Pressure Reducing Valve Maintenance

How To Maintain Your Pressure Reducing Valve

If you are having issues such as water dribbling out your vent pipe onto your roof or water escaping from your pressure reducing valve drain it may mean your pressure reducing valve needs some simple maintenance.

Over a period of time with water flowing through your pressure reducing valve, and the constant opening and closing of the valve (see our article on how a pressure reducing valve operates) the jumper assembly moves up and down constantly so the small washer inside the jumper cap is forced up and down on top of the jet inside the valve which eventually causes an indentation in the neoprene washer which then allows more water pressure through the valve which then escapes out your vent pipe or relief valve.

How To Replace The Washer Inside Your Pressure Reducing Valve

Firstly, locate your pressure reducing valve which will look similar to the image shown, it may be inside your hot water cylinder cupboard or under your house depending on the construction of your house. Make sure you turn off the cold feed to the hot water cylinder and if there is a shutoff valve just below your hot water cylinder make sure that you close this off too as water may backflow from your cylinder. Important: you do not need to remove the valve to replace the washer.

Once the water is turned off, remove the black screw cap (turn it anti clockwise) it should only be hand tight as it is sealed with a rubber O ring. Some older pressure reducing valves had a brass cap which was held in place by two brass screws.

Once the cap has been removed – put this aside carefully so you don’t lose it and then simply slide the brass bridge out of the fork – it will slide out either way. The bridge is the little piece of brass (shown in the picture sitting on the white jumper assembly). The bridge simply holds the jumper assembly in position above the jet.

With the bridge removed, take the jumper assembly off.

In this picture the jumper assembly has been removed showing the jet (grey) where the high pressure water enters.

The bridge is shown to the right of the valve and to the right of that you will see the jumper assembly which is the jumper cap and jumper washer (inside the cap). See the pic below – turn the jumper cap over and poke a small nail in through the hole pushing the neoprene washer out of the jumper cap. Fit the new washer into the cap making sure it is seated all of the way inside the cap.

To complete the job just follow the above instructions in reverse order.

Fit the jumper assembly over the jet, insert the bridge into the fork. Carefully refit the plastic cap making sure not to cross thread and do not over tighten. Once this is complete, then turn the water back on and run off some hot water – checking for leaks.

Pressure Reducing Valve Maintenance Summary

Replacing the jumper washer in your pressure reducing valve is the only thing that we would recommend the homeowner doing, if the replacement washer does not fix your issue, make sure you call a professional plumber in as it may be another issue causing the problem.