Residential water pressure tends to range between 45 and 80 psi (pounds per square inch). Anything below 40 psi is considered low and anything below 30 psi is considered too low; the minimum pressure required by most codes is 20 psi. Pressures above 80 psi are too high.
Water systems which operate at 1.0 bar pressure (10 m of drop) or greater are considered high pressure systems. Those with a pressure less than 1.0 bar are considered low pressure.
Water pressure is measured in psi, or pounds per square inch, and represents the force at which water enters your home from the water main. Normal psi for a home pipe system is between 30 and 80 psi. While you don't want the psi to be too low, it violates code to be above 80.
If it's above 80 psi, you probably need to lower your water pressure. There are several less scientific ways to see if you have high water pressure as well. You might have high water pressure if you notice: Expensive Water Bills: If your water bills seem a lot higher than expected, you're using more water than usual.
Standard home water pressure is designated as 80 psi, but when higher pressures are required to provide water for other facilities and services (often in the 100-110 psi range, but sometimes as high as 150 psi), this pressure can reach levels hazardous to your plumbing.
For most houses, 80 psi (pounds per square inch) is about right. If the water pressure is over 100 psi, that's too much. This increase in pressure is usually the fault of the municipal water company, which sets the pressure higher in order to accommodate fire hydrants and tall commercial buildings.
Pressures above 80 psi are too high. Whereas low water pressure is more of a nuisance than a serious problem (some fixtures, like washing machines, have minimum pressure requirements), high water pressure carries with it a significantly increased risk of damage to pipes, joints, fixtures and seals.
A quick and easy way to increase water pressure is to adjust the pressure-reducing valve, which can be found in your home, usually close to your water meter. If your pressure gauge reading was low, make slight adjustments to your regulator.
According to statistics, water pressure above 80 psi (pounds per square inch) causes the failure of water fixtures. The most common signs are spitting or leaking faucets, especially if it's out of the cold tap.
If your pressure is higher or lower, then you'll need to install, repair, or adjust your pressure regulator to comply. Adjusting your regulator is easy, as long as it's working properly. Simply tighten the screw down clockwise to increase pressure and counter-clockwise to decrease pressure.
The ideal water pressure for an average-sized house is 10-15 litres per minute. Any less than 10 litres per minute and you have low water pressure. Any higher than 15 litres per minute and your water pressure is too high and could be causing damage to your pipes. In this case, call a plumber to come and fix things.
When water pressure runs in excess for too long, it can cause your toilet's fill valve to break more quickly than expected. A broken fill valve might result in your toilet flushing on its own or even running when you're not using it.
A barometric reading over 30.20 inHg is generally considered high, and high pressure is associated with clear skies and calm weather. If the reading is over 30.20 inHg (102268.9 Pa or 1022.689 mb):
A high pressure system is essentially a clockwise flow of dry, sinking air that typically builds into a region behind a departing storm system. High pressure systems can be linked to the jet stream by finding areas where the jet bulges northward.
High pressure systems form where air converges in the higher levels of the atmosphere. The converging air has nowhere to go and is forced to sink toward the ground. This sinking effect inhibits cloud formation and therefore precipitation. In contrast, low pressure systems form where air near the ground converges.
Shut off the cold water at the faucet behind the washing machine, and then disconnect the hose from the faucet. (Be careful as it will be full of water.) Screw the pressure gauge onto the faucet, and then open the faucet all the way to test the pressure.
Consider calling a professional if the water pressure reading goes above 80 psi.
Residential water pressure tends to range between 45 and 80 psi (pounds per square inch). Anything below 40 psi is considered low and anything below 30 psi is considered too low; the minimum pressure required by most codes is 20 psi. Pressures above 80 psi are too high.
Medium Pressure – Rated from 2,000 to 3,000 PSI. High Pressure – Rated from 3,000 to 6,900 PSI. Ultra-High Pressure – Rated from 7,000 to 50,000 PSI.
Typically, water pressure regulators cost about $50 to $100 on average1, though you could end up paying up to $2001 depending on the size of incoming water line.
Find the spigot closest to your source of water. Make sure all the taps and other water uses are turned off in your house. Now turn on the spigot and see how long it takes to fill the bucket. Dividing the number 60 by the time to fill the bucket will give you the gallons per minute number.
If you're experiencing low pressure in a specific area, check for clogging or corrosion that could be slowing water flow. Issues with seals and connections can impact the water pressure coming out of the faucet, so it is important to not only inspect the faucet and fixture themselves but the connections as well.
Many toilets really do leak only at night; that's because people use much less water during these hours and in many municipal water systems, the water pressure rises considerably during this time.
Choking off your supply by closing down the inlet valve flow area will only reduce pressure downstream of the valve as long as you have flow through the pipes (that's Bernoulli for you). The second you stop flow the pressure downstream will equalize to the same pressure as upstream of your valve.
The ideal water pressure for a house will be somewhere in the range of about 45 to 65 psi. Anything higher than 80 psi can cause damage, and anything much lower than 45 psi may result in issues when you use your shower, toilet, dishwasher and other water-consuming appliances.