Before buying a house in Orlando, FL. be sure to research how old the plumbing system is. Water pressure surge has plagued a number of households since the beginnings of indoor plumbing. Oftentimes, water surges are perplexing and maybe a bit worrisome. Their origin is sometimes not apparent, and you might wonder if something is substantially wrong with the plumbing system as a whole. For the most part, a plumbing surge can be explained by a number of different innocuous issues including:
- Simultaneous appliance use
- Automatic sprinkler system
- Partially closed valves
The most common causes of water pressure surges are appliances. If you’re in the shower and the dishwasher is running simultaneously, you’ll likely feel a surge in water pressure. This is because the water heater is likely in the process of refilling. Water pressure is restricted at this point in the water heater. When the tank finally fills up, water pressure increases accordingly causing a brief surge in pressure. Essentially, this has a lot to do with how much the water heater’s tank can hold comfortably. If you can get past that, then you should be all right. Some homeowners install a holding tank to regulate how much water is used for a particular task.
This same principle can be applied to an automatic sprinkler system. Even so, this is something that few people recognize as the cause of water pressure surges. Sprinklers, however, require considerably more pressure than most other household faucets, fixtures, and appliances. So, while they are on, the rest of the house might display some kind of limited pressure. But, as the sprinklers start to wind their cycle down, it’s more common for the pressure in the house to overcorrect and produce a surge in pressure. The only way to combat this is by setting the sprinklers to water only one part of the lawn at a time so that less pressure is needed.
Valves that are partially closed are easy to fix (you just open them all the way) and easy to spot. Unfortunately, they may not be the root cause of the surge. It’s more likely that cracked pipes and their subsequent leaks are causing the water pressure to go haywire. At any one time, the system could recognize the leak or just press on at the status quo. So, you end up getting different water pressures throughout the day. If you suspect that a leaky pipe might be the problem, then you should probably patch it up as soon as possible or risk having to call an emergency plumber later on.
Most of the causes of water surges can be chalked up to fairly benign plumbing issues. Having a limited water heater tank or an expansive sprinkler system won’t hurt the plumbing system that much. Of course, the rapid increases and decreases in pressure can cause the pipes to expand in some instances. If you think your water pressure surges are being caused by a much more sinister problem, it’s probably a good idea to contact a local plumber to check it out for you.
