Valves, fittings, fixtures, pipes. If you walk through a home’s plumbing system piece-by-piece, you’ll quickly realize that there are quite a few components included throughout. This is true for both looking at the system as a whole, as well as analyzing the different pieces of an individual component, like a water heater. And unless you deal with these various parts on a daily basis, it can be a challenge figuring out what does what and if you even need some of them in the first place.
Being a plumbing company that does a significant amount of residential work, we feel confident in our ability to diagnose plumbing problems and make the appropriate repairs. As we often do here on the blog, we always enjoy providing real-world plumbing knowledge that any homeowner can utilize. As a homeowner, the better you understand the inner workings of your plumbing system, the better off you’ll be in the long run. Trust us, possessing the ability to know when something clearly isn’t right with your plumbing system is more valuable than you might think. After all, it doesn’t take long for a minor problem to escalate into a major headache!
On this week’s blog, we’re going to be taking an inside look at PRV’s. Also known as a “Pressure Relief Valve” or a “Pressure Reducing Valve,” these are generally utilized as a safety feature to one’s plumbing system. Essentially, the PRV is responsible for preventing any major plumbing emergencies that may occur due to the water pressure getting too high.
What are some of the dangers of high water pressure?
Generally, when someone has a water pressure issue, it’s because there is not enough water pressure coming out of the faucet or showerhead. However, as evidenced above, PRV’s are set to help when the pressure becomes too high. It’s not hard to see how high water pressure can negatively impact many aspects of your plumbing system. If the pressure on the water heater got too high, trouble can quickly ensue with a significant leak. Keep in mind that the T&P valve and expansion tank are important safety features on a water heater. Your faucets will break down faster than normal simply because they’re not built to handle that kind of pressure. Ever heard the term, “water hammer?” If you hear loud, banging noises inside of your water pipes, a water hammer might be the culprit. Essentially, this is caused when water is moving swiftly through your lines and then forced to make abrupt stops. It can certainly be troublesome and is undoubtedly something you’ll want to get fixed sooner rather than later.
Long story short, just as low water pressure can be an annoyance for homeowners to deal with, high water pressure presents its own unique set of issues. It puts more wear and tear on your appliances and fixtures, and in all likelihood, it will probably end up costing you money too!
How does a PRV work?
With the material that we’ve covered so far, I’m going to guess you have a rough idea of what purpose a PRV serves. If the water coming into the house through the water main has too high of a pressure, the PRV is responsible for reducing that pressure. Hence the name, pressure-reducing valve. It has a bell-like shape and will likely be located fairly close to the main shut-off valve. The valve’s inner mechanism will either allow more water to pass through or restrict it, depending on the desired water pressure.
Do pressure reducing valves fail over time?
While it would be nice to have a PRV that lasts forever, that is probably wishful thinking. Just like any other plumbing component, it’ll eventually break down through consistent wear and tear, thus needing to be replaced. The key is to be able to spot when something isn’t right and get it fixed before it wreaks havoc elsewhere in your plumbing system. While there are some variables that will dictate its exact lifespan, you can typically expect to get close to five years out of this valve.
What are the warning signs of a failing PRV?
Now that you know all PRV’s will eventually need to be replaced, it’s important to understand what the warning signs are of a failing unit. This way, you’ll be able to get it fixed before the increased water pressure causes further damage. Keep in mind that it may take a little bit of time for you to recognize something is wrong with the PRV, but as a side note, it is important to point out that the problems will likely occur in multiple places around the house. In other words, if you’re experiencing high water pressure with one specific fixture, then that fixture would probably be where the actual problem resides.
With that in mind, what occurrences should signal to you that you may have a faulty PRV on your hands? The most obvious sign of a faulty PRV is high water pressure. Unsurprisingly, a PRV’s job is to reduce water pressure, so when the water pressure suddenly kicks up to a much higher level, this valve is a great place to start. On the flip side, the PRV could also be to blame if you’re experiencing low water pressure or no water pressure at all. Remember, a PRV is designed to regulate the water pressure as a whole, so whenever there’s water pressure issues throughout the house, the PRV is worth checking out. Another warning sign worth monitoring goes back to the problems associated with high water pressure. To sum it up, high water pressure can make it tough on your plumbing system to operate like normal. Your fixtures, pipes and so on aren’t accustomed to working under this enhanced pressure. When this happens, you may start to notice random leaks in your plumbing system and even possibly some water damage. While leaks can certainly be a result of quite a few different plumbing issues, high water pressure allowed because of a faulty PRV is a definite possibility. In any case, as we wrap up this blog post, I just wanted to make sure it was clear what the purpose was of PRV’s and how they contribute to your plumbing system.
For those readers near the KC area, if you ever have any questions about your home’s PRV or even if you need one replaced, don’t hesitate to call our team at (816) 348-3481.
PRV Services in Kansas City
As you can likely imagine, pressure reducing valves are an integral piece of a household plumbing system. We already discussed it above, but high water pressure is capable of causing some serious plumbing issues. Having said that, we hope you found some value in this blog about PRV’s and will know what to look for in the future when you notice water pressure problems.
We didn’t provide much information about our plumbing business in the opening section, so I would like to give a quick hello to anyone that may be visiting our blog for the first time. Stine-Nichols Plumbing is a full-service plumbing business in North Kansas City, MO that offers residential, commercial and new construction plumbing services. Water heaters, sewer lines, water softeners, drain cleaning, you name it! So, if you live near the Kansas City area and are needing some plumbing assistance, we have you covered! To get in touch with our team, you’re more than welcome to fill out the form HERE or give us a call at (816) 348-3481.