Tips For Installing Water Pressure Reducing Valves
One of the more important things you should be aware of when it comes to water pressure reducing valves is that they can and often do go bad. The replacement process can also be a difficult one if you don’t have valves on either side of the pressure valve. These are known as isolation valves and they allow you to turn off the water quickly and effortlessly. In addition, they prevent your house’s water from draining out which will keep the amount of air that must be drained from the system to a minimum when you reinstall a hot water heater pressure relief valve.
When replacing water pressure reducing valves, it is also important to know the places in your home where you must maintain a high level of pressure, such as hoses for example. It is imperative that the hot water heater pressure relief valve is installed after the hose bib or you will lose your pressure. It is advised that you install extra piping on the high pressure side of your service line as this will help you to maintain a high level of pressure in those fixtures.
One inexpensive solution that you may want to consider are unions. These are simple, threaded fittings that make it easy to remove water pressure reducing valves, or any other type of fixture that may be connected to a piping system. In the middle of each union there is a draw nut that can attach two different pieces of pipe together in order to create a leak-free joint. The best part about them is that they are also easy to install.
In order to be able to monitor your pressure once your new hot water heater pressure relief valve has been installed, you must attach a pressure gauge to your system. Often times they will even come directly on new valves themselves which can save you the extra steps of purchasing and installing them. If you do need to purchase one, they will have to be threaded into a tee fitting that is sweated into your water supply’s piping. Because these gauges will typically have 1/4 or 3/8 inch threads you may have to acquire the appropriate fittings as well.
One of the final steps you will have to take when installing Asco solenoid valves, or any other type of valve, is to determine what the optimal level of pressure is within your home. In most cases you will find that 70 psi or a little less will be perfect for any home. In fact, plumbing codes actually state that anything above 80 psi is too high. It is also not recommended that you go below 50 psi since this will make getting a shower nearly impossible and filling a bathtub will take forever. The top of each valve will typically include a screw that will allow you to adjust this.
