Whether you own an apartment or a house or any other type of residential dwelling that utilizes indoor plumbing, you’re certainly aware of how important effective indoor plumbing is when it comes to your daily life.

We depend on our indoor plumbing for so many things – from washing dishes, to showering, to washing our clothes and more. And to do these things, your home needs the appropriate amount of water pressure – not too high, but not too low.

Think of your home’s water pressure as similar to your body’s blood pressure. High blood pressure puts unnecessary stress on your body, and high water pressure puts stress on your entire plumbing system, as well as your home’s appliances.

It’s crucial to make sure your water pressure is at an acceptable, safe level.

Benjamin Franklin Plumbing Cedar Rapids offers this handy do-it-yourself guide that walks you through pressure testing water lines.

By investing a bit of time in this now, you’ll do your wallet a favor by saving water, too. Avoid costly plumbing damage and protect your home’s appliances – take a look below!

Pressure Testing Water Lines: Step-by-Step

1. Take a water pressure gauge and connect it to your home’s outdoor hose bib. Make sure you have a washer on the back of your pressure gauge before connecting it. You connect it just like you would connect your water hose.

Note: be sure no one washes the dishes, turns on a faucet or does laundry while you’re performing your test. The water can be turned on, but it’s important that no one uses appliances.

2. Turn the water on all the way and start to see the gauge move. The water pressure shouldn’t read more than 75 pounds per square inch. If the water pressure is higher than that, it’s going to be harder on your pipes and your home’s appliances, which won’t last as long.

3. If your water pressure is high, you’ll need to add a pressure reducing valve (also known as a pressure regulator). These come pre-set to 50 pounds per square inch.

If you find that your water pressure is very low (below 30 pounds per square inch), this could mean you have a leak somewhere in your plumbing. Or this low water pressure could be due to build-up that’s prohibiting efficient water flow.

So the next time you’re wondering how to pressure test water pipes, try the above mentioned plumbing pressure test to quickly assess your home’s indoor plumbing.

It’s a quick, easy and effective way for you to assess the health of your home’s plumbing.

Or if you’d rather call upon a professional to conduct a plumbing pressure test, give Benjamin Franklin’s Cedar Rapids team a call. We’re available 24/7 to help with all of your plumbing needs.

And if we’re not on time, we’ll pay you $5.00 for every minute we’re late, up to $300.

Our reliable team is made up of experienced professional plumbers with decades of experience that can answer the question of how to test plumbing for leaks.

Give us a call today to make an appointment!