bad
Pressure gauge: Amazon / Harbor Frt: a bit more than $5, but close; you'll need another few $$ worth of fittings to fit the hose bibb. Don't raise your pressure to 80#: no point: it just stresses all the water components (which are generally rated 80#). Most expectations are filled at 60# which is where most flow restrictors are designed. Most irrigation systems max at 30#, so the more house pressure, the more stress on all that plastic in the yard: usually not worth it. Tank type flush fixtures are designed on 15#, so you will find that somewhere 15~60 is usually workable. [Flush type WC valves need 25#, but you usually only find those in commercial apps.] Broadly, the higher the pressure, the faster the wear on components. High pressure also causes more scaling on hot water: scaling is a function of temperature, calcium concentration, and sudden pressure loss (so more pressure = more scale upon release).
That gauge shows 50 PSI. The PRV is typically set at 50 PSI from the factory.
Many houses have it set between 60 PSI and 80 PSI.
great I learned alot. I bet I know more than my husband now about adjusting the water pressure
Jill Bierenbaum I bet you know more than anyone in your neighborhood! It's not info that plumbers like to share because it's possible that someone can mess things up if they don't know what they are doing and have too much pressure in their lines. That's why it should be done with a gauge.
👍🏼very simple. Thanks a bunch
Thanks so much. We would get a drop in pressure if the dish washer was running. Did 1 full turn and we have perfect pressure regardless now
would one shut off the water from the main line when adjusting the water preasure on the reducer valve
Man. Thank you so much! Perfect video!!
You say in your video at the beginning when testing the hose spicket's pressure that you want it at about 80-85. But the regulator says it should be at 55.
Are these different water pressures or are the same one and you just don't follow the manufacturer's instructions? It is really annoying that the regulator doesn't have the water pressure gauge built in so it tells you what the pressure is. I am afraid I have put mine up too high even though the water still comes out of the shower somewhat slowly.
Thoughts?
50 to 65 is probably the average for many areas. 80-85 is probably the high range as stated in the video, for my area I would not want to go above 65.
Kylee you should check your shower head and see if it is clogged up
Great video Adam. My water pressure is low, now I know how to do it. Thanks to you
Great video, I'll be doing this tomorrow.
I have a Watt pressure regulator (LF25AUB-Z3) and there is no screw but a second nut on top of the brass nut When I try to loosen the brass nut the second (outer) steel nut moves as well How do I tighten this nut, which I think represents the screw in your video, ?
Excellent tutorial.! My pressure regulator is a Zurn Wilkins and it has no screw driver type slot to adjust the water pressure.Only a xex bolt on the end. I guess i just hold the inner bolt nearest the valve with a wrench and just use another wrench to turn the bolt clockwise to increase the water pressure?
Can you accidentally spin that screw out by turning it to far trying to reduce pressure? or is there some kind of safety stop to prevent that?
Fantastic video! Thank you and now I have to correct Sparky based on the info. you gave me.
Hi, I have a pressure reducing valve as part of a Navien combi tankless water heater. There is also a pressure relief valve. The tankless needs to be less than 30 psi, otherwise the pressure sensor is constantly leasing pressure. I want to know if I can reduce the pressure to stop the constant release.
Thanks. Anxious to put it to work in my daughters new home.
Did you change the pressure in your expansion tank too?
Great video! I was able to adjust my house water pressure after watching it.
Adam, thank you so much for this video! We'll surely put it to use!
Suddenly the water pressure of my shower has become very slow. The pores of the shower head are clean. I've been here for over 5 yrs and this is the first time this has happened. I'm confused what might have gone wrong. Is it likely because of clogging of mineral deposits in the spout or hot/cold water mixer? Or, can it have anything to do with neighbors on the upper floor installing a new equipment like a washing machine? Any guidelines would be helpful.
You earned a subscribe. Great video that saved me a lot of low water pressure grief!
For older buildings, 80psi is a bit too much. I adjusted mine to 50psi. Better play it safe than sorry. My plumbing runs along the crawlspace and the last thing you want to having a burst pipe and got your crawlspace flooded.
Will Reducing water pressure helps me get rid of my pipe noise inside the wall? sound like a banging on the wall.
I hope it's not ghosts. Lol. But ghosts are actually real. If it's a plumbing problem you can fix it or get a plumber. If it's a ghost problem get your house smudged. You may Google what ghost smudging is all about.
Great low key extremely easy to follow instructions .. keep it up!!
excellent. I have one question how do we define one turn i saw it looks two turns each time. i have recently changed the regulator the pressure was almost 90. the plumber who changed set the new one at 65 psi but pressure is very low in the second floor shower head
Excellent video- thanks.
This helped me to know what I needed before I went under the house. Thanks
Thank you. This was very helpful and direct.
Yes, this was helpful thank you. We learned that the pressure coming in to our house was over 115 psi, after a newly installed extension tank to our water heater was no longer working. The same plumber installed a pressure reducing valve like you have shown. Seems to me one could or should have been installed with a gauge on it, though it would have to fit behind wall paneling without protruding beyond the pipes. It seems odd that one wouldn't know how much pressure is added by just turning the end screw blindly.
Any thoughts about this? Your easy solution of using a separate pressure valve would solve my asking him to change it out for one with a gauge.
Thanks again for your good information.
our water pipes in the house always explode because the pressure is too high when all faucets are closed. what do we need to avoid this? Pressure Regulator or Pressure Relief Valve?
Thank you! You seem like a good soul.
This video is good and I wonder if anyone knows why the pressure regulating valve might be making a vibrating/hammering noise periodically???
Realestate4U.ca air in the lines
I had a bad one and the pressure in the house was over 100 and the needle would bounce when the water was turned on
Thats called a water hammer and can bust your pipes. You can buy a back flow preventer or you can turn your pressure back down.
How do you find your pressure reducing valve… we have a concrete slab foundation?
Awesome sauce, explained perfectly thanks for the help.
I cannot find this bolt anywhere. I see the pressure gauge, a green valve, and a small box with about 4 wires next to it. It doesn’t look like this. Any ideas?
Great video, it provided me with exactly what I needed to know.
Thank you for the very clear and concise lesson. It was very helpful!
My regulator appears to be in a water meter box in the carport. When I opened to check, it was covered in dirt all the way to the top of the meter box space. I've dug to find it under the dirt. Someone in my condo (50yrs old) had a flood inside because the regulator was "corroded" and it blew out the water heater inside. Now everyone including me is wondering if we should all replace our valves. What do you think? Thx.
Thank you so much! I finally have water pressure!
Thanks, Adam. Great explanation and very helpful. Appreciate it.
if the city send water at 60psi would that valve give your home 75psi?
Excellent, easy tips. Well done. Very clear. Thank you.
This dude talks so slow that when you put it on 1.5x playback speed he sounds normal 😂
We had new shower head installed. After removing the shower head and the bath tub faucet the pressure is still low but prior to that the pressure was fine. I am thinking it may be the rough in valve?