Tag Archive for: Money saving

Is high water pressure damaging your home?

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Most homeowners never think about their home’s water pressure. In fact, many people assume that stronger water pressure is always better.

Unfortunately, water pressure that’s too high can quietly cause thousands of dollars’ worth of damage before you even realise there’s a problem.

What Problems Can High Water Pressure Cause?

Excessively high water pressure places constant strain on your home’s plumbing system. Over time, this can lead to:

  • Burst or leaking pipes
  • Damaged taps and mixers
  • Leaking showerheads
  • Premature failure of hot water cylinders
  • Shortened lifespan of appliances such as dishwashers and washing machines
  • More frequent plumbing repairs

A burst pipe can cause significant water damage in a very short time, often affecting flooring, walls, insulation and even electrical systems.

Have You Recently Renovated?

If you’ve recently installed a new kitchen, bathroom or laundry, checking your water pressure is particularly important.

Many manufacturers specify a maximum operating pressure for their products. If your home’s water pressure exceeds that limit, the warranty on mixers, tapware and some other plumbing fixtures may be void.

A simple pressure check now could save you from expensive repairs and warranty issues later.

How Do I Know If My Water Pressure Is Too High?

High water pressure isn’t always obvious, but some common signs include:

  • Taps that spray forcefully when turned on
  • Pipes banging or making noise (water hammer)
  • Frequent dripping taps
  • Repeated plumbing leaks
  • Fixtures or appliances that seem to fail earlier than expected

The only way to know for certain is to have your water pressure professionally tested.

We Can Check Your Water Pressure

Craig can quickly check your home’s water pressure using an outdoor hose tap, so in many cases there’s no need for anyone to be home or to provide access inside the house.

If your water pressure is higher than recommended, he’ll provide an obligation-free quote to install a pressure-limiting valve with an integrated filter. This protects your entire plumbing system by reducing the pressure to a safe operating level while also helping to filter debris from the water supply.

Already booking us for another plumbing job? Just ask Craig to check your water pressure while he’s there.

Will Lowering My Water Pressure Make My Shower Worse?

This is one of the most common questions we hear.

The good news is that reducing excessively high water pressure to the correct working pressure usually makes little noticeable difference to your shower or taps. Most homeowners continue to enjoy excellent water flow while gaining the peace of mind that their plumbing system is protected from unnecessary wear and tear.

Protect Your Plumbing Before Problems Start

High water pressure is one of those hidden plumbing issues that’s easy to ignore—until something fails. A simple pressure check can help protect your pipes, fixtures and appliances, potentially saving you thousands in future repair costs.

If you live in Wellington and would like your home’s water pressure checked, contact Plumb Plumbing & Drainage. We’d be happy to help.

10mm Hot Water Pipe – Save Water & Money

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I hate it when I turn on a tap or the shower and I have to stand waiting ages for the hot water to come through.  Apart from being impatient, I don’t like the thought of wasting water or what it must be doing to the power bill.

Over the past couple of years, plumbers have started using 10mm water pipes instead of the usual 15 or 20mm for hot water.  (The measurements are the diameter of the pipes).  Water sitting in the hot pipe cools down when it’s not being used.  Because 10mm pipe holds less water than larger pipes, less “dead water” is wasted before you get hot water at the tap and the hot comes through more quickly.  10mm pipe uses approximately one-third the amount of water as 20mm pipe – so it reduces your hot water bill dramatically.

Ideally, each tap would have it’s own 10mm pipe running directly to it.  In the past, one hot water pipe would be installed with numerous tee-offs to serve multiple taps.  But this means draining many more metres of pipe before the hot water arrives.  By re-configuring hot water pipes so each tap has it’s own 10mm pipe running directly from the hot water cylinder, the savings in water and money are extended.

We have had customers request Craig to replace their existing hot water pipe with 10mm pipe so they can enjoy the benefits of less dead water.  Any accessible hot water pipe in your ceiling or under the house can be replaced with 10mm pipe.  If you are renovating, it may be an opportunity to replace hot water pipes in the wall.  If you are building a new house, we highly recommend installing 10mm hot water pipe.

To maximise your hot water savings, your new 10mm hot water pipes should be lagged (insulated) to retain the heat.

10mm pipes are only recommended for houses with mains pressure as the water needs the force/drive to maintain pressure.  If you have mains pressure, you won’t notice a reduction in pressure if you replace your hot water pipes with 10mm.

Food for thought,
Craig & Julie.