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WATER TANK: USES, TROUBLESHOOTING
WATER TESTS, CONTAMINANTS, TREATMENT
WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS
WELL FLOW RATE
WELL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS
WELL YIELD IMPROVEMENT
WINTERIZE A BUILDING

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How to Diagnose & Repair Poor Water Pressure or Lost Water Pressure at Buildings       WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR - home. How to diagnose loss of water pressure or loss of water in a building - both municipal water supply and private well systems are addressed Poor Municipal Water Supply Pressure Poor Well Water or Pump Water Pressure or Flow WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS, PRIVATE WELL WATER PUMPS, TANKS, TESTS, WELLS, REPAIRS - home WATER TANK: USES, TROUBLESHOOTING - home WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS - home See complete article list at Related Topics & key Related Topics listed just below. Questions & Answers on diagnosing and fixing poor water pressure or on running out of water completely - what to do if the well runs dry References

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Troubleshooting building water pressure problems: How to fix bad water pressure or loss of water pressure in buildings: this article describes how and why to distinguish among intermittent water pressure loss, total water pressure loss, and poor water pressure or flow in a building. We give diagnostic and repair procedures for both municipal water supply problems and well water supply problems. If you don't see information you want, ask us for it using the comments box at the end of this article.

Green links show where you are. © Copyright 2013 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Author Daniel Friedman.

How do we diagnose poor water pressure or loss of water pressure in a building, and what are the common causes and repairs for this problem?

The process of lost water pressure diagnosis in buildings and the costs of the water pressure problem repairs are explained.

Consumer advice on saving money on water supply repair costs includes a review of the parts and labor costs of a typical well pump and pressure tank replacement case. The page top sketch, courtesy of Carson Dunlop, shows five factors that affect the water pressure and flow in a building. What the sketch has not included are water pressure, quantity, or flow problems that originate at the well, well pump, or water pressure tank. We discuss all of these here.

Below is our comprehensive guide to diagnosing bad water pressure. Our complete list of water pressure problem diagnosis & repair articles is at the end of this page.

If you have no water pressure at all, see No Water Pressure and see the other water pressure diagnostic articles listed just below.

• MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS explains how to diagnose poor municipal or community water supply quantity or pressure
• WELL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS explains how to diagnose and correct poor private well water supply quantity or pressure, or see our more concise WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE.

If your water pressure is intermittent, starts and stops, or varies in pressure, see Water Pressure Intermittent and see the other water pressure diagnostic articles listed just below.

If there is some water pressure but the pressure and/or flow or water quantity are poor see these diagnostic articles:

Water supply piping problem? See Bad water pressure Clogged Pipes & Water pipe clog repair guide.

Keep in mind that if water is running elsewhere in the building (another shower, sink, dishwasher, clothes washer, garden hose, etc) then the water pressure you will observe at your location will usually be reduced.

If you have good cold water pressure but not enough hot water pressure or hot water quantity, see HOT WATER IMPROVEMENTS

If you have good water pressure at some fixtures but not at others, you probably have a clog in building piping (such as due to mineral deposits, rust, or even excessive solder in new work), or mineral and debris clogged strainers at faucets and shower heads (check these first). Also see Water pipe clog diagnosis and  Water pipe clog repair guide.

If your water system works for a while, but you run out of water - you run out - see How to Test Well Water Quantity and see How to Get More Water From a Well.

Quick Guide to Diagnosing Poor Municipal Water Supply Pressure

For our full article on diagnosing poor municipal water pressure see MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS. A summary giving excerpts of some bad city water pressure or flow diagnostic steps is just below.

1. Double check that there is no burst pipe or leaks in the building interior water piping
2. Check to see if there are leaks or crimps in the water supply pipe between the building and the city water main in the street, and that there and no water running elsewhere before going on to more complicated water pressure diagnosis steps.
3. Listen for water supply service entry piping or water main leaks: If your water is from a municipal supply and if you can turn off water right at the entry to your building, you can then listen to the piping - you may discover that there is an underground water main supply leak outside!
4. Check municipal water supply main pressure and flow: Ask your plumber to measure the incoming water pressure and flow before the water pressure regulator,or with the pressure regulator set wide open. Since bad water pressure or flow can be a piping problem rather than a supply quantity problem, also see PIPING IN BUILDINGS, Clogs Leaks Types and PLASTIC PIPE LEAK CAUSES.
5. Water supply piping buried outdoors must be bedded in clean sand. Where copper water supply pipes have been buried in gravel, contractors find that over time the gravel, perhaps moving by frost or water passage through the soil, actually works against the metal water piping to create multiple holes and leaks in the water main.
   
