EddieWalker
Epic Contributor
Until you actually check the preasure, you're just guessing. 80psi is kind of high for water mains in my experience, but not out of the norm. I've seen it over 100 pounds and down as low as 30 pounds. Gravity is your biggest issue. Water pumped up hill will lose preasure faster then anything. Water that's going down hill will increase preasure. In one house that I flipped, the water preasure at the meter was 60 pounds. The line was 1,200 feet downhill in a 1 inch Schedule 40PVC line. The preasure was 120 pounds at the house!!!!
There are dozens of things that will affect your water preasure at the meter. Your water district should be able to tell you what it is at the meter, but they will also tell you that it changes along their line.
Don't confuse preasure and volume. A larger pipe will give you more volume, but does not increase preasure. The same is true for smaller pipes. Preasure is what it is at the meter, plus or minus gravity and distance. If you are level the entire run, then there's not much that will change how much water preasure you have.
Is the meter already in? Are you limited to a 5/8's tap? Cost of the tap and meter is based on the size they install, but I would think that a 3/4 inch tap would be about the same as a 5/8's. If possible, try for a 1 inch meter. I'm a huge amount of water and more then any household will ever need.
You can buy a water preasure gauge at the box stores in the sprinker section for about $10. If you don't have a meter in yet, go to the closes neighbor and put it on one of their outdoor water spickets. It just screws on with a hose type fitting. Turn on the water and you will know for sure exactly how much water preasure you are dealing with.
Eddie
There are dozens of things that will affect your water preasure at the meter. Your water district should be able to tell you what it is at the meter, but they will also tell you that it changes along their line.
Don't confuse preasure and volume. A larger pipe will give you more volume, but does not increase preasure. The same is true for smaller pipes. Preasure is what it is at the meter, plus or minus gravity and distance. If you are level the entire run, then there's not much that will change how much water preasure you have.
Is the meter already in? Are you limited to a 5/8's tap? Cost of the tap and meter is based on the size they install, but I would think that a 3/4 inch tap would be about the same as a 5/8's. If possible, try for a 1 inch meter. I'm a huge amount of water and more then any household will ever need.
You can buy a water preasure gauge at the box stores in the sprinker section for about $10. If you don't have a meter in yet, go to the closes neighbor and put it on one of their outdoor water spickets. It just screws on with a hose type fitting. Turn on the water and you will know for sure exactly how much water preasure you are dealing with.
Eddie
