Mains Water Pressure

[Billybjo]

Since moving to this house, we've always noticed how blisteringly powerful the pressure is. I can get the hose to spray 50ft easy. We've also had numerous leaks on cistern joints, compression joints, taps etc.

I put one of those cheapish pressure testers onto the washing machine supply cold tap and it read 7.5 bar!

Surely this can't be correct? Wouldn't that blow out the joints over to the next village?

 

[AMEdinburgh]

I'm not a plumber and my memories of physics are somewhat hazy now but essentially each bar of pressure represent a head of watter from the supply of 10 metres (33 feet) So if you are 75m or about 250 feet below the you water company's supply reservoir or tank then you'll have a mains pressure of 7.5bar

This could well be an oversimplification and experts will, I'm sure correct me.

 

[DCPlumbing]

This can be normal depending on where you live in location to the supply as AMEdinburgh said.

High pressures can sometimes play havoc with some showers, mixer taps, cistern fillers e.c.t although many are rated to a maximum of 10 bar.

It may be worth your while fitting a pressure reducing valve to your mains incoming and reduce the pressure to around 3 bar which is ample for a domestic property.

 

[Billybjo]

Ok thanks for the advice, I've been trying to find a suitable PRV.
I thought the Altecnic 535 looked good. I like the dial so I know whats going on. Any recomendations for a PRV?

http://www.plumbingsupplyservices.co.uk/acatalog/Pressure_Reducing_Valves.html

 

[DCPlumbing]

Personally I prefer the ones with the guage so you can see what its doing and so can the customer.

As for recomendations, You need one to do what you want it to do.

If you buy one from a reliable seller such as a plumbers merchant local to you, they will probably advise you on what you need.