6. Poor incoming city water pressure from a community or municipal water supply? How to boost water pressure in a building by installing a pressure booster pump and pressure tank for buildings whose incoming water pressure is too low or intermittent is discussed in detail at WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER PUMP
7. Poor city water pressure due to building height? How to boost water pressure in a building by installing a pressure booster pump and pressure tank for tall buildings is discussed in detail at WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER PUMP
8. Poor municipal water pressure/flow history helps diagnose the cause. Details are at MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS.
9. Poor water pressure just at certain plumbing fixtures? poor cold water pressure, hot water pressure, or both hot and cold water pressure or flow that is observed just at some plumbing fixtures in a building while flow and quantity are good at others suggests that the water flow or pressure problems are local to certain runs of supply piping or to the specific fixtures. Details are at MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS.
10. Poor hot water pressure: if hot water pressure is noticeably worse than cold water pressure and flow, the problem may be due to sludge in the water heater or mineral-clogged piping or tankless coil (TANKLESS COILS). A water softener (WATER SOFTENERS & CONDITIONERS) won't fix mineral-clogged piping, but once that problem has been taken care of, it can prevent future clogs. See CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPES, HOT WATER.
11. Shared city water supply line? Carson Dunlop Associates Home Reference Book points out that in some cities multiple homes may share a single supply line. Details are at MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS.
12. Variations in building occupancy levels: Where building demand for water flow varies widely, a single pressure reducing valve may not be able to handle the maximum water demand flow rate. This condition occurs at buildings where there is a large water supply main to an apartment or office building whose water demand can vary enormously (0.5 gpm to 100 gpm) depending on the building occupants. Watts and other pressure reducing valve producers recommend a nice solution to this problem. As we explain at WATER PRESSURE REDUCER / REGULATOR, parallel pressure reducing valves are sometimes installed to correct this difficulty.

Take These Extra Steps to Boost City Water Pressure & Flow at a Building: after first diagnosing the problem and ruling out the leaks, crimps, or repairs needed by the steps we have described above, you can adjust the water pressure regulator, install a water pressure booster pump in the building, or install larger diameter water service or in building water supply piping. Details are at MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE IMPROVEMENTS.

For our full article on diagnosing poor municipal water pressure see MUNICIPAL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS.

Quick Guide to Diagnosing Poor Well Water or Pump Water Pressure or Flow

Our full diagnostic article for private well water pressure and flow problem diagnosis is at WELL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS. Separately we also provide a WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE in table format listing nearly every cause of water pressure loss or well pump problem identification, diagnosis, and repair.

The following articles pertain if you have a private well, pump, and tank system for your building or if your incoming community water supply pressure and flow are just too low to start with:

1. Water Tank Problems? See WATER PRESSURE TANK REPAIRS. Examples of water tank problems include poor water pressure or the well pump rapidly turning on and off (short cycling).
   
2. Water pump problems? Examples of water pump problems include poor water pressure or no water pressure at all, or water pump won't start, won't stop, or fails to develop adequate water pressure. See
• WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT - poor building water pressure or flow
• PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL REPAIR - pump is not delivering water at all, or pump won't start, pump won't stop, or water pressure is poor - see the diagnostic table at ELECTRIC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH and see WATER PUMP ELECTRICAL SWITCHES
• WATER PUMP RELAY SWITCH - submersible pump has stopped working, or won't start - for pumps that use a separate heavy duty relay switch in addition to the pressure control switch
• WATER PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE - well pump keeps losing prime - pump runs but gives no water
• WATER PUMPS & TANKS & WELLS - complete list of articles
• WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES - complete list of well pump controls and switches, identification, diagnosis, repair.
• WATER PRESSURE GAUGE ACCURACY - maybe water pressure is fine and it's the gauge that's bad?
  
3. Poor water pressure or no water pressure after an electrical power loss, lightning strike, or storm? Water pressure may be lost entirely following a power loss or electrical storm or lightning strike. Check first for a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker. A lightning strike can also damage electrical wiring supplying a submersible pump, or it may damage the pump itself.
4. Water piping or well piping problems? If your water pump keeps losing prime, a shallow well jet pump well line could have a bad foot valve (in the well WELL PIPING FOOT VALVES) or there may be a bad check valve on well piping at or near the water tank or near the above-ground water pump (CHECK VALVES, WATER SUPPLY) and so be losing prime. A leak in the well line piping itself (WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS) can also lead to loss of prime.
5. Well Problems? Do you run out of water or after running water for some interval water pressure and flow are poor? Well problem diagnosis starts at WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS. Other indications of a well that is running dry include reduced water flow rather than complete stoppage of water flow, or the water may be dirty. Before assuming that there is no water in the well, check to see if the water pump is working properly, including loss of pump prime (WATER PUMP PRIMING PROCEDURE) and a bad or leaky well piping foot valve (WELL PIPING FOOT VALVES).
   
