Installing a PRV and sprinkler systems

1,028 Views | 7 Replies | Last: 5 yr ago by mAgnoliAg
Iowaggie
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AG
I just want to check to see what amount of pressure is problematic for a home's water system.
We've received readings from plumber of 98 - 105 PSIs to house. House is about 40 years old.

He suggests installing a PRV to get it down to 75 PSI.

It all seems appropriate, but I want to know if when installing a PRV (by plumber, not me) if this would be an appropriate time to have a sprinkler system installed or if there is no benefit to doing the sprinkler system at the same time as the PRV. (Also, would like confirmation that there is a need or not to do the PRV)
Gary79Ag
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Iowaggie said:

I just want to check to see what amount of pressure is problematic for a home's water system.
We've received readings from plumber of 98 - 105 PSIs to house. House is about 40 years old.

He suggests installing a PRV to get it down to 75 PSI.

It all seems appropriate, but I want to know if when installing a PRV (by plumber, not me) if this would be an appropriate time to have a sprinkler system installed or if there is no benefit to doing the sprinkler system at the same time as the PRV. (Also, would like confirmation that there is a need or not to do the PRV)
From the plumber readings of 98-105 psi, I highly recommend a PRV as the maximum recommended normal pressure is 80 psi. The higher the pressure, the more likely opportunity you may have with damaging your applicances like refrigerator ice makers and water dispensers as well as washing machines and dishwashers as the increased pressure can negatively impact their water valves, etc. Our water pressure is between 75-80 psi and is also adequate for the sprinkler system.

I don't really see an major advantage of installing a sprinkler system at the same time of installing a PRV as a sprinkler system will tie in to the existing plumbing near the meter supply and will have to have a Backflow Preventer Valve (BPV) installed as required for sprinkler sytem installs.

Someone else can correct me if I'm wrong but that's how I see it...
CapCity12thMan
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AG
when we moved into our house (built in 1990), I noticed the water pressure was enormous. Great for showers - not so good for using kitchen sink. Asked a plumber about it and measured static pressure at 110psi. Ridiculous he said. Installed PRV to get it down to 80 psi. City of Austin I believe recommends 60 (we are no city of Austin water - just outside city limits).

Reason this was important - stress on the fixtures in your house.

Sure enough - within about a 6 month period, 3-4 houses on my street all had burst pipes/fixtures inside their homes and 3-4 other homes had burst pipes in the yard up by the street...it seems since all houses were about the same age, some things just hit end of life and failed - it was interestingly coincidental to say the least. The 110psi water pressure to the homes was to blame and for the next 4-6 months we had plumbers in nearly every front yard installing PRVs.
mAgnoliAg
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AG
No benefit to doing the sprinkler system at the same time, however I will give you some info on the pressure when it comes to the sprinkler system:

Ridiculous pressure is phenomenal for sprinkler systems as long as you install prs heads and pressure regulated and filtered valves for any drip zones. With that pressure, and especially if you have a large meter, you will be able to fit a lot of flow on all zones , therefore having very few zones on the system.

HOWEVER YOU MUST INSTALL PRS HEADS, or else you will be wasting as much water as you are putting to good use. At that pressure, normal heads will put out about 2.5 times the amount of water necessary to cover the necessary radius. PRS heads have a built in pressure regulator to keep the head at 30 (or 40 for Rotors) leading to them putting out the exact amount of water required for that radius.

For example: a 15F nozzle at 30 psi regulated will put out 4 GPM. If that was not a PRS head, then it would have anywhere from 80-90 psi at the head (assuming 105 static), and it would put out closer to 9 or 10 GPM (given the meter can take that much flow for the entire zone).
mAgnoliAg
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AG
Just make sure to not do the sprinkler system first and then have a plumber install the PRV before the tee for the sprinkler system because the bigger zones might not have good pressure.

Sprinkler system can still be installed after the PRV and tee'd in after the PRV but you will have to know to design the system based on 60, 70, 80 or whatever. Or you can do the PRV and tee in before the PRV so you will have full 105 going to sprinkler system and giant zones.
Whitetail
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AG
I thought the right way to do it is have 2 meters, one for house and one for sprinklers both would have PRV's installed.
mAgnoliAg
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Whitetail said:

I thought the right way to do it is have 2 meters, one for house and one for sprinklers both would have PRV's installed.

Yeah if you want to pay the city $5000 to put a meter in. Also you don't need a PRV on irrigation if you have pressure regulated heads. Pressure regulated heads are better because it regulates every head instead of regulating up front (some smaller zones will be overpressured and waste water because the PRV has to be set for the larger zones to work properly).
CapCity12thMan
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AG
when we installed our PRV and got our static pressure to go from 110 down to 80, we had no issues with our sprinkler system
mAgnoliAg
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CapCity12thMan said:

when we installed our PRV and got our static pressure to go from 110 down to 80, we had no issues with our sprinkler system

Because the design pressure was less than 80. If they would've loaded the zones more to use the 110 psi or close to it, then your system wouldn't work.
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