A pressure reducing valve is used to decrease the pressure in pressurized water pipe systems. If the pressure coming from the public water source is more than 80 PSI, code requires that a pressure reducing valve (PRV) be installed to restrict the pressure. Excessive pressure in the system can cause damage to water heaters, pipes and fixtures. These valves to wear out over time and need to be replaced.

In this video, Plumber-Tom demonstrates and explains how to replace a pressure reducing valve from start to finish. Checking the system pressure before and after the replacement is important so you can verify the pressures. It is easiest to replace the existing pressure reducing valve with the same make and model that exists already in the system. Other pressure reducing valves can be installed, but this often requires making alterations to the piping which is more difficult. Pressure reducing valves can be adjusted by turning the adjustment bolt on the front of the valve. Clockwise increases the pressure and counter-clockwise decreases the pressure.