We can almost guarantee that very few Cape Coral plumbers have ever heard the words, “I can’t stand how high the water pressure is in my house. It’s like showering under a fire hose. I can’t handle the pressure!” Most people want as much water pressure as their faucets will put out. A good number of people feel like they don’t have enough water pressure to begin with, so why not maximize the pressure coming into the house because, after all, you can always just turn down the pressure at the faucet, right? Why would anyone want to install a pressure reducing valve (PRV) in their home? Here are a couple of reasons that might encourage you to consider installing a PRV:
A PRV Can Save Your Appliances
If you have ever replaced a plumbing appliance in your home — like your water heater, dishwasher, or water softener — you probably know that it certainly isn’t cheap to do so. For some, it can mean saving for months to buy the perfect new dishwasher for your home. If you are going to invest that kind of money into your house, don’t you want to do everything you can to protect that investment?
If the water pressure in your home is too high, that pressure puts stress on the brand new dishwasher (or other appliance) that you’ve worked so hard for. The life expectancy of that appliance will severely diminish depending on just how high the pressure is. The same thing goes for all appliances that are connected to a water line. It’s no fun to spend thousands of dollars remodeling your kitchen only to find that the pressure in your home is diminishing the value of that investment.
A PRV Can Save Your Fixtures
We know all too well that nobody wants to shower under a trickling faucet. The trick is to find the right balance between your water pressure and your wallet. Reducing high water pressure can extend the life of your fixtures, saving you money on replacement parts in the long term. Nothing says you need to suffer through a shower like it is being poured out of a garden watering can, but you can certainly find a balance where you have a comfortable water pressure that your fixtures can handle. Besides reducing the harmful effects of high pressure, you could also save money on water costs while preventing wasted water — and who wouldn’t want to save a little money while reducing their water usage, helping to make the world a better place to live?
A PRV Can Save Your Pipes
Here locally in Fort Myers and Cape Coral, the city is hooking some neighborhoods up to a new water mains that will increase their water pressure from 40 psi to upward of 110 psi. If you have ever been watering the lawn and folded over the hose to make a kink, you know how much water pressure can get backed up in that hose. That pressure build up is similar to what happens to your pipes and supply lines when your faucets are turned off. This problem gets even further compounded if your home hasn’t had a repipe and is still using old, corroded copper pipes.
One of the most common causes of catastrophic water damage in homes is burst washing machine hoses. A lot of people have the rubber washing machine hoses that you can pick up at any DIY store like Home Depot or Lowe’s. Imagine that pressure bottled up in the rubber hose leading to your washing machine. Overly high water pressure plus flimsy rubber washing machine hoses equals a plumbing disaster just waiting to happen.
Many people think they know whether their water pressure is too high, too low, or just right. It is a good idea, though, to have a licensed and insured Cape Coral plumber (or a plumber in Fort Myers or a plumber in Naples) check it out and give you the peace of mind to know that you are doing everything you can to protect your home and everything in it. And for those poor souls that find themselves on the low end of the pressure test, Avis may have options for you too. Save yourself the future headache and expense and give Avis a call at (239) 542-4421 to schedule an appointment to have your water pressure checked out.
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