Test a Water Pressure Regulator

How to test a water pressure regulator. Check if the pressure drop is in the correct range.
Water pressure regulators, aka water pressure reducing valves can slowly fail. Checking the performance of a water pressure regulator is a simple task that should be done periodically.
One sign of a failing water pressure regulator is a large pressure drop when a faucet is opened. Another symptom of a bad water pressure regulator is very high water pressure or very low water pressure.
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[@Know-How-Now]

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[@nelsonechevarria7009]

Thank you for the video.As I understand it water heaters must always have an expansion tank to insure that the water heater is not exposed to unnecessary excess water pressure.Both the manual that came with my water heater and and the manufacturers website state that any pressure in excess of 80 psi can damage the water heater and what's more voids the water heater's warranty.Water companies today are installing backflow preventers which block household water from being forced back into the water system which creates excessive water pressure when hot water expands which is why expansion tanks are necessary.Good video,thank you once again and God bless you and your family.

[@Know-How-Now]

Thanks for the thoughtful comment, Nelson. You are correct. My system is "grandfathered" and does not have an expansion tank. There is a valve in the PRV that allows the heated water to flow back into the municipal supply.

[@jeffm2787]

Agreed, regardless of the bypass in the PRV, add an expansion tank. You don't want those shifts in pressure.

[@Know-How-Now]

Hi Jeff, my "set up" has been in place for 68 years. My current water heater is around 18 years old. No problems with it or any part of the plumbing system.

[@user-ju3od5gy5q]

one of the best videos and careful explanation of same that i have seen. thank you.

[@Know-How-Now]

You are welcome. Thanks for the compliment.

[@rjohnsoneod]

After a couple minutes of running the water will start to pulse in sinks or shower. Started about 3 or 4 months ago. Good pressure when you first open the valve but then it will drop slightly and then pulse. City water, pressure near the street seems to run 75 to 90. New homes being built upstream so checked it three times and it was slightly different. House pressure checked and it runs 40 to 50. House is 14yrs old, 80gal electric HW tank. Had a small (2gal) expansion tank that started leaking two years ago, replaced it with the recommended 5gal. pumped it up toe approx. 40psi. Regulator is outside the front of the house and about 4ft down. I can see it but will need a shovel to get down to work on it.

[@RealSenorMike]

Well done and extremely helpful. I'm going to grab a water pressure gauge and check my home.

[@Know-How-Now]

It's great to hear that the video was helpful. Thanks for the compliment.

[@a1parra]

Thank you for this video. My water pressure regulator will always read 75 psi even after I adjust counter clockwise. Then when I turn on another faucet the pressure drops dramatically to about 30 psi. I think I might need to replace it after watching your informative video. The water regulator is about 11 years old; I don't know how long they usually last.

[@Know-How-Now]

You are welcome. My old one had the same symptoms as yours. When I took it apart, I found it full of mineral deposits and it was stuck in one position. Mine was over 15 years old. I'd think the quality of the regulator and the water could make the lifespan vary greatly.

[@concrete981]

so when your hot water heater kicks on, your house psi goes from 50 psi-95psi. pretty high. that's why expansion tanks are usually used for. you don't think you need an expansion tank? most shower cartridges(turns on your water) are rated at 100 psi. the rubber seals in these can wear out faster with high water pressure.

[@Know-How-Now]

The regulator in the video has a bypass and it allows the water to flow back into the municipal water supply. The house was built in 1952 and this was legal at that time. No problems with any cartridges during the past 20 years with this set up. When the regulator failed & pressure was around 90psi, there were some issues with the toto toilet fill valve.

[@Spitfire78]

Hi, I appreciate that you are a gal, me too, ppl thought I was crazy to replace my failed press regulator- unfortunately there were little signs it had failed, that I didn't realize, for a long time & it was only after pipe leaked in wall... And water heater too. So in May2017-- Got water heater replaced bc quite old, so more efficient installed & the guy looked at p.reg and showed me high pressure readings... We have between 140-160psi curbside from City!! My house side pressure at various locations was 100-120!! Anyways, He wanted more than I could afford, so I replaced myself- relatively easy, a Zurn bronze 25-75psi adjustable, it brought pressure down to 50s, and I installed an Apollo 10-400 bronzesafety relief valve rated 75psi... ----->>NOW for a few days cold water pressure has been fluctuating- seems like air in line sometimes? Hot is fine. & Today, I realized the regulator relief valve was letting out a LOT of water, constant flow!! :( I was able to check pressure, curb around 150s psi, Hose spicket was around 75!! And when turned on sink faucet (right next to this hose- plumbed on same pipe literally within inches) the press dropped to around 50psi. A different hose spicket read around 75 also... I'm going to try to adjust the regulator... I don't know if replacement parts available for my regulator... **Do you know why the regulator would fail so soon- not quite 3years old? Again, curbside is 140-160psi... Appreciate any ideas/help, and thanks again for the video- very easy to follow along & understand :)

[@Know-How-Now]

The life of the regulator can vary greatly due to the type of water. Some of the regulators have a clean out with a screen. Perhaps some debris got in your regulator. Try cleaning it.

