Project details
Skill
3 out of 5ModerateRequires mid-level plumbing skills
Cost
About $150 to $300
Estimated Time
1 to 2 hours
In this video, This Old House plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey tame extremely high water pressure.
Steps for Installing a Water Pressure Valve:
- To determine the incoming water pressure, attach a pressure gauge to a hose sillcock or other valve with a male threaded connection.
- Ideal house water pressure is about 50 pounds per square inch (PSI). If the pressure is excessively high, install a pressure-reducing valve.
- Using threaded pipe and fittings, attach a pressure gauge to each side of the pressure-reducing valve.
- Hold the valve assembly against a water pipe and mark where to cut the pipe.
- Shut off the water to the house, then drain water from the plumbing system.
- Use a tubing cutter to remove a section of water pipe, as indicated by the marks made in Step 4.
- Remove the pressure gauges and rubber O-rings from the valve assembly.
- Brush flux onto the ends of the valve assembly and onto the ends of the water pipe.
- Solder the valve assembly to copper water pipe.
- Once the assembly has cooled, reinstall the pressure gauges and O-rings.
- Turn the water back on and read the pressure gauge on the outgoing side of the valve.
- If the water pressure is too high—that is, above 50 PSI—turn the adjusting screw on the valve in a counterclockwise direction.
- If the water pressure is too low, turn the adjusting screw in a clockwise direction.
Tools:
Tools & Materials
- Pressure gauge
- Pliers
- Pipe wrench
- Tubing cutter
- Propane torch
- Open-ended wrench