6. Bad water pump or water tank pressure regulator control? See WATER PRESSURE REDUCER / REGULATOR (not usually installed on private well and pump systems, often present on municipal water supply systems that use an in-building local water pump and pressure tank to boost pressure). Before adjusting a well pump pressure control switch (WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH), changing building piping, or considering installing a water pressure booster pump (WATER PRESSURE BOOSTER PUMP), it is essential to understand what the incoming water pressure is and exactly why the building water pressure is not satisfactory. Start at the beginning of this article: WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR. Water pump pressure regulator switch diagnosis and repair steps include these:
   • How to Adjust Water Pump Pressure: The detailed, step by step procedure for inspecting and adjusting the water pressure control switch is discussed in detail at ADJUST PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL.
   • Diagnosing Water Pump Short Cycling on and off: If your water pump is clicking on and off too often or quite rapidly see SHORT CYCLING.
   • Diagnosing Water Pressure Drops without explanation when the pump stops, see Water Pressure Falls Slowly, Erratic Pumping: bad pressure control switch, building water running or leak, bad pressure gauge, bad check valve, bad foot valve.
   • Diagnosing & Repairing Lost Air in the Water Tank: The problem of lost air in the water pressure tank along with how to correct that condition are discussed beginning at SIGNS OF AIR LOSS.
   • Diagnosing & Repairing a Water Pressure Control or Water Pump Control Switch: We discuss diagnosing and repairing a water pressure control switch that sticks "on" or "off" or simply won't operate, at water pump Pressure Switch Repairs.
     
7. Bad Hot Water Pressure? See HOT WATER IMPROVEMENT especially if the building cold water pressure is acceptable but hot water pressure and flow are poor. Accumulated debris in a water heater, and debris from a corroded or disintegrating hot water tank dip tube or hot water tank sacrificial anode can also block the hot water outlet opening, resulting in low hot water pressure in a building.
8. Bad cold or hot water pressure and flow just at certain plumbing fixtures? See our discussion of Poor water pressure just at certain plumbing fixtures just above.
9. Bad water pressure & flow: clogged pipes due to mineral deposits, silt, solder blobs, sediment collecting in elbows or in long horizontal runs, or even a damaged water control valve or faucet. First check for differences in water pressure at different fixtures; remove fixture strainers, washing machine strainer, to see if water flow improves. See See Bad water pressure Clogged Pipes & Water pipe clog repair guide for details.
10. Problems with water treatment equipment can cause loss of water pressure or no water flow: a clogged water filter, water softener, or a malfunction in water disinfection or other water treatment equipment can cause a reduction in water pressure or even a complete stop in water flow in a building. Iron sediment or even dirt and silt can collect in water treatment equipment such as a water softener or water conditioner resin tank, causing poor building water pressure. See SOFTENER CLEANING & SANITIZING.
    

Our full diagnostic article for private well water pressure and flow problem diagnosis is at WELL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS.

Separately we also provide a WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE in table format listing nearly every cause of water pressure loss or well pump problem identification, diagnosis, and repair.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on diagnosing and fixing poor water pressure or on running out of water completely - what to do if the well runs dry or if water pressure is poor, or if the well pump doesn't turn on and off when it should

Question: we can't figure out what's wrong with our well

Can't find the problem with my well. I have had professionals out and replaced the pump but to no avail it is still slow and does not produce like it once did. I need help and do not know what to do. San Lorenzo Ca.

Reply:

If you are now confident that the well pump and pump controls are functioning correctly you need to determine if the problem is the well itself or a clog or valve problem or leak in the water piping. Take a look at the diagnostic questions above, or start at the WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR or see our water pressure troubleshooting guide in table form at WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE -

Question: water pressure is OK at some places and terrible at others

cold water pressure ok in kitchen but very little from bath and bathroom sink - Tommy

Reply: bad water pressure at just some fixtures points to a closed valve or clogged faucet strainer, shower head, toilet fill valve, or water supply piping at those devices

Tommy:
If you have good water pressure in some house areas and not others, that's a good indication that it's not a system problem (bad pump, well, well piping) but a more localized problem such as

- a shutoff valve that is partly closed
- a clog in water supply piping such as due to a solder blob at a connection or a mineral deposit
- a simple thing like a clogged sink faucet strainer - if both cold and hot water supply flows are equally poor, START by removing the faucet strainer and see what happens to the water flow then.

Question: watering the horses is leaving us with no water pressure in the house

Approximately 1 year ago, I let a friend bring his horses up to graze my ten acres. He and his wife come over almost daily to "water" them. I have a hose that runs directly from the pump house in which they use to water their horses. Thing is, when they are watering outside, no water runs inside. For instance like this morning, I went to brush my teeth before leaving for work and there was no sink water! I looked outside and there was my friend's wife with the pump house cover open, watering her horses. Situations like this occur frequently.

I do not recall this ever happening in the past before they brought up their horses. I would water the front lawn through the hose in the pump house and the water would not shut off in the house, maybe a little pressure was lost however.

What is causing this? Any help would greatly be appreciated as it is no fun standing in the shower with shampoo in hair and having the water shut off until they are done watering their horses!

Thank you so much for your time and attention. - P.L.

Reply: Are the horses drinking the well dry?

A competent onsite inspection by an expert usually finds additional clues that help accurately diagnose a problem and can help sort out whether a water supply problem is due to the pump, piping, pressure tank, controls, or due to a problem in the well itself.

