Hope you can help me. We just moved into a house built in 2001. We have great water pressure and flow for about 30 seconds then it slows down considerabely. A new pressure testing gauge reads a water pressure of 130 at an outside spigot. As soon as a faucet is turned on inside the pressure drops to about 32 where it remains until the faucet is turned back off, then the pressure rises back to 130 over about one minute.

What I can see. Water enters crawl space thru 3/4" PEX where it goes to a water shut off valve (that is hard to close), then to a pressure reducing valve, it then splits to the hot water heater located in the attic/3rd floor (pressure reads 120 here) and to the cold supply for the house.

The pressure at the backflow preventer for the sprinker system also reads 130.

My thought is a blockage somewhere either the water shut off valve or the pressure reducing valve. Is there a servicable screen in the PRV that can be cleaned? Am I missing something else that it could be?

Thank you for your help.

Bill

 

When I read my own question I found the answer. How can a pressure reduction valve let the pressure get to 130? Well, it shouldn't.... so i took it apart to find the o-rings crumbling and some parts corroded. So I replaced it and all is well, 60 psi constant pressure. Off to the shower for me!!!

 

You can get a rebuild kit and rebuild the old one if you need a spare.