Residential Water Pressure: What’s Considered Good or Normal

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Need to check or adjust your water pressure? Give Pride Services a call today at 516-528-3432

Water pressure is the amount of force (in pounds per square inch) of water moving through your water taps and pipes.

Too much water pressure damages a home’s pipes and appliances like a water heater. However, too low of a water pressure results in poor performance of essential appliances like sprinklers or showers. Knowing the ideal water pressure ranges and flow rate helps your home strike the perfect balance. 

We’ll explore the ideal water pressure a home should have and common reasons for drops in water pressure. Enlisting the help of drain cleaning experts in Rockville Centre from Pride Services also ensures your home maintains the proper water pressure. 

What’s a Normal Water Pressure Range?

Every home is different, meaning homeowners might benefit from different ranges. However, a home’s normal water pressure range is between 45 and 60 psi. 

Levels below 40 psi typically indicate poor performance, and most building codes require at least a 20 psi level. Plumbing professionals often suggest 50 psi as the ideal range. However, larger homes require higher pressure levels. 

Water pressure of 80 psi or higher leads to damages like blown-out sprinkler heads or ruptured pipes. Additionally, high water pressure wastes more from your water supply.

A simple water pressure test includes attaching a water pressure gauge to your outside faucet:

  • Start by locating the first faucet running along your water line, as this faucet contains the highest pressure and indicates if the issue lies with your home or municipal lines. 
  • Ensure your home isn’t using water—individual faucet or toilet shut-off valves improve test results. 
  • Turn off your main shut-off valve, attach your water pressure gauge to your faucet, and turn your faucet off to read your pressure level. 

Homeowners use this method to test other home faucets and determine where a potential plumbing issue lies. 

How to Adjust Your Water Pressure

Many homes have a water pressure regulator, making adjusting pressure levels much easier. This device allows homeowners to regulate incoming water pressure levels. Since municipal water pressure is usually too high for residential homes, a regulator comes in handy. 

Most pressure regulators sit with your water’s mainline, typically in a home’s basement, crawl space, or access panel. 

A water pressure regulator consists of a gauge on top of its valve, indicating the water pressure amount running through a home’s pipes. Loosen the locking nut around the valve’s bottom to adjust the valve. 

After loosening, turn the screw until it reaches your wanted psi level. When finished, tighten the locking nut to complete the process. 

Reasons Why Your Water Pressure Is Dropping

Sudden drops in water pressure raise concerns for most homeowners. However, these issues are typically temporary. For example, the area’s new construction or massive home improvement projects may affect water pressure. 

Before panicking, call your utility company to see if there’s a widespread water pressure drop in the area. If there is, ask for an estimated correction timeframe. However, a leaking system is often the culprit if you’re solely experiencing low water pressure. 

Water pressure tests can check for water pipe leaks. However, hiring a professional to locate and rectify the leak ensures the best results. 

While waiting for the plumber to correct the issue, heighten water pressure by only using a single water device. For example, you can opt to run your shower and sprinkler system separately. Doing so increases water pressure to other devices in your home. 

Reasons Why Your Water Pressure Is Surging

Sometimes your supply pipe might provide too much water instead of suddenly dropping in pressure. Water surges result in the water suddenly increasing and decreasing. 

You create water surges sometimes by using more than one water device in your home. For example, when a person showers and another person flushes the toilet, the two devices split the water pressure. As a result, shower water pressure decreases until the toilet finishes filling. 

Like combating water pressure drops, you can combat surges by only using a single appliance at a time. 

Call Pride Services Today

While a typical house should have water pressure between 45 and 60 psi, every home is different. However, a too high or too low water pressure results in consequences. 

Luckily, our team at Pride Services expertly ensures homes use their ideal water pressure. Our services also include identifying and fixing issues like plumbing leaks. 

Call Pride Services at 516-528-3432 to learn about common under-sink plumbing problems, including low water pressure!

Published: Jul 10, 2022

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