A common plumbing problem homes encounter is water pressure that’s too low. It’s hard to take a decent shower or manage to clean and cook when the water is only trickling out of faucets and showerheads. But when the water pressure is too high, that’s also a problem. You may not think of it as one, because you can control the strength of the water coming from fixtures. This increased water pressure, however, is a problem for your plumbing system and can inflict damage on it.
If your home has high water pressure, meaning the pressure is over 60 pounds per square inch, then we recommend you call a plumber in Burlington, VT to find a way to fix it. In fact, we recommend you call one of our plumbers because we offer the high-quality service and fast response you need.
The Trouble With High Water Pressure
One of the immediate problems with high water pressure is that it leads to water waste. Your normal shower can consume an additional six to 10 gallons of water. You’ll pay much more for normal water use.
But the damage high water pressure can do to your plumbing is an even more serious problem. Increased water pressure puts much more strain on the pipes as well as fixtures. Your pipes and water-using appliances will age faster and are much more likely to wear down and break early because of the higher pressure.
The most common trouble is an increase in leaks in pipes at the joints. The longer you have high water pressure in your house, the more hidden leaks are going to start to spring up—until one of the leaks isn’t hidden much at all but sending water through the wall or along your floor.
High Water Pressure: Detection and Resolution
You might not be able to tell immediately that the house has high water pressure. It’s easy to assume that the water coming from your faucets is supposed to be at that pressure. But there are several ways you can tell the pressure is higher than it should be. One of them is rattling sounds from the pipes, which are more likely to come loose because of the force of the water inside them. You might notice that leaky faucets are common, and you can’t do anything to stop them from dripping when you turn them off. Water-using appliances, such as the dishwasher, might be unexpectedly loud when they run.
As soon as you suspect a water pressure problem, call a plumber. We can test the water pressure to see if it exceeds safe levels. Usually, the source of high water pressure is the municipal system. If we find that this is the case, we can install a water pressure regulator onto the plumbing system that lowers the pressure of the water as it enters your house. If the high pressure problem is because of something wrong with the plumbing in the house, we’ll track it down and have it corrected.
Red Rock Mechanical, LLC serves Northwest Vermont and Northeast New York. Call us when you need 24-hour emergency plumbing service.
