How to Diagnose & Repair Poor Well Water Pressure or Lost Well Water Pressure InspectAPedia® -
How to diagnose loss of water pressure or loss of water in a building - both municipal water supply and private well systems are addressed
How to decide if water pump pressure control switch or water pump replacement is needed
How to decide if water tank replacement is necessary
Typical cost of various well, pump, and water tank repairs.
How to diagnose poor well water pressure or total loss of water pressure: this article explains how and why to distinguish among intermittent water pressure loss, total water pressure loss, and poor water pressure or flow in a building.
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We give diagnostic and repair procedures for both municipal water supply problems and well water supply problems. The process of diagnosis and the costs of the repair 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.
How to Diagnose & Correct Poor Well Water or Pump Water Pressure or Flow
Our full diagnostic article for private well water pressure and flow problem diagnosis is here at WELL WATER PRESSURE DIAGNOSIS. Separately we provide a WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE that offers a pump and water pressure problem diagnostic guide in table form.
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:
Water Tank Problems? See Water Pressure Tank Problems. Examples of water tank problems include poor water pressure or the well pump rapidly turning on and off (short cycling).
Water pump problems? Examples of water pump problems include poor water pressure or no water pressure at all. See
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. And less common, a total power failure can sometimes expose a latent problem in the system such as a failing pressure tank bladder or well foot valve. But always look for the most direct explanation first rather than the more complicated one. So if water pressure fails after electrical power has been lost but then returned, start by looking for an electrical problem.
Beware: a power surge or lightning strike can on rare occasions trip just half of an un-linked 240-Volt circuit breaker or blow just one of the pair of fuses powering a 240-volt electrical circuit, leaving a pump that runs, but barely, developing only minimal water pressure, or a pump that runs not at all. An electrician or an experienced well and pump installer can diagnose these conditions by testing the well pump circuit itself, but before calling an expert, just check the fuses and circuit breakers. Thanks to reader EK Woodard for these details.
Water piping or well piping problems between building and well? 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) and so be losing prime. A leak in the well line piping itself can also lead to loss of prime or to air entry into the piping system (AIR DISCHARGE at FAUCETS, FIXTURES)
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. Leaks in well piping either inside the well itself or between the building and the well bottom can also mean reduced water flow, quantity, and pressure in the building. See WELL PIPING LEAK DIAGNOSIS.
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), 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.
Poor water pressure due to clogged building supply piping? Even municipal water supplied in some communities can be "hard" or high in mineral content, iron content, or other ingredients that lead to clogged water piping.
Our sketch (left) courtesy of Carson Dunlop, shows how rust can clog steel water supply piping.
If incoming water pressure is high - say over 40 psi, but water pressure falls off almost immediately when you open a faucet and remains poor, there may be a clog somewhere in your piping system, or worse, in most of it. This condition usually develops over a long time - years - and does not change suddenly on its own.
Small diameter building water supply piping also limits water flow rate: Even if the municipal water supply pressure is good. A building using 1/2" diameter piping, especially if the incoming water pressure is modest, or if the building has extensive lengths of water supply piping, perhaps combined with many elbows and tees, will suffer reduced water flow at its fixtures.
A common "fix" for poor building water "pressure" (really flow) where the piping is blamed, is to install larger diameter water supply piping wherever the piping is readily accessible, such as in a basement or crawl area.
As the sketch at left, courtesy of Carson Dunlop shows, installing larger diameter water supply piping helps regardless of where in the piping sequence it is installed - so you don't have to rip out all of the building water piping to make this water flow rate improvement.
Poor hot water pressure, acceptable cold water pressure at all fixtures? This condition often indicates clogging in the hot water piping or if a tankless coil is used to make hot water, clogging there. See CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPES, HOT WATER. 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.
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.
The sketch at left, courtesy of Carson Dunlop, shows five factors that affect the water pressure and flow in a building. Check the following first:
Clogged aerator or strainer on sink faucets - clogging by dirt, debris, corrosion, can significantly reduce both hot and cold water flow at a sink where the strainer needs cleaning or replacement. Unscrew the strainer from the faucet and turn on the water - if the fixture pressure or flow is much better you've probably found the problem.
Look at the aerator/strainer: inspect it, clean it, perhaps soaking it overnight in vinegar to remove corrosion and mineral build-up, or just install a new aerator/strainer.
Broken O-Rings on individual faucets - can clog the faucet internals and prevent good water flow. If just hot water or just cold water flow is weak at an individual fixture you or your plumber should check for and repair any damaged faucet parts.
