Dealing with High Water Pressure

While many home owners say that they want high water pressure, they never really stop to think what it means if they have really high water pressure. Not dealing with high water pressure can lead to all kinds of unintended consequences that can lead to extremely high repair and utility bills. Luckily there are a few steps that you can do to begin dealing with high water pressure.

1. Test the pressure. The first step in dealing with high water pressure is to actually figure what your current water pressure is. This can easily be done by placing a water pressure gauge on an exterior water faucet. If you don't have an exterior water faucet, then attach the gauge to an interior one (though you may need to dismantle part of the faucet to attach the gauge). As long as the water pressure is within 40 to 50 pounds per square inch (psi) then it is alright. However, if it is higher than 50 psi you will need to take some action.
2. Locate water main. In order to change your current water pressure you will need to locate your water main. If you can, locate the place that your water main enters the house since there is a pressure regulator located there. Once you have located the regulator you can begin making adjustments.
3. Adjust the regulator. On the pressure regulator you should find a cap which is covering the screw or bolt which is what is actually used to adjust the pressure. Using either a wrench or a screwdriver (whichever is appropriate for your situation) and turn the screw counterclockwise to reduce the water pressure. In the event that you need to increase water pressure you can simply turn the screw clockwise.
4. Retest the pressure. Once you have turned the adjustment screw a couple of times go ahead and test your water pressure again. If it falls within the 40 to 50 psi range then you are good. If not, you will need to adjust the pressure again, and retest the pressure again. Continue to adjust and retest until you have the water pressure within the proper psi range.

Once you have the water pressure in the correct range, you can begin cleaning up. Remember to clean up all of your tools, and any water that may have spilled onto the floor. In the event that you cannot get your water pressure where you want, you will need to contact a professional in order to determine what the underlying problem really is.