That said, here are some things to consider:

• If your horse waterer is doing nothing new, that is if she has not changed the water quantity she is using or how fast she's running it, then something in the well or equipment has changed, possibly lower well water flow rate.
• Ask your friend, when she's using your well to waterer horses, to run water into the watering trough (you are using a watering trough, no?) more slowly,
• Take a look at the plumbing connections for that hose; it sounds as if the hose is getting priority of water delivery as it is connected closer to the pump and tank than your house plumbing. Try putting a restricting valve in the line just ahead of where the hose is connected (to force the friend to run water more slowly) and see if that helps;
• Also ask her to conserve water - she may be helping run the well dry or if the water table has dropped and your well simply has a poor flow rate and poor total water quantity, the added water removal load of horse watering is now just too much.
• Check the well flow rate or recovery rate so that you know what's going on.
• Install a larger water pressure/water storage tank so that you can keep a larger reservoir of water on hand for morning use.
• Take a look at our articles on how to get more water out of the well: WATER QUANTITY IMPROVEMENT

Question: The well pump never shut off, now we have no more water at all. Could it be due to drought?

I have a private well, I noticed low water pressure in the indoor faucets. However the faucet (water hose connection) closes to the well had more pressure. I changed the connections (pvc) from the well to the pump and bladder tank; changed the pump switch. I had slightly better pressure for about ten minutes. The pump never did shut off. Now there is no more water being pumped. Could this be because of the area drought (well dry?) or did I break something? Please help! Big problems. - Tom

Help! Our pressure tank will lose all pressure, and the pressure switch and pump will come on only momentarily. It comes on, then off, then on again 2 to 3 minutes later. If we use no water, then it will gradually rebuild pressure and be fine for 8 - 10 hours, then we run out of water again. We had this problem about 5 months ago and I replaced the pressure switch and double-checked the wiring in the well lid (loose) and it seemed to be fixed. The problem has resurfaced now and so far I've double-checked the wiring and replaced the filter. Any advice? - Randy

Reply: Diagnosing loss of water in the well - running out of well water

Tom, It sounds like a low yield well and drought problem could explain your loss of water pressure; you can perhaps confirm that if you can open the well casing top and use a string and float or float + weight to sound the top and bottom of the water column versus the bottom of the well.

Randy: regarding a water tank losing pressure ,if you are not running water you may have a bad check valve, foot valve, or piping leak; Try shutting off the water valve feeding the house and then watch the pressure gauge; if it drops, there's a leak. But your observation that if you let the well "rest" for 8-10 hours you then have water is a very strong suggestion that the root problem is loss of yield in your well - your well is simply running out of water.

What to do if you suspect your well is running dry?

• Take a look at How Much Water is In the Well? for procedures for determining the current yield of your well and other key measurements.
• Or go directly to How to Test Well Water Quantity.
• If you need to increase your well water yield, flow rate, or quantity, see How to Get More Water From a Well.

Question: why did we lose all water pressure after we left town for a few days, having left the pump switch or pressure switch turned OFF?

My husband and I went out of town for 2 days and when we returned, all water pressure in our home had reduced at least by half or more when it use to be great. Both with hot and cold water the pressure has reduced with no real difference between the two. I checked the well and the pressure on the gauge is around 23 to 25 psi (No water was on when checked). I turned the pressure control switch off (there is a little metal switch where turned down is ‘auto’ and turned up is ‘off’) and the pressure stayed the same on the gauge.

I turned the switch back on. There is a spigot on the well and when I turn it on, the water coming out has nice pressure and the pressure gauge still shows around 23 to 25 psi with no drop, but I only ran the water for a few minutes. I tapped on just about everything on the well and then went back into the house. I ran some water in the bath tub and other faucets and noticed sand and rust like materials coming out with the water which was still with low pressure.

Another thing I'd like to note is the water pressure seems to stay constant with no increase or decrease when it's on anywhere in the house. The only time debris came out was after I went down and tapped on the pipes around the pressure control box. We just moved into the home 6 months ago and all faucets and the well had been de-winterized for at least a year or more. Does anything think I might need to clean all the pipes around the well since tapping them seemed to have released some debris? I don’t think I have a leak anywhere, but I could be wrong as I am fairly new to being a well user. What other suggestions does anyone have to increase my water pressure? The doublewide we moved into was built in 2001 and I believe the home and well were built the same year so everything is no older than 10 years. - Kellie B from Gastonia, NC

Reply: power off can lead to lost well prime; also check for debris clogging

Kellie,

I'd take a look at the lost water pressure diagnosis suggestions beginning in the article just above. You don't want to start buying parts or changing the pressure control switch before we diagnose the cause of the trouble.

It's possible that debris in the water has clogged the sensor opening on the pressure control switch, causing it to be slow or incorrect in sensing water pressure. Make a note of when the pump comes on in relation to the dropping water pressure. Watch the pressure gauge. If water pressure is dropping below the cut-in pressure on the pressure control switch (typically 20 psi or 30 psi) and the pump is not turning on, that may be the trouble.

