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Pressure-reducing valves and main shut-offs

Water pressure &
reducing valves.

We measure your water pressure, then replace the pressure-reducing valve and the main shut-off where they need it, set to the plumbing code and your city's bylaw, for houses, townhomes and condos across the North Shore and Metro Vancouver.

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Home · Services · Water Pressure & PRVs

A pressure-reducing valve (PRV) lowers the pressure coming in from the street to a level your pipes, fixtures and appliances can live with. The plumbing code requires one where the static pressure at any fixture can exceed 550 kPa, about 80 psi, and some of our cities set their own rule. Prosafe measures your pressure, then services and cleans or replaces the PRV, and replaces the main shut-off valve, where they need it, with a written price before we start.

Signs of high pressure

What too much pressure does to a home.

  • Pipes that bang or shudder when a tap or appliance shuts off
  • A hot water tank relief valve that drips or runs
  • Toilets that keep refilling, and faucets that drip soon after they are replaced
  • Washing machine and dishwasher hoses that fail early
  • Pressure that changes from one tap to the next, or slowly creeps up

Low pressure has its own causes, and Coquitlam’s guide says to check the reducing valve and its screens. Coquitlam even notes that a leaking hot water tank can be a faulty pressure-reducing valve. A gauge reading is the first step either way.

Source: City of Coquitlam, water problems

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The rules, city by city

The 80 psi code rule, and what your city adds.

The plumbing code sets the floor everywhere: where the static pressure at any fixture may exceed 550 kPa, a pressure-reducing valve shall be installed to keep it at or below 550 kPa (National Plumbing Code 2020, Div. B, 2.6.3.3, which is the BC Plumbing Code 2024). Several municipalities add their own rule in their water bylaw. Plain-language summaries, each with its official source.

MunicipalityWhat the city says about pressure and your valve
City of North VancouverThe City does not guarantee water pressure, and owners who need a steady supply provide their own pressure regulators. Where there is a meter, a reducing valve goes downstream of the meter and its bypass. Source: Bylaw 6417
District of North VancouverThe owner installs a sand strainer, a pressure regulator and a relief valve on the water service of every building where the street main’s pressure near the building is 75 pounds or more (a single cold tap is exempt). Source: Bylaw 2279, s. 20
West VancouverThe District does not promise water of any given pressure. No separate rule for owners’ valves; the plumbing code applies. Source: Bylaw 5260
VancouverVancouver’s plumbing by-law has the same 550 kPa rule as the plumbing code. Owners maintain their own pressure-reducing valves, and for sudden high water pressure the City tells residents to call a plumber. Source: Plumbing By-law · By-law 4848 · pressure problems
BurnabyThe City’s design criteria call for a pressure-reducing valve in the building where the maximum pressure exceeds 515 kPa (75 psi), and the City can require a reducing valve and a relief valve where main pressure could cause damage. Source: design criteria · Bylaw 3325, s. 6A
CoquitlamMost pressure problems are not the City’s system, and the City advises having your pressure-reducing valve checked. It usually sits where the water line enters the building, next to the main shut-off. Source: water problems
Port CoquitlamEvery water service must have an approved pressure regulator near the point of entry, with a strainer ahead of it, set to 85 psi or less. Fire lines and lawn sprinklers are excluded. Source: Bylaw 3935
Port MoodyThe City says the service may see increases or decreases in water pressure from time to time. No separate rule for owners’ valves; the plumbing code applies. Source: Bylaw 3026
Why it varies street by street: hillside water systems are split into pressure zones by elevation: the District of North Vancouver has 26 and the City of North Vancouver 5 (District, City water quality reports), and Burnaby divides its city the same way (City of Burnaby). Two homes a few blocks apart can see very different pressure from the main, which is why we measure yours instead of guessing.
The part most people miss

A PRV closes your system. That changes the hot water side.

Water expands as your tank heats it. Without a reducing valve, that extra volume can push back toward the street. With one, it has nowhere to go, and pressure inside the home rises with every heating cycle, often showing up as a dripping relief valve on the tank. The code covers this: where thermal expansion can occur, protection shall be provided for pressure-reducing valves, check valves and certain backflow preventers (2.6.1.11). The usual answer is a properly sized expansion tank made for drinking water, priced separately from the valve.

Set to the right pressure

A new valve is set and checked with a gauge, not left at the factory setting.

Expansion protection

We check that an expansion tank or another accepted method is in place and working. If one is needed, it is priced separately.

Within reach

The valve stays accessible, as Port Coquitlam’s bylaw requires, so it can be serviced later.

The main shut-off valve

The valve you need to find before you need it.

Every home must have an accessible shut-off valve as close as possible to where the water service pipe enters the building (plumbing code 2.6.1.3). In a multi-unit building, the code also asks for a shut-off where the water enters each suite, so one unit can be shut off without the rest of the building. Port Coquitlam’s first tip for avoiding frozen pipes is simply to know where your main shut-off is (City of Port Coquitlam).

