The pressure level can vary, but 60 PSI (pounds per square inch) is recommended for most residential homes. Water pressure should not be higher than 80 PSI. Anything higher can cause major appliances, including water heaters and toilets, to stop working properly because of the stress on plumbing and other parts.
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. Instead, you should aim for a psi that's between 60 and 70.
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.
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.
Most residential plumbing systems are designed to handle 40 to 60 PSI of pressure, with 80 PSI being the typical maximum and anything over 100 PSI being possibly detrimental to plumbing components.
Is your water pressure too high? Most plumbing fixtures are designed to handle a maximum water pressure of 80 psi or lower. If your water pressure is higher than that, it can potentially cause the parts for your faucets, water heater, toilets, and shut-off valves to fail.
Normal water pressure is generally between 40 and 60 PSI. Most homeowners prefer something right in the middle around 50 PSI. Once you measure the water pressure in your house, you can adjust it to a setting that is ideal for all family members and household uses.
Banging or Clanging Noises in Pipes
This is a sign that the pressure in your pipes is already extremely high, and the shuddering is your pipes adapting to the pressure increasing when you turn off the water. This also means that you could find yourself dealing with plumbing leaks within a short period of time.
Consider calling a professional if the water pressure reading goes above 80 psi.
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. Remember to make small adjustments at a time and continually check the pressure for accurate and safe results.
By increasing the pressure setting on the pressure switch, one could expect to have better water pressure flowing through the faucets. For example, a system set to 30/50 could improve upon water pressure if it were increased to a 40/60 setting, provided that the well pump is sized to sustain a 40/60 setting.
Most well tanks come set at 30/50. The cut-on pressure for the well pump is 30 psi, so the pressure of the tank should have a pressure of 28 psi. If your well tank is on a 40/60 pressure switch, your pressure setting should be 38 psi.
Another way to increase GPM is to turn up the water pressure. This can be done by adjusting the pressure valve on your pressure washer. Be sure not to increase the pressure too much, as this could damage the machine.
(Normal is 60 psi and very few areas are below 40 psi) The pressure of the streams will drop under these extreme conditions, of course, but the stream integrity is preserved. This photo shows the stream integrity of our Perfect shower head (old style).
While true gravity tank toilets will operate at water pressures of only 10 - 15 psi, pressure- assist tank and flushometer toilets usually require 25 - 40 psi and, sometimes, even more. This is the pressure at the toilet, not the pressure coming into the building.
Normal water pressure range
In general, residential water pressure ranges between 45-80 psi (pounds per square inch). If your water pressure is under 40 psi, it's considered low.
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.
High Pressure
Excessive water pressure can cause stress on your plumbing leading to leaks and burst pipes. If you hear banging from your pipes (known as a water hammer) this is a sure sign of high water pressure. It may mean that the water pressure from your supplier to your house is too high.
Your house has a main water valve, usually located near the meter; the valve controls the flow of water into your home's pipes. Find the valve and check to see if it's completely open. Opening a half-shut valve is one of the quickest ways for increasing home water pressure.
Water Pressure Regulators
If you do not already have one installed, it may be time to call the pros. It is an inexpensive and easy job for a trained plumber but may require adjusting the height of the water main and other advanced tasks.
If the pressure is 35-60psi, that is enough pressure and flow to allow most plumbing fixtures to work properly, unless there is a restriction within the system obstructing the flow from what it should be.
For a single level home or a two story home without water fixtures on the 2nd floor a 30/50 PSI setting may be sufficient. For two or more levels with water fixtures on more than one level you may want to use 40/60 PSI setting. It's easier for a pump to supply the lower pressures and it's less strain on old plumbing.
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.
Water heaters are particularly susceptible to breaking with high water pressure and the warming spring months. This is due to thermal expansion. A water heater that is too full due to high water pressure and with no expansion tank can break at the seam when the water inside gets hot.
Temperature Settings
If you set it too high (above 120°F), then this could result in an increase in internal pressure levels within the tank. Eventually, this leads to leaks or other issues, as mentioned previously.