Water Pressure Alerts

If you get pressure alerts or notifications when you run water, there may be an issue with your municipal water supply, or with your pressure-regulating valve (PRV). For example, if your pressure is too high (whether water is flowing or not), it is possible that your PRV is no longer functioning properly and needs to be replaced.  Depending on the age of your home, it is also possible that there is not a PRV installed; check with your plumber.  Just like blood pressure for people, high water pressure is a serious risk to the health of your home plumbing system.  Many appliances are only rated to handle incoming water pressure up to 80 psi.  Constant pressure above that level can cause supply lines to appliances to fail prematurely and burst.

Water pressure too low could indicate that there is an issue with the water line coming in to your home.  This could indicate that there is a break in the water line that supplies your home before it enters your home (like a broken line in your lawn due to settling or aging). This can also be caused when there is work on or damage to the water main near your home (like during construction).

See below for the types of pressure alerts you may receive and what they mean:

Too High:

• 70 psi – Just above Normal Pressure Reducing Valve Settings
• 80 psi – Prolonged pressure above these levels may damage appliances. (Recommended)
• 90 psi – Max rating for most whole-home filtration systems.
• 100 psi – Max rating for most appliances
• Disabled – Not recommended.

Too Low:

• 40 psi – Minimum Rating for many water filters
• 30 psi – Typical for homes on a well
• 20 psi – Minimum rating for most appliances. (Recommended)
• 10 psi – Fixtures will experience low flow and appliances may not operate properly.
• disabled – Not recommended.