[@jeffm2787]

Male vs Female is not the issue, it's smart vs stupid. If your intelligent you can get just about anything done. If your stupid, well you might still get it done after some pain and suffering. Women are most often underestimated and often underestimate themselves. I push everyone to try and learn.

[@charlestsiang8504]

I just had a sprinkler system installed. We noticed that the pressure during daytime is a bit lower than at night (naturally) but significantly we see a drop in pressure that begins within the first 5-10 seconds of operation. Static pressure of 50 psi slowly drops to 30. Is this a common sign of regulator problem or simply due to inadequate size line from the main source?

[@mychaelmcneeley997]

Nice to come across your videos. I have a fairly new pressure regulator that was installed maybe 2 years ago or so. I started noticing some issues with the kitchen tap and water dispenser in the refrigerator. I started by checking pressure. I had pressure of 50 psi measured at a hose bib. I turned it up to 60 psi which did seem to help with the kitchen sink (what really helped, though, was cleaning out the aerator). Anyway, I thought to leave the pressure gauge hooked up for 24 hours. Overnight, the red needle read 120psi. Just to be sure, I tried it again, lowering the red needle to zero. Same results. Does this indicate a problem with the pressure regulator? It seems that there is a surge in pressure at some time during the night. Thanks so much for the great videos!

[@Know-How-Now]

It's likely that the water heater ran. Hot water expands and raises the pressure. If you have an expansion tank, maybe the rubber bladder inside has failed. My set up doesn't have an expansion tank, when the water heater engages, the PRV allows the water to flow back into the municipal supply, so no expansion tank needed. This does not meet current code, though it is "grand fathered".

[@mychaelmcneeley997]

@@Know-How-Now thank you for your help! I'll have to look around to see if I do have an expansion tank.

[@Know-How-Now]

If you don't have one, get the model number off of the PRV, go to the manufacturer's web site and look for the data sheet to see if it has a bypass that allows water to pass back into the municipal water supply. If you have a bypass, you can test it by causing the water heater to heat while you have your pressure gauge attached. You'll see the pressure rise to around 100-130lbs and then drop when the bypass opens.

[@LigitandMeyers]

Sediment was in my lines until 2 weeks ago. Our local water company found Ecoli and changed feeds, so we got a lot of crap. I was cleaning screens and boiling taps as well as running vinegar through my water heater. I even bought one of those silly polarizes for the cold water feed. This went on for 3 months and stopped. The water company swears it made no changes, but they are notorious for lying until sued,sadly. Anyway, 2 weeks, no more calcium, a good thing. However my water pressure is in the 40lb range...which sucks for showering ;) Replaced reducer, no change. From 1/4 turn changes to wide open, same pressure at the farthest line. There anything else I can check before I starting ranting at my water company?

[@Know-How-Now]

If the pressure before the PRV is 40lbs (street pressure..you could check with neighbors and see if they are having trouble too), then I'd say something has changed to reduce the water pressure to your home.

[@tomacquilano1304]

I have incoming pressure of around 100psi. The regulator is set to approx 65psi. I installed the regulator about 4.5 years ago. About a week ago I noticed the water pressure would gradually drop a few seconds after opening a faucet. I put a gauge on the downstream side and saw the pressure drop about 15-20 psi when a faucet was opened. The inlet screen was clean. When the faucet is turned off, the water pressure comes up to the 65psi set point. Why isn't the valve keeping up with demand? Thank you!

[@Know-How-Now]

Good to hear you already checked the screen. Maybe it has failed? Try to see if you can adjust the pressure. If you can't then probably the PRV. I have a video on how to adjust the PRV: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pai7ooiwqtV-pKcsi=vnXc7DI8h3I91DY7

[@tomacquilano1304]

@@Know-How-Now Thank you. I already know how to adjust a PRV.

[@MrTooTechnical]

Thorough vid. Nice. U a plumber?

[@Know-How-Now]

I'm not a plumber, I've worked on commercial building fire sprinkler systems. I do almost all of my plumbing work. I try my best to comply with codes and do a lot of research to do any work correctly.

[@linyubin8541]

How do you know your home municipal city psi

[@Know-How-Now]

Give your water supplier a call and ask.

[@nelsonechevarria7009]

@@Know-How-Now Good suggestion.When I first moved here the water pipes banged as if there was somebody in the basement whacking the pipes with a hammer every time we opened and closed the water.I called the water company and can you believe they had no clue as to what the incoming water pressure coming from the curb stop was?I had to go to the hardware store and buy a water pressure gauge and my hair practically stood on end because I clocked the water pressure at 90 to 95psi.The water company over here over hauled the water pipes and now they have the back flow preventers that prevent household water from flowing back out into the water supply.Thank you again for your video and your reply,God bless you and yours.

[@Know-How-Now]

You are welcome, Nelson, it's my pleasure to help. Thanks for taking the time share your experience. It's comments like yours that add extra value to the video.

[@davidb7854]

It's psi, not lbs. Just sayin. But otherwise well done.

[@Know-How-Now]

So far you are the only one to catch the blooper. Good catch.