A second common cause of lost water pressure after power has been off to the pump is that there is a bad foot valve in the well or bad check valve anywhere in the well piping system.

When power is on and the check valve lets water drain back into the well, the pressure drops and the pump comes on and recovers before it has lost prime. But when electricity remains off for some time all prime is lost and when you turn power back on, an above-ground pump can't recover its prime. (A submersible pump may do so but you'll also note excess air in the water piping for a time.)

Question: how do we diagnose and fix poor water pressure in our building?

We have low or no water pressure coming from submersible pump already replaced the line from the well to the house still same issue - John 7/4/12

Reply:

John, I'd start by taking a look at the diagnostic suggestions at either WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR or for a look at a table of common water pressure and flow problems and solutions see WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE.

Question: problem with low water pressure

im having low pressure in my home i have everything underground because im in a double wide mobile home with just a crawl space i have been losing water pressure more and more over time im glad i read this article i went outside and turned on my water from a hydrant attached next to well casing and had strong pressure did not measure pressure no gauage then turned on water in house and lost pressure outside and also not strong pressure inside please need help to fix my set up was installed new in 1993 thank you - Armko 09/10/11

Reply:

I'm a bit confused, Armko, but I think you are saying you have high and good functional water pressure but that it doesn't register on your pressure gauge; if that's the case, I expect that the gauge is broken or clogged. In general, if you see good pressure at one faucet but it drops significantly when you open a second faucet, I suspect that piping is clogged, restricting the volume of water than can run through the system.

Question: can nearby explosive blasting cause us to lose water pressure or water quantity in our well?

We have had some Companies Strip Mining near enough to us that when they use explosives to blast, it shakes our entire house and rattles the windows. Gradually, after this started, our well started taking longer and longer to recover and we noticed that we didn't have as much water available for our use. Also, our septic system doesn't seem to be working as well as it did before the blasting. We can only flush the commode about 3 times per day and really have the commode flush. Can all of this be caused by the blasting at the strip mine? - Beth Lawrence 09/16/11

Reply:

Beth,
Yes certainly nearby blasting can drastically change the quantity as well as quality of well water by opening new or changing existing rock fissures, sometimes resulting in loss of well water, increase in sediment, and even changes in water chemistry. Unfortunately in my experiences such changes can be permanent, difficult to prove, and may require drilling a new well.

Question: lost water pressure from our artesian well

We have an artisan well, since 1993, 325 ft deep. It has always runned well. Note that we use this house only on weekends. This week end we had no water...we veified all the electrical connections and pipes ..everything is fine...when I went to the well itself ...the water is very very low...Note that is has been raining.. What could of caused this and what do you suggest we can do to fix this problem.. Thank you - Armand 10/15/11

Reply:

Sometimes artesian wells suffer a decline in the rate of water flowing into the well, leading owners to have to install a well pump. The fact that you see that the water level in your well is very low makes me suspect this is what happened. Such changes can occur even in periods of heavy rainfall for other reasons. For example if someone nearby has drilled a new well that taps into the same aquifer, or if nearby blasting (for road-work or site construction, for example) has opened new rock fissures, the water that used to flow so nicely into your well may have begun flowing elsewhere.

I'd do the following:

See if you can identify any events nearby such as those I named that might change the performance of your well - having a diagnosis might help us decide what to do.

Ask a local well driller if they are aware of such changes in your area.

Ask your well driller about hydro-fracking or similar means that might restore or increase the well yield.

Check the depth of the static head in the well. If the static head and remaining well flow rate are adequate for normal household use, say at least 5 gpm and a static head of 100 gallons, you may be OK installing a submersible pump to continue using the existing well by that new means.

Keep us posted - what you learn will help other readers.

Question: brief loss of water pressure - for seconds - when the water pump system cycles on and off

I'm experiencing a loss of pressure that lasts a matter of seconds every time the system cycles. This is my set up.

Well depth ~360 feet
Well age 21 years
Gould submersible pump with 3/4 HP 230 volts motor (10 years old)
40/60 Square D pressure switch
20 gallon WellSaver tank (~4 years old)
Sediment filter

This past February we started getting air in the system and in May the technician installed a new 40/60 pressure switch, gauge, nylon fittings and clamps. This seemed to help for a while but the air came back but not as bad as it was prior to the new parts being installed. In October we were slammed with an early snowstorm and were without power for seven days. When the power was restored, the air problem was gone but now the quick loss and return of pressure is with us.

I've read the information on your website and my "guess" is that something has plugged the pressure switch and/or the nipple.

What do you think?
Is it worth the time and effort to check my theory?
If it turns out that there's an obstruction, should I replace the 3" nipple with a longer one hoping to reduce the chance of debris causing the same problem in the future?
If neither the pressure switch or the nipple are plugged, what else might be causing the problem?
Thank you for your help.
Ken - Ken 12/20/11

Reply:

Air entering the system you describe may be traced to a faulty snifter valve (a type of air volume control system on wells using a submersible well pump) - search InspectApedia for that term to read the diagnosis & cure.

