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Water pressure regulators serve a vital function in your plumbing system. As their name implies, they regulate the pressure of the water coming into the house. Typically, they are installed on the incoming line with a shut-off valve so that they can be serviced. The allowable water pressure in a house is between 40 psi to 80 psi. When the water pressure creeps up towards the higher end of the scale, fixtures can fail and break, and plastic toilet fill valves can leak. Some fixture manufacturers exclude damage from water pressure exceeding 80 psi, and some home warranty companies will not cover damage to the home for high water pressure. So it's a good idea to have a water pressure regulator.
If you don't already have one at your house, you will need to find a suitable location to install one. In your garage you will likely find a shut-off valve. This would be a good area to install one, but you may need to open the wall and do a little re-piping. For this reason, this wouldn't be a good job for someone with little plumbing experience. You can read this for information on how to solder copper.
Once you have access to the pressure regulator, you can adjust the water pressure by turning the nut on top of the unit (most water pressure reducing valves come factory pre-set at 50 psi). Test the pressure by screwing on a water pressure gauge and checking it after you adjust the nut.
