# Home inspector says water pressure too high



## Lettusbee (May 8, 2010)

So our house is up for sale, and the home inspector representing the buyer has called out too high of water pressure to the house. 

He observed 120 psi coming into the house and recommended that a regulator be installed to keep the water pressure below 80 psi. 

My question is what the hell for? We've always been glad that we have good water pressure here. Some houses in this town have lousy water pressure. Of all the crazy things to pick on, why this? I have no idea what is involved, and in the scope of a $300k house, I am sure this won't be a huge expense. 

AFAIK, there have been no problems in this home that we've lived in for nearly 9 years, that can be attributed to high water pressure.


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## KillerToiletSpider (May 27, 2007)

Getting a pressure reducing valve installed would be a small price to pay if it gets the house sold.


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## superseal (Feb 4, 2009)

And he would be right - puts excessive wear on faucets, hoses and fittings and can cause cavitation in water lines

PRV valves are cheap and easy to install,...just make sure you've got an expansion tank cause you'll be closing the loop back to the city pressure if your not running a backflow valve already.


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## The Coastal Craftsman (Jun 29, 2009)

The only issue I have ever had with high water pressure is my outside hose rips ever year. You are right on the limit of appliances though. Most are rated to 120psi. every house my side of town has these pressures and I never hear if issues from it from the plumbers I know. The most annoying part is the bang when the DW shuts off. But it will still do that at 80psi.


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## jar546 (Aug 13, 2013)

Yes, correct. Reduce to 80 and close on house. Do you have back flow prevention too?


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## Lettusbee (May 8, 2010)

There is no backflow prevention device that I can see. Is it possible that it would be in the street at the curb stop? We are required to have BFP at our sprinkler manifolds though. 

I agree that it is likely a small price to pay to get the house sold, it just really surprised me that with all the things in this house to pick on, the inspector actually came up with something that I had no idea about.

I don't understand the relationship where installing a PRV will also require and expansion tank, but my plumber will get it done correctly. I just wanted to do some research before Monday when I call him.


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## jar546 (Aug 13, 2013)

Lettusbee said:


> There is no backflow prevention device that I can see. Is it possible that it would be in the street at the curb stop? We are required to have BFP at our sprinkler manifolds though.
> 
> I agree that it is likely a small price to pay to get the house sold, it just really surprised me that with all the things in this house to pick on, the inspector actually came up with something that I had no idea about.
> 
> I don't understand the relationship where installing a PRV will also require and expansion tank, but my plumber will get it done correctly. I just wanted to do some research before Monday when I call him.


I am unfamiliar with an expansion tank being required for a PRV. Normally when there is a backflow prevention device, an expansion tank is installed on the cold side of the water heater..


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 3, 2010)

Yes.... by all standards that honestly is very high. I believe most recommendations will be 60 to 75 range.

Solinoids on washers/icemakers/etc etc will slam shut and potential wear tear on the system can be a future problem.

The PRV valve will isolate/back-flow to the system, thus when your water heater heats a bunch of cold water and it expands, it builds pressure on your house system, and can trip/leak the WH TPR valve... thus an expansion tank can alleviate.

I know of no code requiring the expansion tank, and many systems work fine w/o it (depends on expansion in the whole house system).

Best

Peter


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## chew (Apr 5, 2012)

If you really have 120 psi water pressure my guess is you are already have an expansion tank on the cold water side of your water heater.

The expansion tank needed to keep your temperature pressure relief valve from opening unnecessarily.

On systems that are closed or have high water pressure the TPRV will leak when the WH turns on.


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## greg24k (May 19, 2007)

I'm surprised that pressure reducer wasn't installed already. Usually when I work in towns with high water pressure in the main, they tell us to install a pressure reducer of they will not install a water meter. 

