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We have been living in our new house about 1-1/2 years. We have enjoyed the water pressure we get from our well. We recently had what seemed to be a sudden drop in pressure. The pressure switch is set at 20 - 40 PSIG. The pressure builds to 40 PSIG, but drops immediately to 25 PSIG when any faucets are turned on.
We have no house filters at all (Maybe a mistake).
It seems it is able to build pressure just fine, but it can not maintain it, because of low flow maybe.
Do I have a pump problem? Or buildup in the lines in only 1-1/2 years?
We have been living in our new house about 1-1/2 years. We have enjoyed the water pressure we get from our well. We recently had what seemed to be a sudden drop in pressure. The pressure switch is set at 20 - 40 PSIG. The pressure builds to 40 PSIG, but drops immediately to 25 PSIG when any faucets are turned on.
We have no house filters at all (Maybe a mistake).
It seems it is able to build pressure just fine, but it can not maintain it, because of low flow maybe.
Do I have a pump problem? Or buildup in the lines in only 1-1/2 years?
Any help is appreciated!
Sounds like the pressure tank. Call whoever drilled the well. Your warranty should still be good. If you do not know who drilled it, check with your health department.
Driller knows his stuff, so follow his advice. If the pressure falls and doesn't build back to within a reasonable range, you could have a bad bladder in the pressure tank, and possibly some other issues.
If you don't have a filter before the pump to remove the worst sediment, your pump could be grinding away (literally). $50 and a few fittings will get you a basic sediment filter. Cheap insurance.
Where are you measuring the pressure? If the pressure at the pump/pressure tank falls off as soon as you use any water, no doubt Driller has the diagnosis right. If the pressure is falling off somewhere downstream of it, it could be some sort of obstruction, you should not generally have problems with such a new system. Are you positive you don't have some sort of filter between the well and the house, or where-ever you are measuring pressure?
Depending on the pressure tank setup, you may be able to just add some air, although the newer ones have a bladder that may have failed.
Check to see if you have a warrenty claim for sure.
We have been living in our new house about 1-1/2 years. We have enjoyed the water pressure we get from our well. We recently had what seemed to be a sudden drop in pressure. The pressure switch is set at 20 - 40 PSIG. The pressure builds to 40 PSIG, but drops immediately to 25 PSIG when any faucets are turned on.
We have no house filters at all (Maybe a mistake).
It seems it is able to build pressure just fine, but it can not maintain it, because of low flow maybe.
Do I have a pump problem? Or buildup in the lines in only 1-1/2 years?
Any help is appreciated!
You system works this way: use water and the pressure falls to the cut-in setting of the pressure switch, in your case 20 psi, then the pump comes on and depending on how much water you are using in gpm, the pump provides that water and maybe some into the pressure tank. If the pump can't refill the pressure tank, the pressure holds where it is until you shut off the water and then the pump refills the tank and the pressure rises to the cut-out switch setting of 40 psi in your case.
If the pump shuts off at 40 and you are not using water and then the pressure falls at all, you have a leak somewhere. Probably the foot valve on the end of the drop pipe that goes down the well.
The only way any of this could be due to the pressure tank is IF you are not using water and the pump shuts off, holds 40 psi and then when you open a faucet the pressure falls very quickly to 20 and the pump comes on and in a few seconds reaches 40 and shuts off. That is called short cycling and means the air pressure in the pressure tank is not correct; for 20/40 psi you need 19-18 psi of air pressure in the tank when there is no water in the tank.
If it is short cycling, that is very hard on pump motors and the electric bill and will harm a pump and, you need to adjust the air pressure in the tank to see if a bladder is broken, and if it is water vapor or water will come out when you release some air, and if so you need to replace the tank.
To check the air pressure in your tank, with no water in it, you shut off the pump and the water past the tank and drain the tank and then check the air pressure.
Your 20/40 is low for today, most people run 30/50 psi with 29-28 psi of air in the tank with no water in it. You may want to increase both pressures, tank air and water to 29 air and 30/50 switch.
If your water is not visibly dirty, you do not need any type of filter, and never install a filter between a pump and its pressure switch. Pumps of all kinds can pump dirty water with no problem and pressure tanks are not harmed by dirt. Sand and grit will damage pumps but not tanks.
The well, pump and tank really should be under warranty. If they mess with stuff, it will void it. If the water is dirty, it is a health department issue, either way. I warranty top to bottom for five years. Some drillers two years. They are within either.
The well, pump and tank really should be under warranty. If they mess with stuff, it will void it. If the water is dirty, it is a health department issue, either way. I warranty top to bottom for five years. Some drillers two years. They are within either.
I can't believe you or other drillers would void a customer's warranty because they checked and/or adjusted the air pressure in a pressure tank!
And as far as we know, the driller may have drilled the well and someone else did the pump, electrical and ran the plumbing from the pump into the house and installed the pressure tank, switch, gauge, pr relief and shut off valves. Or maybe the OP lives in a state where the drillers don't warranty the operation of their system, which I've never heard of before. Although I know of the pump and tank warranties, I don't know of any driller warranting something like low air pressure in a pressure tank.
I can't believe you or other drillers would void a customer's warranty because they checked and/or adjusted the air pressure in a pressure tank!
And as far as we know, the driller may have drilled the well and someone else did the pump, electrical and ran the plumbing from the pump into the house and installed the pressure tank, switch, gauge, pr relief and shut off valves. Or maybe the OP lives in a state where the drillers don't warranty the operation of their system, which I've never heard of before. Although I know of the pump and tank warranties, I don't know of any driller warranting something like low air pressure in a pressure tank.
We don't know many things. The type of well and the type of hook-up. I warranty my system top to bottom five years. Don't have a lot of problems but, I can tell you last Thanksgiving we were changing a pump. The customer had their water on within two hours from the call to us. That is why we do 85% of the work in four counties. No one can tell for sure what the problem is with a system on the INTERNET.
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