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Pressure drops after adjustment, then creeps back up
When a pressure-reducing valve won’t hold a steady outlet pressure, what helps distinguish a setting that needs correction from a valve that’s wearing out? I’d compare upstream and downstream readings with no water running and while fixtures are flowing, but I’m unsure how much those readings alone can tell us.
If downstream pressure gradually rises while water is unused, does that point more toward a failing PRV, or can other conditions produce the same pattern? The valve’s age and model may not be known, so I’m curious what evidence would justify adjusting it versus replacing it.
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Those readings are clues, not a diagnosis by themselves. A rise at rest can fit a PRV that isn’t sealing well, but I’d want to see whether it repeats and whether the upstream pressure also changes. If outlet pressure is stable at rest but consistently falls only during flow, that points to a different pattern than pressure that keeps climbing with no demand. I’d compare those patterns before treating an adjustment as the answer or deciding the valve needs replacement.
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