In testing house water pressure this winter I’ve had two testers go bad. One “cheap” one and then the guy at the hardware store built me a better one.
I connect to a hose bib and the pressure goes high and then doesn’t return to zero.
The weather has been cold. Could it be ice in the line messing up the guage?
Plumbeeze Water Test Gauges designed to measure and register water system pressure within a system. Ideal for recording the highest pressure reached to determine if a pressure reducing valve (P.R.V.) is required as well as to troubleshoot problems caused by thermal expansion or pressure spikes. Maximum pressure indicator needle can be reset by turning external knob counterclockwise. The hose connection allows for direct connection to a water heater drain valve or hose bibb.
This is what I use, keep several of them in your inventory as they are inexpensive.
FYI
Don’t keep any testing instruments stored in the cold.
Mine just did the same thing - could be cold weather related I suppose.
@cgant This is what comes up after clicking your link to your website
Neil,
THANK YOU.
Fixed.
So many online accounts to keep current, this one got missed.
or
Corey,
It might be (maybe some ice in the line?). I took mine back to the hardware store, they didn’t have an answer for why. We both did online research and learned a few things, but nothing to explain for sure what happened. They offered to replace it, so I did this time. Going forward, I will run the water for a few seconds before attaching the gauge. Also, these oil filled gauges have fill plug that can be opened to “burp” the gauge, which will should return the needle to zero (mine did not). There are also two screws on the back that may do something to re-adjust the needle, however we were unable to find info on these is a short amount of research.
Good idea. I need to do better at this.
@cgant I think that you just need a higher quality gauge to test the water pressure. Your experience is the second time that I’ve heard of those cheap gauges breaking.
I’ve been using a Professional Equipment gauge that I got from Grainger since 2017.
That looks like a good one. I’ll go that route if/when the one I have goes bad.
I found it interesting on Grainer’s site they have this one at $75 and in the side bar one for $6.50. The most expensive and the cheapest gauges I’ve seen, next to each other.
I don’t bother to pressure test anymore, unless I have a reason to think I have an unusual pressure. I’ve had the most expensive gauges go bad after a few weeks. You can’t trust them. I have a very expensive gauge that after twenty or so tests, now has the needle start at 40psi.
Years ago, I had an inspection where the shower would peel your skin. The pressure broke my gauge when I used it. I didn’t need the gauge to suspect extreme pressure. In my actual experience, I have never seen a plumbing fixture or system failing because of very high-water pressure. And measuring pressure is way beyond our SoP.
I now subjectively gauge functional flow which is really more important than pressure. If the shower has good flow with several other fixtures operating, then I am good to move on.
As @lhenderson2 said, there is little value in water pressure testing unless you are diagnosing a specific problem. I don’t do it.
my daughter’s mobile home had the water heater blow due to high water pressure. only time i’ve ever seen it though, three years ago.
I have. Just recently. The supply pressure was a touch over 80. Had to measure at house next to this one(thought it was a bad reading), the expansion tank had failed. The hose bib was reading just shy of 100.
Both toilets had issues. One made all sorts of racket and eventually shut off. The other would run for 10 minutes then shut off.
Both master sinks dripped.
My pressure check is toward the end of the plumbing section and as I’m writing all this stuff up, I checked and holy cow! 100ish.
They replaced the expansion tank and pressure then matched the neighbor, all the other problems stopped. I heard from the listing agent.
Cory, have you tried any of the liquid filled gauges?
The liquid coats the internal parts and is visible on the gauge’s face. Having the liquid inside works to dampen the effect of pulsation and pressure spikes - which is another advantage over choosing a dry gauge. This means the pressure gauges are less likely to give inaccurate readings due to wear and tear that mechanical vibration and pulsation tends to cause. The liquid in these pressure gauges does double duty when it comes to fighting those effects. Not only does it help mitigate the effect of vibration, the liquid also lubricates the gauge’s moving parts, reducing everyday friction. The filling also has the benefit of preventing internal corrosion as the bourdon tube and movement are covered by a liquid that keeps moisture and other corrosive substances at bay. All of those factors add up to longer service life and lower replacement costs for liquid-filled pressure gauges over dry pressure gauges. And in environments where vibration and condensation are a factor, they are definitely a consideration.
I often find new construction homes with too high water pressure so I started recording pressures more often now. On an older home recently, the pressure/flow appeared normal however it measured low (30 psi). The low pressure was a sign of a leak discovered later.
That’s interesting. When I used to check pressures, I had pressures between 90 and 120 constantly. Like seven out of ten inspections. I rarely had pressures over 120psi.
BTW, the gauge that broke went to 200psi. That house was sitting at the bottom of a hill with about 80’ of water above it from the city system.
I will add, be careful where you test. Many hose bibs are installed before the pressure regulator. Therefore, you will be recording the service providers pressure, not the home’s pressure.
