From washing our dishes and clothing to taking a relaxing bubble bath, we rely on our plumbing system each and every day to help us with most of our domestic duties and to simply relax. But your plumbing has needs of its own – it requires steady water pressure to function correctly.
This blog post is for all of you homeowners, who:
The idea behind a pressure test is to check your pipes for leaks and blockages, as well as to determine whether the water is passing through your system under normal pressure. As a general guideline, water pressure under 30 psi (pounds per square inches) is considered too low, while the pressure of 80 psi or above – too high.
The three most common methods to test if your plumbing is functioning correctly is by:
Think of the water pressure inside your plumbing as blood pressure. As you know, high blood pressure puts enormous stress on our bodies and can lead to serious health issues. The same applies to your pipes – feed them with water above 80 psi and your washing machine, water heater, faucets, and everything else connected to it are likely to sustain heavy damage.
In more severe cases, water may even escape through flex lines or the hose of your washing machine and flood your home. Even if your building has a pressure regulator in place, it’s still recommended to carry out a water pressure test as their typical lifespan is about 5 to 7 years and the test may expose some hidden faults in your regulator.
Time needed: 5 minutes.
There are several ways to measure water pressure. A popular method is to use a pressure gauge that can measure psi units, which you can purchase from any hardware or home improvement store near you. Once you have one, here is what you need to do next:
If any tap, or showerhead is running, you will get a false low-pressure reading. So, turn off everything – sprinklers, refrigerators, washing machines, ice makers, and dishwashers.
Disconnect the garden hose from the outside hose bib and connect the pressure gauge in its place.
Even the slightest leak can produce an inaccurate result.
If you get readings of 75 psi or more, this means that your pressure regulator is faulty or that you need to install one. Low psi (30 or less) might indicate that you have a leaking pipe.
If you don’t have access to an outside bib, you can also connect your gauge to your washing machine by:
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As already mentioned, there are a few extra methods that you can use to get accurate water readings. Below are a few alternative methods of a plumbing pressure test.
Increasingly used by both homeowners and professional plumbers, this method is perfect for when you want to test your plumbing at sub-zero temperatures. To perform this, plumbers use air compressors to “inject” air inside the plumbing system, after which constant pressure of 100 psi is maintained over the course of 2 hours to expose potential vulnerabilities. If there are any air leaks, your specialist will inject a special leak detection fluid to promptly find and seal them.
If you smell any sewer gases at home, you need to quickly pinpoint the source since prolonged exposure can compromise your health. But the only way you can know for sure where the smell is coming from is by using smoke.
This method has been used by plumbers for about 40 years now and involves the release of smoke under pressure inside a sewer line. The smoke will then fill the mainline and any connections that it may have and will escape through the same openings that the gases use to enter your property.
To ensure that your plumbing system is working well and to prevent leakages, you should pressure-test your system at least twice each year. If you don’t do that, the water pressure may rise unnoticed and damage your plumbing, your appliances, or result in high water bills.
If after the test, you don’t see an improvement in your water pressure, then you might have a more complicated issue. In this case, it’s advisable to consult with a professional plumber as soon as possible. An unidentified plumbing problem should quickly be addressed by a reliable technician before it turns into a household emergency.
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Do you know how to test water pressure in your plumbing system? Did you manage to successfully identify and fix a problem with your plumbing system? Share your experience in the comment section below and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to be always on top of your home renovation and maintenance game!
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