  • An old gate valve that will not close all the way, or seeps when turned
  • A shut-off buried behind a finished wall or a cabinet
  • No suite shut-off in a townhome or condo

We replace main shut-offs on their own or together with the reducing valve on the same visit. The valve at the property line is the municipality’s: Vancouver lends owners a key for small lines (City of Vancouver), while Port Coquitlam asks residents to call the City to operate it (City of Port Coquitlam).

How a visit runs

From the gauge to a tested valve.

  1. Measure

    A gauge on a tap near where the water comes in shows the static pressure, with nothing running. That number decides everything else.

  2. Find the cause

    We check the pressure-reducing valve and its strainer, the main shut-off, the expansion protection on the hot water side and any signs of trouble at fixtures.

  3. A written price

    You get the price before we start, from our published valve prices for standard sizes, or a written quote for larger valves.

  4. Service or replace

    A valve that only needs servicing is cleaned and serviced. Otherwise the water is shut off, the old valve comes out and the new one goes in where it can be reached, then it is set and checked with the gauge.

  5. Protect and test

    Where a reducing valve closes the system, the code asks for protection against thermal expansion, usually an expansion tank, which is priced separately. Everything is tested for leaks before we leave.

How it is priced

What a new reducing valve or shut-off costs.

Standard 3/4 and 1 inch valves are priced supplied and installed, with the $99 call-out included. Doing the reducing valve and the main shut-off on one visit takes one call-out, not two. Larger valves are quoted after a $99 + GST assessment, paid before the visit and credited toward the job. An expansion tank is priced separately.

  • Pressure-reducing valve (PRV), 3/4 inch

    Supplied and installed. Includes a standard valve, normal fittings, installation and testing; the call-out is included.

    From $499

  • Pressure-reducing valve (PRV), 1 inch

    Supplied and installed. Includes a standard valve, normal fittings, installation and testing; the call-out is included.

    From $599

  • Main shutoff valve, 3/4 inch

    Supplied and installed. Includes a standard valve, normal fittings, installation and testing; the call-out is included.

    From $299

  • Main shutoff valve, 1 inch

    Supplied and installed. Includes a standard valve, normal fittings, installation and testing; the call-out is included.

    From $399

  • 3/4 inch PRV + 3/4 inch main shutoff, same visit

    Supplied and installed. Includes a standard valve, normal fittings, installation and testing; the call-out is included.

    From $699

  • 1 inch PRV + 1 inch main shutoff, same visit

    Supplied and installed. Includes a standard valve, normal fittings, installation and testing; the call-out is included.

    From $899

Prices in CAD, plus GST. See all our prices

Water pressure, answered

Questions homeowners ask us about pressure.

How much does a pressure-reducing valve replacement cost?

It depends on the size of the valve and how easy it is to reach. Standard 3/4 and 1 inch valves have published prices, with the $99 call-out included, and a main shut-off replaced on the same visit takes one call-out, not two. A pressure-reducing valve, supplied and installed, starts at $499. Valves larger than 1 inch are quoted after an assessment. That visit is a $99 + GST assessment, paid before the visit and credited toward the job when you go ahead.

Do I need a pressure-reducing valve?

You need one where the static pressure at any fixture can exceed 550 kPa (about 80 psi): that is the plumbing code’s rule. Local bylaws go further in some cities: the District of North Vancouver asks for a regulator where street pressure is 75 pounds or more, and Port Coquitlam requires one on every water service, set to 85 psi or less. A gauge reading tells you where your home stands.

What are the signs of high water pressure?

Pipes that bang when a tap closes, toilets that keep refilling, a hot water tank relief valve that drips, faucets or appliance hoses that fail early, or pressure that jumps from one tap to the next. A failing reducing valve can also show as pressure that slowly creeps up. Only a gauge confirms it.

Where is my pressure-reducing valve?

Usually right where the water line enters the building, next to the main shut-off valve. Coquitlam describes it as the cone-shaped device on the supply line beside the main shut-off. In a condo, the building has its own valves and your suite may have a shut-off where the water enters it.

Can I shut off the water at the street myself?

Use the main shut-off inside your home: the plumbing code requires one as close as possible to where the water service enters the building. The valve at the property line belongs to the municipality, and the rules differ. Vancouver lends owners a key for small lines, while Port Coquitlam asks residents to call the City to operate it and bills damage back.

What are your hours?

Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We are closed on weekends and statutory holidays. You can send us a request through the website or WhatsApp at any time, and we reply during business hours.

Related services

Often checked at the same time.

Hot water tanks & tankless

Gas and electric tanks replaced, with the relief valve piped to a safe place.

Water main replacement

The underground line from the property line to your home.

Repairs & leak detection

Dripping taps, running toilets and hidden leaks, found and fixed.

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Get a price for your reducing valve or shut-off.

Send us a photo of the valves where the water comes in. We reply Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Who does the work: about Prosafe Plumbing & Mechanical.

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