Clogs in individual plumbing pipes, valves, elbows - can occur during construction if copper pipe soldering is not performed properly. Pushing too much solder into a copper pipe joint can result in weak flow and reduced pressure at all of the fixtures downstream from that fitting, even if the rest of the piping system is in good condition.
You may need help from a plumber to diagnose this problem, but if your water supply piping is not clogging from mineral deposits throughout, and if flow and pressure are bad just at some fixtures, this could be the problem.
Of course if an installer makes this soldering error on copper pipe joints near the beginning of a water supply piping system in a building, all of the fixtures downstream from that point will be affected, possibly all of the fixtures in the building. If mineral clogging might be a problem in the pipes in your building, see Water pipe clog diagnosis.
Problems with water treatment equipment can cause loss of water pressure or no water flow: a clogged water filter, 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.
Here is an example of a drop in water pressure that may be due to water filter clogging:
Question: We have a well in our home. Can you tell me what to do if we have a lot of black debris that is in our water filter system?
We think this could be why we have poor water pressure. Is there such a thing as a build up of soot or debris that we need to do something to clean the lines?
Answer: Try changing the water filter cartridge. If the problem is eliminated, the filter was clogged. If a lot of debris has been getting past the water filter, or if the water filter was a late addition to a home that has had a long history of using debris-laden water, pipes, fittings, faucet strainers, and shower heads may be clogged and may need to be cleaned or replaced.
See WATER FILTERS for details about clogged filters, and see WATER TREATMENT EQUIPMENT CHOICES for our complete list of types of water treatment equipment.
How to Boost or Increase Private Pump and Well Water Pressure
Before adjusting a well pump pressure control switch (WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL), 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
Sometimes, even when residential water supply equipment is working normally, building occupants want higher water pressure. Don't confuse water quantity (how much before we run out), water flow (how many gallons per minute we can get at a faucet) and water pressure (what is the delivery pressure or the maximum pressure that the system can provide). Water pressure is measured most accurately with the water turned off, at a hose faucet or washer hookup, using a pressure gauge.
But in common language, people consider the strength of flow at the faucet as their "water pressure". Actually what is being observed is a water flow rate, determined by both the pressure from the water source and the diameter of the building piping, including the effects of any obstructions.
Adding a larger water pressure tank will give a longer draw-down time - you can run a plumbing fixture longer between well pump "on" cycles, which means if your pressure normally ranges between 30 and 50, it will fall from 50 down to 30 more slowly. It won't boost system pressure beyond the pump pressure control setting.
If you set the control too high the pump will not reach cutoff temp and will burn up, or if you put in a more powerful pump and boost much over 70 psi you risk plumbing leaks.
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Thanks to Jeneral Sewer Service - George - 845-297-2285, a New York Hudson Valley drain and sewer cleaning and de-clogging expert for technical details and consulting on drain clog diagnosis and repair, including proper use of the Kinetic Water Ram for drain clearing - 3/14/2009
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.
Thanks to reader EK Woodard, Boise State University, Boise ID, for assistance in diagnosing poor water pressure following an electrical power loss. 3/14/2010
Water Supply & Drain Piping, Wells, Pumps, Water Supply Equipment
Access Water Energy, PO Box 2061, Moorabbin, VIC 3189, Australia, Tel: 1300 797 758, email: sales@accesswater.com.au Moorabbin Office: Kingston Trade Centre, 100 Cochranes Rd, Moorabbin, VIC 3189
Australian supplier of: Greywater systems, Solar power to grid packages, Edwards solar systems, Vulcan compact solar systems, water & solar system pumps & controls, and a wide rage of above ground & under ground water storage tanks: concrete, steel, plastic, modular, and bladder storage tanks.
Cheating on water tests: Testing Water for Real Estate Transactions - make sure your water test is valid
Smart Tank, Installation Instructions [ copy on file as /water/Smart_Tank_Flexcon.pdf ] - , Flexcon Industries, 300 Pond St., Randolph MA 02368, www.flexconind.com, Tel: 800-527-0030 - web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://www.flexconind.com/pdf/st_install.pdf
Typical Shallow Well One Line Jet Pump Installation [ copy on file as /water/Jet_Pump_Grove_Elect_Jet_Pumps_1.pdf ] - , Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf
Typical Deep Well Two Line Jet Pump Installation [ copy on file as /water/Jet_Pump_Grove_Elect.pdf ] - , Grove Electric, G&G Electric & Plumbing, 1900 NE 78th St., Suite 101, Vancouver WA 98665 www.grovelectric.com - web search -7/15/2010 original source: http://www.groverelectric.com/howto/38_Typical%20Jet%20Pump%20Installation.pdf
Water Fact Sheet #3, Using Low-Yielding Wells [ copy on file as /water/Low_Yield_Wells_Penn_State.pdf ] - , Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences, Cooperative Extension, School of Forest Resources, web search 07/24/2010, original source: http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/FreePubs/pdfs/XH0002.pdf
Water pressure tanks - how to diagnose the need for air, how to add air, stop water pump short cycling to avoid damage - water storage water pressure tank safety.