Question: sudden loss of water pressure after installing a new pressure control switch

I just replaced the pressure switch and recieved reliable water for a couple of weeks. All of a sudden the water stopped in our house and I went down and manually started the pump. We had water for a short while and then it went off again. I keep manually starting the pump and it will work for a minutes and then no water again. I assume the pump is working fine due to the transfer of water from well to faucet when started manually. What could be keeping the pump and tank from delivering a steady supply? - Ryan 5/29/12

Reply:

Ryan, be sure you've looked through the diagnostic suggestions in the article above, as there are more possible problem causes than I should try listing again in a comment.

If you find that the pump won't start or won't keep running, but when it runs manually it develops normal water pressure, start by replacing the pressure switch and its mounting tube or the tubing used to send water pressure to the sensor on the pressure control switch.

Question: well pump seems to be taking longer to re-pressurize the water tank, and there is a small leak

Hopefully you can help. I have noticed my well pump takes longer to recharge (or fill back up). There has always been a small leak 10 years (recharges every 2-4 hours) and it used to take only 5-8 seconds to fill back up. Now it is taking 25 seconds to cycle. I also noticed in the last couple of months when the 1st zone on my irrigation system turns on, the water sputters out and stops, then the pump comes on and then eveyrthing is perfect. Before the pump came on immediately and the pressure on the heads were normal. Any help is greatly appreciated. - Jim 6/8/12

Reply:

Jim,

5-8 seconds to re-fill a water pressure tank is considerably too short - I'd call that "short cycling"
which is hard on the well pump and other parts in the water system. If air has gotten into your water pressure tank by any means, to give a longer pump-on cycle, that alone would sou7nd like an improvement.

The water sputtering sounds like there may be an air leak in and water leak out of your system.

Question: low water pressure after installing a new water pressure tank

We installed a new steel pressure tank and now we have very, very low water pressure. We can not run a faucet and flush a toilet at the same time. What can we do? - Christine 6/10/12

Reply:

Christine, a water tank itself won't cause low water pressure - rather a tank problem typically causes pump short cycling; Look for a problem with the pressure control switch, well piping, well pump itself.

Question: water pressure lost, then returns

after running water outside for about 10 minutes, the water stops. let it sit for few minutes it comes back. - John B 7/4/12

Reply:

John,

Intermittent loss of water pressure typically is traced to a poor well flow rate (the well recovers when it rests for a time) or possibly a sticking pressure control switch.

Question:

Recently, we had a power surge and we believe that killed the submersible pump, (horrible humming noise when we threw the switch) so we replaced the pump (went from 1/2hp to a 3/4 hp). Every since then, when we turn our outside hose on, after about a minute we lose water pressure and it trickles out. We then replaced the water bladder, (a larger tank) still the same problem, and then we replaced the pressure control switch. ....still the same issue. I don't want to have to pull the pump back out if I don't have to. (that and i have no idea what i can check on the pump).

I ahve a 40/60 pressure switch, I drained the tank and put 38psi in the top of the tank and filled it back up. overall I have no water pressure issues on any other faucet in the house (sure I would like stronger pressure but it's tolerable) only the water hose. when that goes down the rest of the house stays down until the bladder can get back up to pressure.

It's definitely an unusually dry season but our well is 200 ft deep, and you hit water at just 15 ft. so I don't think it's a issue of the water level but again I know nothing at the moment.. - Chris 7/9/12

Reply:

Chris in addition to the diagnostics above for poor water pressure, see the article titled WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE found near the end of this article in the links section for a table summarizing things to check.

Sometimes when we install a more powerful water pump onto an existing well the new pump takes water out of the well faster than the well can recover - and you run out of water; that could be happening here.

The static head in a 200 ft deep well with water 15 ft below the surface is 185 ft. 185 x 1.5 is what, 280 gallons of water - not so much that you couldn't run out if the well recovery rate is slow.

Reader comment:

the water pressure is fine for about 5 -10 gals of water, if that. (so Im assuming that isn't putting a dent in that 280gals) I went down later and checked the timing on the pump and pressure control switch, and when it goes. The control switch kicks on right at 40psi, it holds for about 5/10 seconds at 40psi, (this is all within 30 seconds to a minute)and then it quickly plummets to 10-15 psi on the gauge, and it stays there till I turn off the hose. At that point it will slowly fill back up to 60 psi in about 5-10 mins. After reading that Chart I'm leaning towards maybe I need to change the breaker? could the pump not be getting enough power (due to one of the breakers being bad) and that's why the psi is so low even when the pump is on? - Chris

Question: confused about relationship between water pressure and pump cycling

Running my hose to water lawn,the water pressure drops about 75% and my pump kicks on. It takes about two and a half minutes before the pump shuts off, then I half good pressure again. I thought it would be the other way around - Jon Bohl 8/6/12

Reply:

Jon:

In normal pump and pressure tank and pressure control switch operation when the pressure drops to the cut-in (usually around 20 or 30 psi) the pump kicks in and will run until the pressure reaches the cutoff (usually 40 or 50 psi). But if you are running enough volume of water at one time then the pump may never reach cutoff pressure until you stop running water.

