Plumbing and Piping - Water Pressure Spiking even with Pressure Reducer

Hi Everyone,

I have a hot water heater that was leaking water last year thru the pressure relif valve. I put in a pressure reducer just after the shut-off valve for the whole house and that worked! I did this because the pressure was reading over 85 psi full-time with up to 150 psi spikes.

After a full year, it started again! I put the presure guage on the hose bib and the pressure is at about 60 psi but I see the red needle is at 130!! How can it spike to 130 with a pressure reducer installed?

I talked to the water company and explianed that they are not delivering a workable product and that the pressure is way too high. They just don't seem to care.

Does anyone have any thoughts on what I can do? Thank you in advance! ...Tony

I'm confused. What type gage did you use on your hose bib?

Do you have a gage with two needles?

Do you have a dual reading gage?

Do you have a pressure gage at the pressure reducing valve?

Its starting again, what does that mean, you have a pressure relief valve leaking?

The water supplier will deliver water at x lbs. per sq. in. once it reached the property it becomes the house owners prob. to reduce it if its too high. More info. would help


"If all else fails, read the directions"

Do you have a expansion tank on the water line?
If you do the bladder is shot or out of air.

You do need one. I think what you have is when you use all the hot water and new cold water comes into the home and heats up it expands.
In a lot of citys now you have to have a expansion tank in the home now as they have a check valve in the water lines to work as a antisiphon valve.

ED;)

Thanks for the replies!

Answers:

I have a gauge that shows current pressure, and then there's a red needle that gets pushed up the higher the regular needle goes. Therefore the red needle shows the maximum PSI.

Yes, the Pressure relief valve on the hot water heater is leaking again; never consistanly, but only in spurts.

I do not have an expansion tank. I will probably put one in since the PR valve has been installed. If the city put in a check valve, that would answer some of my other questions. I still am wondering why the PRV has worked for over a year now suddenly I've got 150 psi+ pressure.

Do I put the expansion tank on the cold water side pf the heater? I've never put one in before ...any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks, you guys are great!

-Tony

Check at Lowes They have a small 2 gal tank made just for going on the water heater. Your not the first one that ran into this. just out of the blue the city puts in a check valve to work as a backflow valve.
On the cold water, the main supply for the home if you want
ED;)

The espansion tank goes on the cold water as close to the water tank that you can get it, its' primary purpose is to take care of thermal expansion when the water tank is heating. Pressure reducing valves do go bad, do you have a strainer on it?, they should be blown out once and a while. If you have dirt in the valve that may be causing it to not hold the set pressure.
Lots of luck.


.....................................................................................
"If all else fails, read the directions"

Thank you guys,

I don't think there's a strainer; thanks for the info. That would explain why it didn't start leaking till now, besides the possibility that the city put in a check valve the other day. I supposed if I put the expansion tank in and it STILL leaks it will be the PR valve AND I'll be pissed.

I'm installing it on Wednesday! I"ll post a follow-up

-Tony