Sonora Ca plumbers shed light on low water pressure, high water pressure, & what to do about it
Our Sonora Ca plumbers often encounter water pressure that is either too high, or too low. This is a common problem in plumbing. In this post we will lay out the solutions for fixing these problems. Checking water pressure is something that any homeowner can do on their own by getting a pressure gauge with a hose attachment on it. It is as easy as attaching a garden hose (just make sure it comes with the rubber washer in it. ) You can get them at any plumbing supply store. Checking water pressure is also a free service that plumbers at Optimized Plumbing & Piping will provide along with a complete plumbing inspection. Available free with any service call. Just call us at 209-743-9821.
Keeping a constant water pressure in areas with a lot of elevation change adds some extra equipment and maintenance to you plumbing system. Consequently many plumbing problems can result especially from the high pressure. In some areas like Jamestown the water pressure could be on the low side at around 25 psi, and other areas including Sonora, Columbia, Twain Harte, and Soulsbyville the pressures can top 110psi in the water system, and even in your home if a pressure reducing valve is not installed, or becomes non operational. Water pressure into the 20’s can be very irritating especially when coupled with undersized water pipes.
The water pressure is affected by the elevation changes in the area. For a rise in elevation water pressure drops about 1/2 psi per foot. This means for every 10 feet in elevation gain the water pressure will drop almost 5 psi. This head pressure works the opposite way as well, so for every drop in elevation the water pressure rises about 1/2 psi per foot. This means for every 10 feet of elevation loss the water pressure will rise almost 5 psi. When you look at the elevation differences even in your own neighbor hood you can see why water pressure can vary greatly.
Many people in Tuolumne County & Calaveras County have pressure reducing valves installed by a Sonora plumber like Optimized Plumbing & Piping. The water pressure in the home should still be checked regularly even when one of these valves is installed to ensure it is being reduced to the proper level. The pressure reducing valve is something that may need to be checked, serviced, or replaced. If not checked regularly the high water pressure could be causing damage to water pipes, pipe leaks, and damage to toilets, faucets, hot water heaters, and tankless hot water heaters, and require a Sonora plumber to perform leak repair, toilet replacement, faucet replacement, water heater replacement, or re piping of the water system.
While low water pressure isn’t damaging it can be very annoying. It seems like common knowledge that we can install a valve to fix high water pressure it seems like less common knowledge that we can fix the problem with low water pressure. This common problem can be fixed fairly easily with a booster pump system. Many people with systems that have low water pressure don’t realize that with the simple installation of a booster pump they could have a more adequate water supply.
Call Optimized Plumbing & Piping today! Our services include: hot water heater repair, hot water heater installation, tankless hot water heater installation, pipe repair, leak repair, toilet installation, sink, and faucet replacement, repiping, and remodeling.
Sonora Ca plumbers from Optimized plumbing & Piping service the Tuolumne County and Calaveras County areas of Copperopolis, Jamestown, Groveland, Soulsbyville, Tuolumne, Twain Harte, Mi Wuk, Angels Camp, Murphys, Arnold, San Andreas, and Jackson.