I have a relief valve on the cold water line of my house behind my washing machine. The line actually leads to the washing machine, but the valve is before the water shut off valve. I have replaced the valve once, but it is now dripping again constantly to the point where it's almost flowing water. My house if fully electric and I am on city water, not a well. I have an expansion tank on the hot water heater. I checked the house water pressure and it was above 75 but not quite 80. I lowered it to about 70. The valve is rated for 75 psi, so I figured making it a bit lower would help.

First, any ideas about what I might be able to do about this? Second, does the cold water line need this relief valve. This is not the same kind of valve which is on the line coming into the house where I can adjust the pressure, this is an Everbilt brass relief valve with a spring in it.

I would post a picture of the valve I'm talking about, but can't quite figure out how to post a picture on this forum which I have saved to my desktop.

I appreciate any help/advice someone can give me.

You have to upload the image to a free hosting site. Then paste the link to the hosted image between the image brackets.

[image]link[/image]

Took me a few tries, but I finally got it.

Thanks for the help.





Edited 4 times.

i believe that valve trips at 150 PSI.
get a pressure gauge that screws onto a hose valve end. get the type that has an extra hand that stays put at the highest PSI it senses. remove the washing machine hose and put the gauge there. leave it all night.

I have a pressure gauge like that and check the pressure closest to where it comes in the house. If I put the pressure gauge on the washer line it is after the relief valve, so wouldn't that just still make the relief valve release the pent up water? Or will it do both? By that I mean read the higher pressure and release the water.

Thanks for the help.



Edited 1 times.

as i said, i believe the relief valve trips at 150PSI.

Suppose to trip @ 150 PSI. I've replaced several that were dripping @ 60 PSI. They do go bad eventually.

is that a 3/4 copper FIP fitting x PVC glue/slip to make the transition from T & P to the PVC main?

Yes, yes it is.

I'm not sure what FIP is or T&P. This is actually behind my washing machine well past the water heater (which this line doesn't go into anyway) also further down the line from where it comes into the house.

I didn't do this setup, but I did replace that relief valve a month or two ago because the old one might as well not have been there...water was going through like it was an open pipe. I just replaced it again after lowering the pressure coming into the house, but now I'm worried that it won't last.

Everything I've read says these valves are for submersible pumps and wells, which I have neither of, so I'm curious if I even need it at all.

The bigger question is, why are you using PVC for water supply piping inside the residence?

PVC is what the builders used 22 years ago when our houses were built (townhouse community). Not sure that PVC piping is uncommon, though. I know other people that have it throughout their house.

Did they use "PVC" or "CPVC"?

Just yesterday I learned there is a difference. It is CPVC in the house. Obviously I am a novice at all of this. I'm mainly trying to figure out if I even need that relief valve or not.

If it is set at 150 psi, then no because it is just duplicating the one on the water heater. If it is around 100# +/-, then maybe, because it would protect the CPVC piping from excess pressure.

And then normally a PRV installed that is readily accessible therefore the excessive
pressure is always limited to a more comfortable 60-65 PSI range.
Any CPVC piping in a house is my opinion is very risky because it becomes so brittle
and easily breaks.

per code any PVC piping is allowed exterior to buildings and a good three feet away before
a proper transition can be made. More often than not now its PVC to PEX using a female
wirsbo fitting to adapt to male sch. 80 nipple