Water pressure is significant for plumbing. It helps push the water throughout the home to all faucets, toilets, and showers that might be in the house. If you have weak pressure, it might not let the water into the house, or there might not be enough pressure to get up to the upper floors. You wouldn’t get anything more than a trickle, which is not enough for a shower or even washing your hands. On the flip side, you can have too much pressure. Low pressure is inconvenient, but high pressure can be damaging to your plumbing. Unfortunately, many people don’t even realize their pressure is too high. Here are four signs you might need to get the pressure lowered to avoid extensive damage.
1. Leaking Faucets or Fixtures:
Leaking faucets and toilets that seem to flush, or turn themselves on, can be irritating. They can also be costly for your water bill because you’re using more water with every drip. Even replacing parts doesn’t help stop the leaks. It’s happening because there’s too much pressure building up, and the only way to release it is by dripping.
2. Leaking Pipes:
While leaking faucets are kind of annoying, it’s not necessarily serious. Leaking pipes can lead to a much bigger mess. They start because of a weakness in the pipeline. It could be a tiny pinhole, a seam that’s not 100% sealed, and any other defect. High pressure can elevate that small leak to a burst pipe without any warning. A burst pipe could flood the house and cause a lot of damage to not only the house but your possessions as well.
3. Banging of Knocking Noises:
Have you ever heard a loud knocking sound or bang in your home, and didn’t know what it was? Especially after you’ve turned off a faucet? No, it’s not a ghost coming for a visit. This sound is the result of the high pressure water stopping suddenly as you close up the faucet. This sudden stop with such high pressure is what might lead to the leaking pipes we mentioned above.
4. Premature Appliance Failure:
There are several appliances we need water for, such as the washing machine, dishwasher, refrigerator, ice maker, water filtration system, and more. All of these appliances can be damaged because of the high water pressure they have to endure every day. This could easily take years off their life, forcing you to replace them much sooner than necessary.
Do you suspect you might have high water pressure in your home? It’s not too late to get it fixed. Contact us at Pulliam Plumbing today!
PULLIAM PLUMBING SERVICES
