Please help identify mysterious brass object

Zachary Hoyt

Well-known Member
I went to look at a water leak under the trailer of a 92-year-old lady who lives near here and found this thing, with water streaming out of the tiny drilled hole near the adjusting screw. The water line came out of the ground as 3/4" galvanized and after the shutoff valve it stepped down to 3/8", went into this object, came out the other side and went into a 3/8" flare connector to a copper line that I would have thought was made to be a gas line. I am guessing that this thing was not intended to be part of a water line, but I am not sure, and I (and the lady who lives there) would like to know what it was meant for. It looks like it is made to regulate the flow or pressure of something, but I have no idea what. Any ideas will be very helpful as I don't even know where to begin. It says CASH ACME Decatur IL. and has a flow direction arrow. The connections are both 3/8" NPT. Thank you very much.
Zach
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It is a pressure regulator. They are required on many new houses if they are in area where the public water pressure is over 60-70 PSI. I have note seen one on a water supply that was only 3/8 pipe unless it is the feed to an appliance like a ice maker or even a dish washer.

The real issue is not finding a new regulator but know what pressure it is supposed to be set at. You need to locate what this supplies and figure out what the pressure limits are on it.
 
Is she on rural water? I have 2 of them at my place, 1 in the pit and 1 at the house. Must have 1 because the pressure is around 175LBs in the water line coming into the pit. 1 at the pit cuts the pressure to around 80 lbs and the one in the house cuts it to around 30 lbs.
 
As noted by others, a pressure regulator. One added thing, the galvanized pipe and copper tubing (common on trailers) need to be isolated using a Dielectric Insulated Union. the dissimilar metals Zink and copper make a battery that can corrode and erode copper or zink into the water and cause component failure. Also make sure the trailer is grounded electrically with a grounding rod to code. The pipe might have been used for that, but i=will now be insulated. Jim
 
Thank you all very much. She is on town water and there is a meter in a pit. I have sent an email to the town and will call on Monday to see if I can find out what is needed. The copper line is the whole house supply, and it is connected to a brass 3/8" flare x 3/8" MPT adapter which is in turn screwed into the new galvanized coupler I put in. I think that should be safe both as a dielectric isolator and as a ground if that is how it is being used. Is the pressure regulator supposed to leak out of that hole or is that a sign that it has gone bad internally?
Zach
 
"Is the pressure regulator supposed to leak out of that hole or is that a sign that it has gone bad internally? Zach"

No, it should not be leaking. That is a failsafe feature, the regulator has failed to regulate the pressure, so it vents the excess to prevent over pressuring the line and to indicate it is bad.

As others said, 3/8" sounds really small to supply the whole house. Possibly it is supplying a single appliance. Typical size would be 3/4", 1/2" minimum.
 
Water coming out the drain hole means the diaphragm is shot.

Town I used to live in, on the low side of town, your garden hose would be 2" diameter if you didn't have a regulator in the system.

You may or may not need one depending on supply pressure. On a trailer, the installer my well have put one in regardless to prevent problems.
 
Not a flame, the copper and the galvanized components need to be electrically separated. This means that the coupling meets that standard. Google dielectric pipe coupling to see what is needed. Grounding the trailer through that connection may have been done by whoever put the trailer in place. If a correct coupling is installed to keep corrosion and electrolysis under control, the ground will be lost. Jim
 
House trailers are not subject to the same regs as permanent structures. 3/8 as supply and 1/4 inch in branch runs was common. Jim
 
Thanks, that's very helpful. I googled it and the article I read mentioned using brass to connect copper and steel instead of using a dielectric coupling, but recommended a 6" long piece of it rather than the short connector in there now. I'll have to look into it further. If I need a new PRV then that might take care of it too, I suppose, although not properly.
Zach
 
Most homes are 40lbs on the low side to 60lbs. on the high side. You will need a pressure gauge on the down side line to set the regulator. By the way. When you set it you will want to have a fauset open with just a very tinny dribble. It lets the regulator work as you set it. We have them all over the place in the building. There is a seat that gets chewed up inside. They don't cost 5hat much. Just make sure you get the correct pressure range. It will be on the tag. 40-60 pounds is good.
 

2X on water leaking means the diaphragm is ruptured. The diaphragm drives the opening and closing of the orifice.
 

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