The actual true water pressure at a building that uses a pump and pressure tank is of course not uniform - it cycles as I've described above.

I may misunderstand your question but if not, it's normal that the best pressure you'd see would be at the time the pump shuts off -as it's at maximum then.

Jon, when the pump kicks in, if it is able to deliver water faster than you are running out of the system, then water pressure will increase from the moment that the pump turns on until it cycles off; then pressure will drop until the pump kicks in again;

If your pump can't send water into the system faster than you are using it, the pump will run continuously, and water pressure will drop to the maximum capacity of the pump, piping, etc. If the water pressure you're seeing has deteriorated, check the suggestions in the article above.

Question: mobile home on well has poor water pressure in some rooms, not others

I OWN A MOBILE HOME ON A WATER WELL SYSTEM. IN THE MASTER BATHROOM FAUCET I HAVE LOW COLD WATER PRESSURE, KITCHEN SINK,WASHER ALSO HAVE LOW PRESSURE. GUEST BATHROOM HAS GOOD COLD PRESSURE. HOT WATER PRESSURE IS GOOD AT ALL OUTLETS. I HAVE CLEANED STRAINERS ON ALL FAUCETS TO REMOVE SEDIMENT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO POUR VINEGAR INTO WELL SYSTEM & LET SIT FOR A WHILE TO HELP REMOVE DEPOSITS. IS THIS CORRECT? John 8/6/12

Reply: skip the suggestion of pouring vinegar into the well

Typing in caps is shouting so we had to shrink your text. Check the advice in the article above and you'll see that if you have good water pressure at some fixtures and bad at others, some of your piping, or faucets or strainers are probably clogged, or a valve is partly shut; If the problem has always been present, you may also have a solder blob or some other error that is partly blocking piping in the building.

Don't bother pouring vinegar into the well; it is unlikely you could get enough concentration to do anything, and if you could you'd have to leave water off for 24 hours, then you'd have to do plenty of flushing to get the vinegar out - and as soon as you've done-so, hard water flows into the well again from your water source.

It might help to check out the summary table of water pressure troubleshooting ideas found at

WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE

in the article links at the top of this article.

If your water source is high in minerals you may need to install a water softener.

Question: mom's house's municipal water main broke, I hear water running - who is responsible for the repair

Good morning. My elderly widow mom's municipal water main broke between the 150 year old house and the cut off valve at the street. From her basement, I can hear the water constantly running out of the break. So far, the water has not found its way through the lawn surface, into the basement, or out to the street. We had a contractor estimate that the replacement of 40 feet of pipe at a depth of 6 feet will cost ~$4500.00. The city says it is her responsibity and has no provision for financial assistance. She's living on a fixed social security income and very little savings. In your experience, are there any programs for assisting her with this financial burden? I've called around and there is nothing I can find. Something like a no cost/low cost loan or reduced cost program would help. She simply cannot afford it on her own. Thank you so very much for your help and an excellant web site. - Steve 8/22/12

Reply:

Steve,

In most communities the property owner is responsible for the water line between the building and the public water main in the street.
Sorry that financial aid is not our expertise. Check mwith your local senior citizens agency, or charities.

Question: new water softener, new water tank, now water pressure is terrible

I just installed a new softner and bladder. Before we did this we had good pressure. Now since the new has been installed we have terrible water pressure - Louie 9/19/12

Reply:

Louie,

I agree that it sounds like an installation problem. Check the position of all control valves first. If all are wide open, and presuming the well pump was not touched, the problem could be as simple but hardnto find as a solder blob in a pipe.

Question: how do I install a switch to turn our well pump OFF if water is detected in our basement?

In the event of a water leak, I would like to install a low voltage detection device into my well electrical circuit to cut of power to my well pump so that it will cutoff automatically shut down when water is detected on the floor of my basement. I have found an electronic sensor but need assistance with installation. - Clyde 9/29/12

My earlier post indicated I needed help with installation. What I really need is advice if anyone else has installed such a device and possibly locating an electronically controlled 220 relay that could be installed in the power circuit.

Reply:

Clyde,

Your question / project, coming up with a way to shut down the well pump if water is detected on the basement floor (I am guessing you want to avoid running the well pump if the building is subject to flood conditions) is an interesting one.

Typically, water sensor switches are used in a manner opposite of your intention - that is, to turn ON a device (a sump pump) when water is detected on the floor. What you want is a device to interrupt an existing electrical circuit - turn it off - when water is detected.

First tell us just what device you've purchased, and let's take a look at just how it is intended to function, to be sure you've got what you intended.

What you want is a low-voltage switching relay that will switch a 120V (or 240V) electrical circuit off by interrupting that circuit if water is detected on the floor. Typically such a switch is simply wired in SERIES with the electrical circuit powering the well pump or its control switch.

