Water, Pipes, and Pressure Problems

[cheap_guy]

1. I have one outdoor faucet that always hammers when it gets turned on (not off, though). What could be causing this? The pressure valve is mostly reading 80 when this happens. I say "mostly" because of question 2.


2. When the laundry maching is transitioning from rinse to spin cycle, the water pressure starts creeping up from 80 to almost 200 psi. We just had a new regulator put in (second one in 3 months, from different plumbers). We live pretty close to a water tank and the neighbors have all had to replace their regulators within the past few years. What could cause this pressure creep?

Waterlogged,
Mike :(

[roger g]

Wow! I've never heard of those pressures before. Even the 80 psi!! I'm surprised that the toilet valve even shuts off. I don't even know about the water regulator but I do know about other types of regulators and they are suppossed to regulate the pressure. That is their only job. If the pressure is rising in your system then the reg isn't working or that the reg is the wrong one for those in and out pressures. That 200psi is very dangerous. VERY DANGEROUS!!!!!!


roger

PS How do you know what the pressures are? Is there a guage on the system?

[Rich]

WOW.. we just did pressure readings and flow tests on a 16" main line and it never went over 60 psi. It doesn't really relate to the pressure on a 3/4" line comparatively but I was damn impressed we had 60.. to go 80 and 200 on 3/4" or 1/2" is downright crazy.
If your regulator is showing a split from 200 to 80 you may need to reset the setpoint of the regulator or replace it.. the more I think about this - there is no way that you can be getting those kinds of pressures - something has to be wrong with the regulator or pressure gauge being used.

[cheap_guy]

Before we bought the house, our home inspector hooked a pressure gauge up to a valve in the garage and one in the back yard. Both were pegging the valve (I'm sure it was pushing over 200 psi). We asked the sellers to correct the problem. After a few days, they said they had their guy "fix it." Turns out he rebuilt the regulator and it was still pegging the gauge.

So we had our guy come out and install a new regulator with a in-line valve (it's a Sears model). It usually reads 85, but for some reason, creeps when the washing machine is on... guess I'll give him a call.

Any ideas on the water hammer on that one faucet in the back? I know it needs a new stem since it leaks when it's turned on, but could that cause the amount of shutter I'm hearing? Sounds like something's gonna shoot out of the wall when I turn it on. Goes away after a second, though.

Thanks again!

Mike