How high is the water pressure at your house?

When was the last time you checked the exact water pressure on your house?
Chances are,
You’ve never checked the water pressure at your house
Or never even thought about it!
The water pressure might be high at your house, you reckon it’s great and it is don’t get us wrong.
However sometimes the water pressure can be too high, and that’s going to be a problem.

How does water pressure even work?
Living in a city such as Auckland, you’ll most likely be on mains water. This water is stored and filtered at Auckland’s dams out west. Water pressure comes from the gravitational force of the water up high in the dams that push down towards your home.
The closer you are to sea level (The lower your house is placed), the higher your water pressure will be, and vice-versa.
When there was a water shortage last year in Auckland, you may have noticed a drop in pressure during that time, that was because the water level had dropped significantly as there was no rain to refill it. This significantly reduced the water head so the gravitational force wouldn’t have been as strong.
If you live in a more rural area, chances are you’re on a pump. These pumps are designed to not be able to output a pressure that is too great that would damage your pipes and fixtures

What’s wrong with too much pressure?
We’re sure that all of us couldn’t say no to a nice hot shower that gives us that little push with the pressure being so high.
But this could do more damage than good.
Most water pipes and fixtures are only rated to a 550-650 static pressure. This means this is the maximum pressure the pipe will hold when nothing is running (When you use water, the pressure will drop slightly). Anything over this will compromise the structural integrity of the pipes and fixtures and could cause a leak.
(Manufacturers will not warranty anything either if you exceed the rated pressure of the product)

What can I do about this?
Before proceeding, we would normally test the pressure to see how much it is. We have special gauges that can easily be attached to hose taps to test the pressure of the house.
If the pressure is too high we tend to install a Pressure limiting valve right at the meter box, that way the pressure can be limited to a much safer 550 kPa. Installing this valve will ensure that the pressure from the road (For example 1000 kPa) will be reduced to the desired setting, this can also be changed to anything you wish.

称呼 欧元管道 today and see what the pressure is like at your house and get a potential future problem sorted today!