High Water Pressure - My Problem or The Water Company's

Bmann999 on 21/03/2019 - 07:38

I've been noticing that the taps in my house are very noisy and that the fittings on my hoses keep getting blown off. I had someone from the water company come out and have a look - they said my water pressure is very high (800kPa) and that I should get a plumber to install a PLV valve to reduce it.

I always thought that the water company had to pay for fixes if it is coming from their side of the property line - I only have high water pressure because they are supplying it at high pressure.

Any advice on this one? Also, does anyone have experience in getting a PLV installed? Roughly how much would it cost - all the external piping is very easily accessible.

Home & Garden

Comments

  • altomic on 21/03/2019 - 07:53
    +4

    dont you have a tap where the water meter is?
    turn down the water meter tap.

    im also thinking that there is probably some organisation/company that you could contact to ask whose cost it is

    • oscargamer on 21/03/2019 - 09:15
      -1

      just buy a hoselink hose

    • pjetson on 21/03/2019 - 09:20
      +6

      turn down the water meter tap

      That reduces the flow, not the pressure.

      • altomic on 21/03/2019 - 10:03

        That reduces the flow, not the pressure.

        very true, but by reducing the flow at property line will lessen the pressure by less water flowing.

        OP, how's the water pressure for your neighbours?

        • abb on 21/03/2019 - 10:47
          +3

          but by reducing the flow at property line will lessen the pressure by less water flowing

          It will only reduce the pressure while you're using water, and proportionally to how much water you're using at a given instant.
          The static pressure (when you're not consuming water) will be exactly the same, hence unlikely to help.

          e.g. OP might get a reduced pressure & flow when using their hose, but when they lets go of the trigger there's still 800kPa behind it and it will still blow apart the fitting.

          • pjetson on 21/03/2019 - 11:53

            @abb:

            e.g. OP might get a reduced pressure & flow when using their hose, but when they lets go of the trigger there's still 800kPa behind it and it will still blow apart the fitting.

            That's a good description. Do you work in an area related to hydraulics?

            • abb on 21/03/2019 - 11:57

              @pjetson: Thanks. I don't do hydraulics as such but yes I have worked on systems that move pressurised fluids around in pipes. :)

          • whooah1979 on 21/03/2019 - 19:56

            @abb: Does turning the service tap on the water main that is in the ground help with op's problem?

            • abb on 22/03/2019 - 10:29

              @whooah1979: I thought I covered that, partially closing a tap doesn't reduce static pressure, but I'll rephrase: "almost certainly no".

    • HeWhoKnows on 22/03/2019 - 15:48
      -1

      Yes the main shut off valve on the water meter can also act as a pressure limiter!

      Well done Sherlock

      Note however the main incoming pipe must be of the correct diameter. Houses have the smallest diameter inlet pipes. Units have much larger ones. So best to check the size of the main icoming pipe.
      Its generally the way to regulate the mains water pressure coming into the premises.

      But yes if you are closer to the mains pumping station prssure will be higher.

      • [Deactivated] on 22/03/2019 - 16:29

        None of that is correct. You are confusing pressure with flow rate.

        The OP is taking about having a PLV installed. Why would checking the size of the incoming pipe help them to reduce water pressure? Should they get the pipe changed for another size? Almost certainly far more expensive than a PLV (plus would not solve the problem).

  • chumlee on 21/03/2019 - 08:23
    +1

    Not sure who pays but I got a plumber to install one at my house.

    Ring the water authority and ask them

  • askme69 on 21/03/2019 - 08:33
    +1

    Just pay it and be happy.

    Try living with low water pressure.

  • savage bargain on 21/03/2019 - 10:07
    +2

    I'm so jealous, our water pressure is ridiculously low. In an old area where lines kept bursting so instead of replacing the faulty lines, they reduced the water pressure even more. (And we still get burst lines…)

    Please think of us when you're able to wash your hands at the same time someone is doing dishes.

    • Diji1 on 21/03/2019 - 10:45
      -2

      Private or even worse corporatised monopoly water provider?

      The Liberal Labor scum merely corporatised water in SA without adding the competition (which doesn't lower prices anyway … but why did they create a monopoly company instead of leaving it as a Government department?

      This means that they turned an efficient Government department that provided water into a business with one owner (the Government).

