Pressure Reducing Valves

Here Are Some Signs You Need PRV Replacement:

Low Water Pressure: If your water pressure decreases after a few seconds of water running, you might have low water pressure. If there is a visible or noticeable drop in water flow or pressure after you turn on a second or third fixture, this could also be a sign. There should be no noticeable drop in your water pressure normally.

High Water Pressure: Usually indicated by the phenomenon called “water hammer”, high water pressure is important to look out for too. Water hammer can be identified in the walls as:

• A pounding or banging sound
• A rattling sound, like something is being shaken
• High pitched whining or squealing, usually associated with the toilet or hose spigot
• Banging when certain appliances turn on or off — very common with the front load HE washing machines, but this is NOT normal
• No water coming into the house at all. This is typically due to a total of the device (or shutoff valve)
• A water leak in the flower bed. This can sometimes be identified by:
• Active water leak in the form of an obvious small geyser
• A wet muddy area that never seems to dry out — often thought to be an irrigation leak
• Shrubs in the area around the clean outs that are showing signs of disease or “root rot”
• The known valve box has standing water that never seems to dry up

If you suspect you have a PRV-related issue, we can perform a couple of simple pressure tests using the outdoor hose spigot that will measure and/or indicate the issue. Before we can make repairs, the hose spigot needs to be free of leaks and drips.

The PRVs come preset at 45 PSI. If caught early enough in the lifespan of the device (within 4-5 years), it can usually be adjusted to its maximum of 80 PSI. This is a significant difference!

What Comes with PRV Replacement Service?

If we replace your PRV, we ALWAYS also replace your “whole-house shutoff valve.” What’s that? Well, if you didn’t know you had a PRV, then you probably didn’t know that in that same valve box there is a shutoff valve. This valve turns off the water to your house in case of a leak-related emergency.

Contrary to popular belief, homeowners are not supposed to open the meter box near the street and use that shutoff to turn off the water. In some cases, you will not have access to the valve box because it’s buried, concealed, or covered by the landscape. Or worse, you know where the box is, but it’s encased in mud, and/or the shutoff valve handle is old and/or rusted off (very common).

Do NOT try and turn this valve if it looks anything other than new. You will especially want to wait for a professional plumber if it’s the old-style gate valve (looks like a water hose spigot handle).

Can High Water Pressure Affect My Water Heater?

The answer is yes! High water pressure can cause wear and tear on your water heater if left unchecked.
If we find your PRV does need to be replaced, we will also inspect your water heater. Why? If your water heater is older and you’ve had low water pressure for years, suddenly doubling the water pressure to 80+ PSI could cause the water heater to rupture. It happens, and we actually made that mistake… ONCE!!

Additionally, a thermal expansion tank (it looks like a small propane tank over the heater) is required when a PRV is present. The code for this was not in place when PRVs were first required, but now an expansion tank must be in place or added when the pressure reducing valve is present, added, or replaced.

This is a code-required item and not optional. If the water heater is more than 12 years old, Earl’s will not be able to add the expansion tank without also replacing the heater. Sorry, we’re just not going to take the chance of massive property damage because the normal life of a 6-year tank-type water heater is around 9-12 years. Anything over 12 years is our cutoff, and we would prefer to walk away than take a chance.

How Much Do Pressure Reducing Valve Replacements Cost?

Ultimately, Pressure Reducing Valves can be one of the more expensive plumbing repairs. PRV and shutoff valve work must be done together. We will typically quote this service over the phone with a few ranges. These ranges are determined by the location of the home and questions answered by the homeowner.

There are many things that impact the price of the PRV, but a basic replacement requires us to dig a hole in the flowerbed approximately 2’ wide and 3’ across. From there, some items are obscured that are covered in the initial price range such as the proximity of the line that leads to the front yard hose spigot, PEX lines vs copper, the overall condition, etc. Other items that could adjust the final price are:

• Depth of the water line and overall depth to access the line: We’ve had lines as deep as 48 inches, meaning our excavation is nearly 5 feet deep. That’s an extreme example, but we’ve had it happen.
• Leak presence: Typically this makes the digging more difficult.
• Condition of the soil and dirt: Is it wet, gummy, sticky clay? If so, this is far more difficult to excavate.
• Amount of landscape and large roots that are present in the dig area: Will shrubs need to be cut back or completely removed?
• Condition of the pipe once accessed: Bent, dented, angled, the proximity of devices to allow for cutting versus “unsweating”, type of materials used for line and junctions (PEX, copper, black poly, PVC, Qwest pipe, blue poly, etc.).
• Line and valve box location: If the box can’t be placed by probing, do we have to exploratory dig OR get out “line locating equipment”. That adds to the cost, and line locating can only be done when the line is copper. It doesn’t work on PEX, PVC, or Polylines.
• Age of the water heater
• Presence of an expansion tank

In the end, pressure testing is usually done without a charge involved, assuming that the PRV has malfunctioned and we end up doing the work. If not, the testing is done at a nominal rate.

We do an average of about 2-3 PRV replacements per week. But we’ve done as many as 6 in one day. Each job takes an average of 2-4 hours depending on complexity. Interior PRVs take 1.5 hours or less and are far less complex and less costly. Interior PRVs are typically newer homes and also have expansion tanks already in place.

If you have additional questions or would like a quote, please give us a call.