One of the biggest causes of leaks in the home is high water pressure which can cause leaks on your water lines, toilets, faucets, and even your water heater.

Your water company pumps the water to your home under high pressure. When it reaches your home, a Pressure Reducing Valve (PRV) on the main water line reduces the pressure to a level that can be sustained without damaging the fixtures in your home.

If the PRV goes bad, the water pressure in your home can actually cause your pipes to “sing” or whine. This may be your first indication that the PRV has gone bad. Sometimes, however, the pipes do not make a noise and you do not notice the problem until fixtures or water lines in your home start to leak. You can prevent this from happening by buying a simple water pressure gauge at your local hardware store and testing the water pressure at an outside faucet or hose bibb near the back of the house. (Do not test in the front of the house.)

If the water pressure is over 70 pounds per square inch (psi) contact Atlanta Plumbing Plus to install a new PRV. If you don’t know how to take a pressure reading, just call us. We will be happy to do it for you as part of our whole house plumbing inspection.