Most new and existing homes in Canberra have 500kPa water pressure supplied from the water meter at the boundary, with some of the older suburbs having much higher water pressure (up to 1,000kPa). While the idea of higher water pressure can seem great, there’s some important downsides to consider.
High water pressure can cause water hammer and put unnecessary pressure and strain on plumbing fixtures and valves – reducing their lifespan and possibly leading to leaks and other problems. For most applications, water pressure of 500kPa is plenty, and you’ll probably be calling a plumber more often if you’ve got high water pressure.
A pressure limiting or pressure reduction valve, as the name suggests, reduces the water pressure on the outlet side of the valve to a preset pressure. They are not always needed but should be installed on the cold water inlet side of your hot water system if you have high water pressure to your home, or if your hot water system has a lower pressure rated temperature pressure relief valve.
A pressure limiting valve comes at a preset outlet pressure that cannot be changed. A pressure reduction valve is able to be tuned by a plumber to adjust the outlet pressure.
How do I know if my pressure limiting valve is working?
Minerals and debris in the water can clog a pressure limiting valve which can lead to a drop or rise in water pressure. You may also notice your relief valve dripping a lot more than usual. (Link to TPR Valve page). If your hot water system is dripping more than usual, if you have fluctuating pressure, or notice a drop in water pressure, these can all be signs of your pressure limiting or reduction valve failing.
How 6 Star Hot Water & plumbing can help with your pressure limiting or pressure reduction valve
Our qualified team of plumbers can conduct pressure tests to determine if your pressure limiting valve needs to be replaced, or if you need one installed on your existing system. It’s possible that you may need one just on the hot water tank or at the water meter and we can advise you on the best course of action.
For all water pressure related issues in Canberra and Queanbeyan, call our team of licensed plumbers on 0448844911.
Hot water system pressure limiting and reduction valves we repair or replace
- Apricus – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Aquamax – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Beasley – typically not required as they are fed by a low pressure cistern
- Chromagen – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Conergy – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Dux – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Edwards – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Everhot – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- EvoHeat – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Hills – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- iStore – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Kelvinator – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Quantum – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Reclaim – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Rheem – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Rinnai – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Solahart – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- SolarArk – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Stiebel Eltron – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Thermann – pressure limiting and reduction valves
- Vulcan – pressure limiting and reduction valves
What is the difference between a pressure limiting valve and a pressure reduction valve?
A pressure limiting valve reduces pressure to a preset output pressure whereas as pressure reduction valve can be adjusted within a particular pressure range.