I finally swapped my old pressure regulator and saved a water heater

Had to pick between replacing the whole water heater or just the pressure regulator... the thing was at 110 PSI and screaming every time the furnace kicked on. I went with a $35 regulator from the local hardware store instead of dropping $800 on a new tank. Took about an hour to sweat the copper connections and bleed the lines. Has anyone else dealt with creeping pressure from a bad municipal supply valve?

2 comments

2 Comments

wadeowens28d ago

Hold up, 110 PSI screaming? My setup has been sitting at 130 for like two years, I just put a gauge on it once and forgot about it. Never had a water heater freak out or anything. I think you might be overreacting a bit here. That regulator probably wasn't even bad, could have just been some sediment in the line messing with the reading.

sean_barnes8328d ago

That 130 PSI is way over the safe limit for most residential plumbing. Standard water heaters and fixtures are rated for 80 PSI max, and 130 is asking for a blowout or a pipe burst eventually. The fact that it hasn't happened yet is more luck than anything else. A bad municipal supply valve can definitely cause creeping pressure like that, especially if the city's main line has a failing pressure reducing valve or sediment buildup. I'd strongly suggest swapping in a $35 regulator and a pressure gauge while you're at it just to be safe. Ever had a sudden leak from a supply line or noticed any pinhole leaks in the copper?