Question: poor water pressure - well pump is not kicking in when we open the faucet; water pressure drops past the pump cut-in setting

Got a new water pump installed yesterday. The pump does not kick in when the taps are open inside the house but does so when the switch is manually turned off and then turned on. It turns off after a few seconds and does not kick in even when the tap is left running. Thanks in advance for any help. - Nag 10/8/12

I just replaced the pump pressure switch and adjusted the air tank to 2psi below the cut-on pressure, but the problem remains. My pressure will drop normally to 40 which is the cut-on pressure for my pressure switch. But, instead of dropping gradually below 40psi, the pressure suddenly drops to 18psi and then almost instantly to zero. It stays at zero. The switch does not seem to engage. The pump certainly does not pressurize the system. After about 3-5 minutes, the pump suddenly comes on and pumps the system back up to 40psi almost instantly and then continues to pump until the guage says 80psi, although the switch cut-off is at 60psi. This switch is brand new and I've not adjusted the cut-off pressure. Of course the problem is having no water pressure for 3-5 minutes. I have put my ear to the pressure switch and it does not click until after 3-5 mins at zero psi. And once it clicks, the pump comes on and the system pressureizes instantly. Could it be that I have a new pressure switch that does the exact same malfunction as the old one -- which is to go to zero for 3-5 mins before "realizing" that it's below 40 psi? Help you pump and well experts. - Water Pressure Problem 11/1/12

Reply:

Naq: see our note to "Water Pressure Problem" just below.

Water Pressure problem:

It sounds as if your pressure control switch is not turning on the pump when the pressure drops to the cut-on level. If it were, at the cut-in (cut-on) pressure of 40 psi, the pump would turn on - your pressure wouldn't drop further.

Try replacing the switch and also make sure that the water pressure sensor tube or pipe nipple mounted to the pressure control switch is not debris clogged.

Question: poor water flow rate and pressure despite messing around with the water pressure tank's air pre-charge pressure

My home was built in 1990 and I believe has the original well tank - an Amtrol well-x-trol WX-203. I felt as if the water pressure in the house was fairly weak, so I figured I would check the tank pressure and see where it is. My water flow was approximately 4.4gpm as measured by the water softener.

I followed the Amtrol instructions, turned off the pump, drained the water from the tank and then checked the pressure. It was at 19.5 psi. Amtrol said it should be set to 2 psi below the cut-on point. My cut-on is approximately 40psi, so I filled the tank to roughly 36 psi (the tank was factory preset to 38psi).

When I turned the pump back on, filled the tank with water and ran water through the house, I noticed the water pressure was extremely low (now less than 1 gpm as measured by my water softener). I then reversed my work, drained the tank and released the air pressure back down to 19.5psi before turning the pump on and refilling the tank. Same low water pressure (less than 1gpm). I have read everything on your website but cant seem to figure out if it is a sudden clog or a bladder failureor how to test for either.

My pressure regulator on the Well tank does what it is supposed to and cuts on at 40 and off at 60...when I run water, the pressure will ever-so-slowly creep down and eventually cut on again. It's all just slow.

The more I think about it the more it sounds like I induced a clog. Because of age, I suspect I pushed my old tank to the limits and expedited its failure but don't know what else to check to confirm this is indeed the problem. Do you have any suggestions you would recommend? - G.C. 12/29/12

Reply:

G.C.

Take a look through the water pressure diagnosis procedures beginning at the top of this page, and keep in mind that the water pressure tank has almost nothing to do with how strong water pressure will be in the building; the pressure tank has the job of smoothing the flow of delivery of water between the pump cut-in and cut-out pressures, and avoids burning up the pump and switch by too-rapid on-off cycling of the well pump.

Water pressure (and flow rate) that you experience in a building are determined by the capability of the pump itself, and water flow rate (that people commonly speak of as "pressure" may be further affected by clogged pipes, strainers, faucets, etc.

Your "cut-in" pressure of 40 psi is a bit high - I'm guessing you're running on at 40 off at 60 psi. I wouldn't set the cut-off much higher or you risk recurrent faucet leaks.

You can check the actual water pressure delivered by your pump by noticing the water pressure gauge reading when the pump turns OFF. If your pump is actually reaching that cut-off pressure then the problem is probably not the pump and more likely a clog somewhere, or depending on water piping arrangement, if your pump sends water into the pressure tank from a tapping different from the feed from water tank into the building, the tank itself could have a collapsed bladder or other problem clogging the water supply into the building.

Keep us posted - what you learn may help others.

...

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• Thanks to our reader, Carole Cimitile, 2/17/2009, for reminding us that small problems like faucet o-rings, clogged faucet strainers and similar local plumbing fixture defects can have a big impact on hot water flow, cold water flow, or both hot and cold water flow and pressure problems.
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• Water pump and pressure tank repair diagnosis & cost an specific case offers an example of diagnosis of loss of water pressure, loss of water, and analyzes the actual repair cost
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