      Now they pay a CEO and a board millions of dollars while they raise prices as high as possible and cut costs wherever they can. Which leaves citizens being ripped off so that millionaires can supply water less efficiently than before.

      • savage bargain on 21/03/2019 - 11:34

        Nope, government owned here. And issues started before the state government's cost cutting and while infrastructure spending was high, so now there's no hope of any improvement.

      • whooah1979 on 21/03/2019 - 20:00

        Sydney water charges $2.08 a kilolitre. I'm happy to give you a months supply if you come and collect it.

      • terrys on 22/03/2019 - 08:13
        +1

        "Now they pay a CEO and a board millions of dollars"

        Now you know why. You wouldn't want socialism wasted on the masses now would you?

      • HeWhoKnows on 22/03/2019 - 15:50
        -1

        TOTALLY IRRELEVENT COMMENT.
        We are not here to discuss your complaints about politics.

  • [Deactivated] on 21/03/2019 - 10:19

    It's a good problem to have. Just install the damn PLV at mains. Easy as.

  • outlander on 21/03/2019 - 11:46
    +2

    800kpa isn't high. In my area, you get 1100kpa.

    In any case, its your responsibility. The standards were set when everything was made in Australia, and parts had some extra meat on them. Now, things are made in China, and when the part says its made for 650kpa, it has been engineered so precisely to fit a price that it will break at 700. There's virtually no extra give in it.

    To get a PLV installed should be less than $300. The part itself costs $100 or so, and the plumber just needs to cut the main line and install it. But the difficulty can vary depending on where the main line is. If he has to dig up 3 feet of soil to reach it, thats going to drive up the price a bit.

  • brad1-8tsi on 21/03/2019 - 11:46

    If it's just the washing machine tap then you could install the PLV yourself on the outlet before the isolating tap. They are ~$70.

    Or is the dishwasher affected too?

    I usually isolate the washing machine between uses (learnt the hard way).

    • [Deactivated] on 21/03/2019 - 14:36

      If the mains pressure is excessive, fixing outlet pressure is a bandaid solution.

      I'd be limiting the mains to reduce water hammer damage and any subsequent fixing change would benefit from regulated pressure.

  • havebeerbelywillsumo on 21/03/2019 - 12:08

    Now waiting for "plumber installed PLV and now pressure too low" post.

    Sorry OP, no idea, but just make sure what you get is what you want.

  • Illian on 21/03/2019 - 13:15

    Wow, what I would give for some decent pressure where I live atm, I wouldn't be complaining! If I owned the place I'd just be upgrading my fittings etc so I can properly enjoy it.

    • [Deactivated] on 21/03/2019 - 14:40

      Get your mains to water tank and get a contact pressure pump to the house.

      Only worth doing if your water pressure is hopeless.

  • Micko179 on 22/03/2019 - 10:43
    -2

    Your problem. Just like It's our problem we have to listen to you whine on OZB!

  • [Deactivated] on 22/03/2019 - 11:02
    +1

    I have just had one fitted as the pressure blew out the line at the back of my fridge that supplies filtered water and it flooded the downstairs of the house overnight. It cost the insurance company $60,000 to replace damaged floors and furniture and took 6 months to dry out. The valve cost me $300. Since it was fitted the toilet and washing machine have stopped banging when the inlet valve shuts off.

  • HeWhoKnows on 22/03/2019 - 15:55
    -1

    Please note everybody…

    OP says the "FITTINGS ON HIS HOSES keep getting blown off".

    Cheap hose fittings are uselsss !
    Go buy a set of good quality brass fittings and the problem will go away.

    Much cheaper than fitting a PLV

  • boccos on 22/03/2019 - 16:06

    Cost me $95 labour plus the valve. The valves work only while the water is flowing, so when the water is initially turned-on it is at full pressure for a moment or two before the flow valve kicks-in. This means that if you suddenly turn-on the main house valve, it can blow seals in water filters, hot water systems and others water devices. So always turn on the mains very slowly to avoid that initial blast of pressure.

  • JimB on 22/03/2019 - 16:31
    +1

    Your responsibility for a Pressure Reducing Valve- limits it to 500kpa.

    It will help you save the life of your taps and also house if flexihoses blow.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join