Pressure reducing valve is leaking... can i maybe just remove it?

[Tireshark]

This is in a house built in the 60's. The PRV started spraying water from where it joins together, and a piece inside was broken. It is a Cash Acme EB-72 U. (3/4")

Can i test the water pressure to see if it is even necessary to replace the PRV? Like maybe screw some fittings into the ends of the water pipe, to temporarily hook the water back up so i can test the water pressure with a gauge? If so, what would be the cheapest way to do that?

Here is a picture of the water pipes with the PRV removed:

The only things in the house are a kitchen sink, washer hookup, 1 bathroom (sink, tub/shower), and two hose bibs outside.

 

[Reach4]

Where is the pipe, that is not the supply pipe, on the left side of the gap going? If that is a hose bib, put a pressure gauge on the hose bib after you either restore the PRV temporarily or plug that open pipe thread. You could probably use a 3/4 in. PVC Sch. 40 FPT Cap temporarily.

That could be cheaper than adapting that pipe thread to a pressure gauge.

If you take your photo and the removed PRV with you to your favorite plumbing place, they could probably fix you up.

 

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[Tireshark]

Hey Reach, thanks for the input. The pipe you are talking about goes to a hose bib, but it is on the house side of the gap. The main water line is on the right side.

 

[Reach4]

Ah... How about restoring the leaky PRV, and cranking up the pressure adjustment while dribbling water into a sink. Ideally you could put 80 PSI of air into your thermal expansion tank first, but you are probably fine not doing that... If you can crank the PRV pressure above 90, you need a PRV. If not, you can consider further tests.

Note the official threshold for where you need a PRV would be 80 PSI.

Are you sure that says EB-72 U? If you do need to replace it, you might call the number on http://www.cashacme.com/product/eb75/ Maybe they have a drop-in replacement for a discontinued product.

 

[Tireshark]

I think it's too far gone to use the old PRV to test with... it was spraying a ton of water out of it where the body housing joins.

I guess if there is no quick/cheap way to put a pressure gauge on the pipes as they are, i might as well go get another one. This one is only $50 at Lowes... i suppose it would work right? 3/4", male inlet, female outlet... i think that's what the old one is.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Watts-3-4-in-Brass-Female-In-Line-Water-Pressure-Valve/3503148

I could cut the copper pipes and sharkbite a new section in to restore water quickly... but if i tested it with a gauge and found out i did need a PRV, then there would be more time/money spent on redoing the lines to accommodate a new one. If i cant do it easier than sharkbiting a new pipe in, then i guess i might as well just replace it, since if i did all that cutting/testing, i would probably be within $10 or $15 of a new one anyway.

 

[Gary Swart]

Obviously the only way to tell for sure if you need the PRV is to test the pressure on the supply line. That takes a gauge which is not expensive. Also, it should be pretty obvious that the PRV was install because it was needed then, and it probably still is. Is it repairable? I don't know, but if it is, you will either be without water while the repair is being made or you will have to rig up a temporary direct connection. I would get an estimate on the cost to repair and see what a new one would cost. Then it's up to you to figure if the price difference is worth the bother compared to the other options.

 

[Reach4]

Are you sure that says EB-72 U?

Do you have a thermal expansion tank? If not, you may need a bypass type PRV -- or add a suitably sized expansion tank. That PRV that you propose does not have that feature. That has an attractive price, and Watts is a good brand.

Otherwise, note that some PRVs are better at maintaining constant pressure with varying loads than others. I don't have any experience with PRVs, and I don't know which are better.

When soldering, you will have to get the water out of the pipes. There may be a drain at the water meter. Otherwise you might be able to remove water by blowing air down a tube.

 

[Tireshark]

Yeah, EB-72 U. Here is a picture of the tag:

There isn't a thermal expansion tank on the hot water heater.

Also about the soldering tip, i think these just screw in. I only had to unscrew it to remove it.

I'll probably pick that PRV up later today and install it.

 

[Reach4]

CORRECTION to what I wrote earlier. I think that has the bypass feature. Cool. http://www.watts.com/pages/_products_details.asp?pid=6807 says "thermal expansion bypass".

I hope you can just screw it in; I would like to be amazed.

 

[Jadnashua]

Once in awhile, the manufacturer has not made any running changes in the design, so a replacement will just screw back on. They do sell rebuild kits for some models, but by the time you take it apart (and hopefully, not strip screws, etc.), do the fix and put it back together, it still may have issues. Sometimes, you get lucky. A typical pro would not take the time, as that time (and therefore cost) would be equal or even greater than replacing it with a new one.

Regardless of whether you have a PRV with a bypass line, if you want to provide a constant pressure in your home, you need an expansion tank. Otherwise, you'll be peaking higher than your normal setting until it gets higher than the inlet pressure (it can't go backwards until the house pressure is above the inlet pressure). Plus, if you live where the utility has put in a check valve, the bypass won't be able to work at all. Intelligent good practice calls for adding an ET when installing a PRV. That tank should be installed after any shutoff valve to the cold inlet of the WH (so that it can't be isolated and fail to do its job).

 

[Tireshark]

I didn't realize it, but that $50 PRV from lowes has a female outlet, and i need a male outlet. If it wasnt for that, i think it would work. Could i cut the female threads off of the water pipe, and sharkbite a male end on it, so that that PRV would work?

In the meantime, I'm going to go to a local plumbing store to see if they have any PRV's that will fit my water pipe situation.

 

[Tireshark]

I think i might have been wrong about the one from Lowes... went to the plumbing store and the one they had looked like the same kind, and when i looked closer, it has both a female and male hookup on the outlet... kinda like a universal thing i guess. Anyway, was only $50... so bought it and will install later.

 

[Tireshark]

Installed the PRV from the plumbing store. Working fine so far. Screwed into place... used teflon tape on the outlet threads, and great white pipe joint compound on the union side.

Thanks for the help, i really appreciate it.

Now that i have that fixed, i am working on other issues in the house. Having problems with the diverter, and am trying to remove the handle. I'm not having any luck with this handle puller... cranking it very hard, but the handle wont break loose... any ideas as to what i can do to remove it?

 

[Asktom]

It looks to me like the pin on your handle puller is too short and the threaded part is binding on the top of the handle rather than pulling. If a hearty yank on the puller doesn't work you may be able to tap the cross-bar on alternating sides and free the handle. You don't want to wiggle the handle too much or you may break off the end of the stem. In the worse case you would need to cut off the handle. Your valve looks to be a Gerber and parts should be not hard to find and they aren't too pricey.

 

[Tireshark]

Thanks asktom. You were right, the pin was too short. Someone suggested putting a longer screw into the hole and then using the puller on that, and that worked.