Home / Education / Water Damage Guide / Water Pressure Too High

Water Pressure Too High

When a tap in a home is opened and water flows from it, it is because the water is pushed. This push is pressure. The speed at which water flows from the opened pipe depends on the amount of push, or pressure, which exists at that time in the system. The pressure increases with the push behind it.

Pipes Leak

High water pressure, which is commonly 60 pounds or more, can be destructive. Water with a strong push behind it can erode, or wear away, equipment and puts a strain on valves, hoses, and appliances that aren't built to endure such high pressure. Unchecked, excessively high water pressure may cause a break in supply lines or valves, and cause leaking water pipes. This occurs in the same way an over-inflated balloon would burst when the internal pressure exceeds the strength of the container.

Water Hammer

High water pressure can also cause a water hammer, which is the noise generated by the shocks of high-speed water flowing in a pipe when a fixture is suddenly closed. This abrupt stoppage causes a bounce back of the water, and causes pipes to bang and become damaged. It may be compared to driving your car: at low speed, a crash into a barrier will have only a minor effect. However, if you drove the car at a much higher speed, the impact would have greater force, and, as a result, so would the bounce back or shock.

Safe Pressure

Maintaining a set pressure in the home of about 50 psi insures that the home piping and appliances operate within a safe, more moderate, but adequate, pressure.