The whole town must have a high water pressure in the main system and not only your house.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 3, 2010)

chew said:


> If you really have 120 psi water pressure my guess is you are already have an expansion tank on the cold water side of your water heater. Not necessarily if your system is not closed with a backflow preventer or a PRV
> 
> The expansion tank needed to keep your temperature pressure relief valve from opening unnecessarily.
> 
> On systems that are closed or have high water pressure the TPRV will leak when the WH turns on.Not necessarily.. On closed systems, it will depend on expansion within your house system...with just high pressure on an open system.... it will mostly be a function of the tolerance in the TPRV


I live in the mountains with gravity feed systems that have extensively varied pressures....and the necessity of an expansion tank can be very different, depending on the actual plumbing system/size/type, system pressure, and TPRV tolerances/age.

Ya sorta just have to try it and see if you will need that expansion tank... no way I know how to estimate/calculate it.

Best

Peter


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 3, 2010)

greg24k said:


> I'm surprised that pressure reducer wasn't installed already. Usually when I work in towns with high water pressure in the main, they tell us to install a pressure reducer of they will not install a water meter.
> 
> The whole town must have a high water pressure in the main system and not only your house.


GREG....^^^^^^..... me too. It is a standard around here now... older places just maybe.

120 is HIGH.

Best

Peter


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## Lettusbee (May 8, 2010)

Just spoke with my realtor, and he was surprised that we didn't already have a pressure reducer. 

I don't know why our pressure is so high, but we are pretty close to the main water supply utility, and downhill a bit. 
The next neighborhood over has water pressure so low that we take our paint brushes home at the end of the day to clean them. 

Guess I'll be putting a pressure reducer on this week.


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## jar546 (Aug 13, 2013)

Lesson learned and you took the information well. That says a lot about the type of person you are. Good luck with your new place.


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## MTN REMODEL LLC (Sep 3, 2010)

Lettusbee said:


> Just spoke with my realtor, and he was surprised that we didn't already have a pressure reducer.
> 
> I don't know why our pressure is so high, but we are pretty close to the main water supply utility, and downhill a bit.
> The next neighborhood over has water pressure so low that we take our paint brushes home at the end of the day to clean them.
> ...


Lettuce..... Agree....Good luck selling... and by the way............

*GO BUFFS*.....:clap::clap:

Best

Peter


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

Water pressure like that created a bit of a furor around here a few years ago when the water company opted for that instead of booster pumps in its lines. Pipes were popping all over the place.

https://sites.google.com/site/hampdenheights/files/waterpressureproblems


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## HVAC1000 (Feb 4, 2013)

Lettusbee said:


> There is no backflow prevention device that I can see. Is it possible that it would be in the street at the curb stop? We are required to have BFP at our sprinkler manifolds though.
> 
> I agree that it is likely a small price to pay to get the house sold, it just really surprised me that with all the things in this house to pick on, the inspector actually came up with something that I had no idea about.
> 
> I don't understand the relationship where installing a PRV will also require and expansion tank, but my plumber will get it done correctly. I just wanted to do some research before Monday when I call him.


Hey I know I'm chiming in late but most of my work is in FoCo and a lot of house are having problems with high water pressure lately. The inspectors up here are really thorough and get worked up about every small detail, scratch, or imperfection. I once saw one that said " too much soilder on copper pipe joint, may be CONFUSED with water drip". I looked at what he was talking about and it was seriously a little extra soilder that in the right light kinda of maybe been confused with a water leak. To I took a sand cloth an sanded it down and that was that.


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## trcplumbbob (Jan 15, 2014)

Im suprised that the relief valve hasn't popped on water heater


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## We Fix Houses (Aug 15, 2007)

We have high pressure because of the textile mills that "were" here.

I didn't want to do any soldering - this is my house - in a pantry closet - crawl below.


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## Gary H (Dec 10, 2008)

We Fix Houses said:


> We have high pressure because of the textile mills that "were" here. I didn't want to do any soldering - this is my house - in a pantry closet - crawl below.


I never seen a angled sharkbite before. That's cool


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