Understanding Symptoms And Causes Of High Water Pressure: When To Call A Plumbing Service | Saginaw, TX
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Low water pressure, commonly observed as a trickle of water when you turn on the faucet, is perhaps one of the most obvious plumbing problems that you can encounter. Many homeowners are only aware of issues that stem from low water pressure because low water pressure will significantly impact their overall quality of living. However, high water pressure is also something that you need to be aware of.
High water pressure will actually put an enormous amount of stress on your home’s internal piping and plumbing. This can exacerbate plumbing problems and shorten the life of plumbing appliances, which is why you should call a plumbing service in Saginaw, TX as soon as possible to diagnose the problem and solve it. The assessment shouldn’t take more than a day.
Not many people are aware of the signs and symptoms of high water pressure, the causes behind it and the type of solutions that are available. In this article, we’ll look at all these different things in more detail, so you’ll have a better idea of how to handle and deal with them.
4 Signs of High Water Pressure
Is your water pressure too high or is it at just the right pressure? This seems to be a question that many homeowners struggle with. Although it’s very easy to identify low water pressure in your plumbing, it’s not the same with high water pressure. Many people live with high water pressure for years before they realize that there’s something wrong. Usually, they only realize when they get a plumbing service to come check out their plumbing. By then, it might be too late. The high water pressure might have done a significant amount of damage to both the plumbing and the plumbing appliances.
Below, we’ll look for common signs that the water pressure is too high. If you notice the signs in the plumbing of your home, call a plumber immediately. You don’t want to wait because high water pressure can do a significant amount of damage if it is left alone. Also, it’s fairly easy to solve and fix high water pressure as long as it hasn’t done any damage to the plumbing.
#1. Noisy Plumbing
Many people attribute noisy plumbing to loose joints or loose fittings. However, another common cause for noisy or clanging plumbing is high water pressure. When you flush your toilet or turn on your faucets, you shouldn’t hear any banging or clanging sounds coming from your walls. If you do, it could be a sign that the water pressure inside the plumbing is too high.
The pressure of the water is slamming against the plumbing. This tremendous amount of water pressure can easily cause the pipes to burst or to start leaking. This is one of the reasons why you should call the Saginaw, TX plumbing service to deal with high water pressure as soon as you notice it. Since the water pressure is travelling throughout the plumbing, it could damage anywhere.
By getting the water pressure fixed, you’re able to avoid some very expensive leaks. The problem with leaks is not only the fact that you have to patch up the plumbing or replace certain sections, but also the fact that water damage can be really brutal. If water seeps into the foundation of your home, it could damage the structural integrity of it; thus, making it uninhabitable.
#2. High Water Bills
Have you noticed that your water bill is starting to creep up out of nowhere? This could be a sign that you’re dealing with high water pressure. The higher the water pressure, the more water your household will be using. Many homeowners, however, won’t even realize that they’re using much more water than usual unless they take a look at their water bills.
Let’s take a look at the math. Let’s say that add a water pressure of 50 psi you are using about 30 gallons of water a minute. If the psi increases by 50, it could bump up your water usage by double that! That means you could be spending an extra several hundred dollars a month on your water bills.
Once the water pressure is back down to a reasonable level, you should see your water bills go back to normal. If you’re not sure whether your water bills are too high or not, consider asking your neighbours what they pay. In general, you should be paying a similar amount. You will have to take into account the size of your home compared to your neighbors, as well as the number of occupants that reside on your property. Naturally, if you have more people taking showers and baths and washing their clothes, you’ll have a larger water bill.
#3. Noisy Appliances
If the water pressure is too high, too much water will be entering the appliances, causing them to run overtime. One of the signs that the water pressure is too high in your home is if your washing machine makes a ton of noise as it fills up. This is troubling because it means that the mechanical pieces in your appliances will wear out much more quickly. They need to be able to compensate for the higher water pressure and will become strained with every use.
What this means is that you’re more likely to need to call a plumbing service to repair your appliances on a regular basis. It might also mean that you’ll need to replace your appliances much more frequently. Keep in mind that a washing machine cost several thousand dollars. Fixing the water pressure is much cheaper.
On that note, if you notice that your appliances are getting worn down rather quickly. You might want to call a plumbing service over to check out your water pressure when they’re installing a new appliance or when they’re repairing an issue.
