User:Frank Lively

Water Pressure Regulators (Pressure Reducing Valves) “Proper installation” - Residential or Commercial:

The ideal home water pressure is 50-65 psi, as many products are only tested for 75 psi.

Pressure above 80 psi is unacceptable and most governing authorities require a water pressure reducing valves near the main shut off of users.

When near water towers or where water towers are located on hilltops, users experience water pressure abuse. Housing expansion and poor distribution planning plague a market already desirous of enjoyable pressure. It is almost impossible to convince users that they have a problem.

At an improper installation rate of over 90%, the majority of installations are useless for the investment, without additional double check valves and thermal expansion tanks.

While double check valves prevent individual contamination to public water supplies, they also serve to prevent damage to the reverse flow seals in the pressure regulators. Reverse flow is an ancient application that manufactures have failed to correct and suppliers fail to demand for reduced inventory simplicity sake. Suppliers are neither educated to problems, nor due they respond to the needs of explaining problems.

While thermal expansion tanks are part of closed hot water systems, they also serve the purpose of protecting the longevity of a properly functioning pressure reducing system.

The higher the street pressure, the faster the destruction of a functioning water protection system; destruction is typically less than a year. Reputable manufactures recommend two regulators in series, when pressure exceeds 120 psi. It is unfortunate, that new manufacturing administrations or ownerships fail to utilize the historical accomplishments of years in the field.

The first regulator is sacrificial and the second regulator is for accuracy. Often times the original destroyed regulator can be utilized as sacrificial without removal and simply add a second regulator for dependability.

Problems are disguised by the fact that regulators correctly function in dynamic applications and fail in static applications. Dynamic means during water flow and static means when no usage for a substantial period.

Normal pressure during the day also makes it hard to determine accurate over night pressure when usage is low. Good pressure gauges have a red overnight needle!

Because double check valves are improperly installed in front of regulators, due simply to being required historically first or due to noise generated by lower pressure after regulator, as a result of lower-cost inferior imported double checks with missing “o” rings.

Because some areas have normal pressures all the time, many plumbers never are confronted with learning about high-pressure problems. Thirty years of high-pressure experiences and changing resolutions make these recommendations credible only to those that have experienced the nightmares of high pressure.

It almost takes an engineering background to understand for mentioned solutions and there will be decenters.

Frank Lively, Cincinnati Retired Water Conditioning Plumber that had to resolve pressure problems in order to make water softeners survive unreasonable pressures.