Where’s the PRV?

[Anonymous]

I can’t locate the pressure reducing valve in a home built around 1978. I checked by the meter, dug up the line for about 8 feet, and looked behind the sheetrock from cutoff valve to the 1st branch in the run. Where else might it be? I think it’s the PRV because my deadhead pressure at the main to the house is 14psi, with faucets on it gets as low as 4psi. Water Dept checked at the street, and reported 65psi. The house is 30 feet above the meter. What do you think?

[fourth yearParticipant]

If you are measuring the pressure at the point where the main enters the house, then the PRV has to be before that location. If it is buried, then there is no way to find it except by digging along the line until you locate it. But my opinion would be that it will be within a few feet of the meter or the house riser connection inside a water meter box.

[GuestParticipant]

Not all houses need a prv valve, By code in mass you only need one if your street pressure is above 80psi so you may not even have one.
I dont know how the town tested Your water main, but I would get them back and have them pull the meter and put a gauge on the main right there and that will tell you if it’s a street problem or in the house. It is highly unlikly they would buried a PRV valve.
Good luck.

[SylvanLMPParticipant]

Mic, your right on the money. Normally the PRV is exposed just before the meter. I would also pull the meter and then test the water main pressure again.

If the nearest fire hydrant (city water) has a much greater reading (pressure) then the service to this home I would be willing to bet the main pipe is either very corroded or has a severe kink in it.

[fourth yearParticipant]

Normally that could be the case, but he said he measured 18# “dead head’ pressure which should be static pressure and that would be the same as the city main. His dynamic pressure, which would be affected by a kinked pipe is only 4#.

[tpvwdvlParticipant]

quote:

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Originally posted by Mic:
Not all houses need a prv valve, By code in mass you only need one if your street pressure is above 80psi so you may not even have one.
I dont know how the town tested Your water main, but I would get them back and have them pull the meter and put a gauge on the main right there and that will tell you if it’s a street problem or in the house. It is highly unlikly they would buried a PRV valve.
Good luck.

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[tpvwdvlParticipant]

Mic,
Your right on the money! I don’t belive the house has a PRV either. I called the city to ask where they checked the water pressure in the street at. They told me at the fire hydrant, which is 150 feet or more away from the meter. I told him I suspected a broken feed pipe from the cities water main to my meter. He argued because there was no sign of water surfacing in the area. After questioning my diagnosis, he decided to take another look. The cities pipe WAS broken! And so was the storm drain pipe. The water simply ran under the road to the collapsed storm drain pipe. They dug it up and repaired it, now I have 61PSI static pressure at the house. This has been going on for almost a year!
Thanks for everyone who took their time to reply.

[Author]

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