Home water pressure question

[oldpops]

Hi, we live in southern California in a home built in 2002 with a 3/4 inch pipe coming in from the street. Recently we started hearing a water hammer noise whenever the front bathroom toilet was flushed. Before i could get an water hammer arrestor on the toilet inlet pipe, we noticed the sound when we flushed our back bathroom toilet. Then we noticed the noise when the clothes washer was used. The knocking or pulsing sound has been getting worse over the last few weeks so my son went up in the attic and saw a water pipe moving. Obviously that pipe must have broken free from whatever pipe strap was holing it. So i know i need to re-strap that pipe.

** Also, I put a Watts water pressure gauge on the front of house spigot (where the water pipe comes into the street) and left it on for a few days. In checking the gauge, the black needle shows 71 PSI, but the red needle shows 140 PSI?? My understanding is that the red needle shows the highest pressure recorded. If I am correct, then our water pressure is 140 PSI for some period of time in the past couple of days.

Other things to know: this home is built with a PEX plumbing system but we have been unable to find the manifold. It may be a coincidence, but our back shower, which has a Delta single handle valve, just started dripping when shut off. And it keeps dripping even though there is no other water being used in the house. The new cartridges for that shower are between 25 and 40 bucks, depending on where you get them, but i don't want to replace it if the problem is because of having too much pressure. Since the water hammer sound is now much louder than when we first heard it, I am assuming the problem is getting worse.

So, with the 40/140 PSI measurement, do we have a problem? Should we rebuild the water pressure regulator in the front of the house first, before buying air hammer arrestors? Or is the water pressure readings we are getting normal and we should proceed in strapping the pipe in the attic and buying air hammer arrestors for each toilet/shower/clothes washer? Is there a way to buy and install a whole house water hammer arrestor? Where would it go?

If the pressure regulator out front of the house, on the water inlet pipe, is bad: How do I tell who it is made by, and what model? The previous homeowner painted over the pressure regulator so many times I can't tell anything about it. Any suggestions?

There is a water shut off handle on the front, and I was able to see a metal label on the water pressure gauge. It is mostly painted over but I see a model # N45B. Does anyone know who makes that pressure regulator?

 

[nealtw]

Check the pressure at a laundry taps, some times the outside taps get full pressure from the street. It does sound like you have a pressure regulator problem, I would want it down around 60 in the house.

 

[oldpops]

Hi All, need to correct something: We have had the water pressure gauge on for about 5 days now. The black needle was showing about 40 PSI and the red needle showing the 140 PSI. However, after originally, after posting the questions, I went out again to check out the pressure valve for a model number. While out there, I decided to take the water gauge off and put it on again. That's when I saw the black needle go to 71 PSI?? So the black needle was at 40 and went to 71 when I put the valve on again. Maybe the pressure valve isn't doing it's job. Is this what happens when they fail? I have seen some videos online that show rebuilding kits for different types of pressure valves - some have many parts (springs, rubber diaphragms, etc), however, I don't see much in the way of repair parts for the N45B which i believe is made by Watts. Shouldn't there be a lot of parts to rebuild the N45B??

Depending on what video I watch, the water pressure recommended goes anywhere from 40 to 80 PSI MAX. What should it be at?

 

[Snoonyb]

Your pressure regulator should be checked and adjusted at least every 4yrs., at a minimum.

Shut it off at the meter, disassemble and take the parts to a Ferguson near you, where you can also obtain a ball valve, if you choose.

The shower valve will not be affected by water hammer or slight increases in pressure, because the neoprene parts wear out over time, and PASCO faucet lube works good.

 

[oldpops]

Well, i know I have never made any adjustments to the Watts pressure valve, and we have lived here going on 10 years. I will look up a near-by Ferguson, should have done that to begin with. Found out Delta has a lifetime warranty on our single handle shower faucet. If any of you guys know what rebuild kit number is for the Watts N45B, it would be very helpful!