#4. Too Little Hot Water
Another way that you can tell whether the water pressure is too high is by looking at your supply of hot water. Since the hot water is usually produced and stored in the water heater tank, there is a limited supply of hot water. On the other hand, cold water comes from the main water line, so you basically have an unlimited supply of it. You cannot use cold water to deduce the water pressure at all.
If the water pressure is too high, it will use up more of the hot water since you only have a limited supply of it. As a result, you won’t be able to take long baths or showers anymore. You might also notice that you won’t be able to take a hot shower if your family member has already taken one. You’ll have to wait for the tank to refill and reheat the water first. This can become annoying quite quickly depending on the number of people that you have living in your Saginaw, TX home.
Not only does this severely compromise your quality of living by ensuring that you have less hot water to work with, the higher water pressure can also be quite a strain on your water heater. If you don’t get the problem fixed immediately, you might end up having to replace the heater completely. Or, you might end up having to call a plumbing service to do more repairs. Both options are much more expensive than fixing the water pressure.
Common Reasons for High Water Pressure
In order to fix the problem, you must first understand why the water pressure in your house is too high. This could be due to a wide variety of reasons. A good plumbing service will not only confirm whether the water pressure is too high, but they’ll also let you know why it’s too high, so you have a good idea of what you can do in the future to prevent the situation from happening again.
Some of the most common reasons for high water pressure include:
- Failed pressure regulator. While most pressure regulators do last a lifetime, different environmental and elemental factors can cause them to fail prematurely. Fortunately, this is a simple and easy fix. The plumbing service should be able to install a new pressure regulator within a day.
- Location. Where you live can also affect the overall water pressure. Many plumbing services have noticed that those who live downhill typically see a higher water pressure than those that live uphill. This isn’t that unusual considering the fact that water does travel downwards.
- City regulations. The city might have asked the water supplier to set a certain water pressure, and they’ll have to comply. There’s nothing that you can do in this regard; however, you can have a plumbing service install a pressure regulator if you haven’t already. The pressure regulator will ensure that the water pressure gets reduced to a certain level before it can enter your home.
There are many other reasons why the water pressure in your home may be too high. The best way to diagnose the cause of high water pressure is to contact a reputable plumbing service in the area.
Diagnosis of High Water Pressure
Although the signs that we mentioned above can give you a good idea of whether the water pressure in your home is too high, it’s not a definitive diagnosis. There are several other issues that can have the same type of symptoms, and you definitely don’t want to tinker with the water pressure if it’s already at a reasonable level. If you reduce the water pressure when it’s not needed, it could lead to other issues that will result in the need for more plumbing services in the future.
Instead of trying to diagnose and fix the problem by yourself, it’s important to call a plumbing service, as only the plumbing service may have the equipment and know-how to diagnose the problem accurately.
The easiest way to diagnose the problem is to use a water pressure gauge to look at the water pressure that’s coming into your home. The entire diagnosis shouldn’t take too long to complete. You should be able to figure out within a day whether the problems that you face are due to high water pressure.
Most Recommended Solution
The most recommended solution by most plumbing services is to install a pressure regulator. The pressure regulator will regulate the water pressure regardless of what it is when it is delivered by the water supplier.
This is a specialized plumbing valve that will either reduce or increase the water pressure that’s coming into your home. In the case of high water pressure, the goal of the pressure regulator is to reduce the water pressure. This valve is responsible for bringing down the pressure of the water to a certain level before the water enters the plumbing of your home.
If your home already has a pressure regulator, then it may be malfunctioning at the water pressure is still too high. The best solution for this is to get the plumbing service to install a new pressure regulator. This is also a good time to learn about the different features that the pressure regulators may have.
Fix High Water Pressure by Calling Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth
If the water pressure in your home is too high, it’s important that you call a plumbing service in Saginaw, TX and get the situation solved as soon as possible. If you don’t, the high water pressure can significantly damage or plumbing, resulting in the need for more plumbing services and repairs in the future.
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing of Fort Worth has a lot of experience in dealing with all types of plumbing problems, including high water pressure. We can help you lower the water pressure to a more reasonable level. Our licensed and insured plumbers offer plumbing services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year to residences in Saginaw, TX. We’ll be able to get to you in a jiffy if you’re dealing with a plumbing emergency.
To learn more about our services, call us at 817-983-7876.