Books & Articles on Building & Environmental Inspection, Testing, Diagnosis, & Repair
Our recommended books about building & mechanical systems design, inspection, problem diagnosis, and repair, and about indoor environment and IAQ testing, diagnosis, and cleanup are at the InspectAPedia Bookstore. Also see our Book Reviews - InspectAPedia.
The Home Reference Book - the Encyclopedia of Homes, Carson Dunlop & Associates, Toronto, Ontario, 2010, $69.00 U.S., is available from Carson Dunlop, and from the InspectAPedia bookstore. The 2010 edition of the Home Reference Book is a bound volume of more than 450 illustrated pages that assist home inspectors and home owners in the inspection and detection of problems on buildings. The text is intended as a reference guide to help building owners operate and maintain their home effectively. InspectAPedia.com ® author/editor Daniel Friedman is a contributing author. Field inspection worksheets are included at the back of the volume.
Crystal Clear Supply provides portable ceramic water filter purifiers and portable reverse osmosis water treatment equipment - see http://www.crystalclearsupply.com/category_s/7.htm
Handbook of Disinfectants and Antiseptics, Joseph M. Ascenzi (Editor), CRC, 1995, ISBN-10: 0824795245 ISBN-13: 978-0824795245 "The evaluation of chemical germicides predates the golden age of microbiology..." -
This well-focused, up-to-date reference details the current medical uses of antiseptics and disinfectants -- particularly in the control of hospital-acquired infections -- presenting methods for evaluating products to obtain regulatory approval and examining chemical, physical, and microbiological properties as well as the toxicology of the most widely used commercial chemicals.
Potable Aqua® emergency drinking water germicidal tablets are produced by the Wisconsin Pharmacal Co., Jackson WI 53037. 800-558-6614 pharmacalway.com
Principles and Practice of Disinfection, Preservation and Sterilization (Hardcover)
by A. D. Russell (Editor), W. B. Hugo (Editor), G. A. J. Ayliffe (Editor), Blackwell Science, 2004. ISBN-10: 1405101997, ISBN-13: 978-1405101998.
"This superb book is the best of its kind available and one that will undoubtedly be useful, if not essential, to workers in a variety of industries. Thirty-one distinguished specialists deal comprehensively with the subject matter indicated by the title ... The book is produced with care, is very readable with useful selected references at the end of each chapter and an excellent index. It is an essential source book for everyone interested in this field. For pharmacy undergraduates, it will complement the excellent text on pharmaceutical microbiology by two of the present editors."
The Pharmaceutical Journal: "This is an excellent book. It deals comprehensively and authoritatively with its subject with contributions from 31 distinguished specialists. There is a great deal to interest all those involved in hospital infection ... This book is exceptionally well laid out. There are well chosen references for each chapter and an excellent index. It is highly recommended." The Journal of Hospital Infection.: "The editors and authors must be congratulated for this excellent treatise on nonantibiotic antimicrobial measures in hospitals and industry ... The publication is highly recommended to hospital and research personnel, especially to clinical microbiologists, infection-control and environmental-safety specialists, pharmacists, and dieticians."
New England Journal of Medicine: City Hospital, Birmingham, UK. Covers the many methods of the elimination or prevention of microbial growth. Provides an historical overview, descriptions of the types of antimicrobial agents, factors affecting efficacy, evaluation methods, and types of resistance. Features sterilization methods, and more. Previous edition: c1999. DNLM: Sterilization--methods.
U.S. Army Field Manual 21-10, Field Hygiene and Sanitation, 1988, web search 07/02/2010, original source: http://www.enlisted.info/field-manuals/fm-21-10-field-hygiene-and-sanitation.shtml The purpose of this manual is to assist individual soldiers, unit commanders, leaders and field sanitation teams in preventing disease and environmental injuries. The manual provides information on preventive medicine measures (PMM) to the individual soldier as well as essential information for the unit commander, unit leaders, and the unit field sanitation team on applying unit level PMM.
When Technology Fails, Matthew Stein, Chelsea Green Publisher, 2008,493 pages. ISBN-10: 1933392452 ISBN-13: 978-1933392455, "... how to find and sterilize water in the face of utility failure, as well as practical information for dealing with water-quality issues even when the public tap water is still flowing". Mr. Stein's website is www.whentechfails.com/
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