I have noticed lately that the water pressure seems reduced a bit inside the house when using more than one water source (eg washing clothes while taking a shower at same time or taking a shower while running the kitchen faucet etc).

I thought I even noticed the shower water reduced for a few minutes a bit while taking a shower and didn't think anyone was using any other water source in the house, as well.

The tag hanging on my watts water pressure reducing value says it is set at 50 PSI and the range says 25-75 PSI. I connected a water test pressure gauge on the outside of my house and it said 50 PSI with no water running inside the house.

I checked the gauge again outside after turning on the kitchen faucet and it went down to 40 PSI.

I should have tested it after turning on 2 faucets inside the house or flushing the toilet, but didn't think of it at the time. I am sure it would have tested below 40 PSI. I am not sure what the issue is.

Should I just increase the PSI on the value by turning the screw on top it clockwise by about 1/4 of a turn?

Any input would be helpful.
Thanks.



Edited 1 times.

most pressure regulators have a filter screen on the inlet side to keep debris out of the valve. if you can figure out how to access the filter then that is what i would do first. if you can't figure it out, post a picture or two of what you have and somebody will give you advice.
i'm not saying 100% its clogged, i'm saying that is the first thing i would look at.

Hi packy. This is the watts water pressure reducing value that I have. I provided a link of it below.

[www.watts.com]

There is a strainer built into the regulator. You would need to unscrew the bell and remove the internals to inspect the strainer.

from their website ..

. It consists of a Lead Free* brass body construction ---integral stainless steel strainer---, thermoplastic seat, bronze sealed spring cage for waterworks pit installations and thermal expansion bypass

Is removing the bell and getting to the strainer not too difficult to do for someone who is far from an expert at this stuff?

I don't know if you remove the entire regulator, if you can see at least a small portion of the strainerthrough the inlet port. Otherwise remove the bell.

After unscrewing the top to remove the bell, is it easy to just lift out the value assembly and to place it back in? I just to make sure before I attempt it having never done this before.

Also, do I need to shut off the water line that is coming directly into the house before doing this, even if, nobody will be using water in the house? If so, I just hope that does not leak if I try to turn it off, since it is not used much.

Yes, the incoming water needs to be shut off and there might be water draining down from the house piping. The internals should just pull out. There are o-rings that might give some resistance to pulling out the internals.

I did not attempt to pull apart my pressure reducing value yet. Having never done that before, I don't want to start pulling it apart without really knowing if it is difficult to put it back in place. I don't thik the issue I will describe now has anything to do with the value. When I turn the water on in my bathtub, the water comes out fine through the tub spout, but when flip it to have it come out of the showerhead, the water barely comes out. Once in awhile the water pressure will become a bit stronger, but after a minute or 2, it goes back to a tiny sprinkle. What could be the cause of this?

Shower heads can become clogged from hard water deposits. Remove the shower head and test pressure without it. If pressure is good, soak the shower head in white vinegar or CLR for 24 hours or so, flush with clear water, and reassemble and retry.

I use a filter on my showerhead and I had just replaced it and the pressure wasn't strong from the beginning. I took off the shower head and the pressure was strong. I have another new shower filter and replaced it with a new one. The pressure was strong. The other filter was bad. Sharp1, thanks for the reply and help.