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How to Diagnose Water Tank Problems InspectAPedia®  -     How to diagnose problems with the water tank itself How does the water tank affect building water pressure? How does the water tank affect building water quantity? How does the water tank affect well pump life? How to decide if water pressure tank replacement is necessary Typical cost of various well, pump, and water tank repairs.

This article describes how and why to diagnose problems right at the water tank in order to help distinguish among intermittent water pressure loss, total water pressure loss, and poor water pressure or flow in a building. 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.

Also see the preceding section of this article on the problems in water supply caused by issues with the water pressure tank: Water Pressure Tank Problems. The illustration at page top is courtesy of Carson Dunlop, Inc. in Toronto.

© 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

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?

Water Pressure Problem Tests for Homes on a Private Well

Shaking the Water Pressure Tank to Diagnose its Condition

Testing a home water tank: Some plumbers or homeowners check to see if their water tank contains any water by simply "shaking" the water pressure tank. Be careful: moving an empty water tank around can cause plumbing leaks or even a burst pipe. There may be a trick to this but shaking the water pressure tank alone is not going to reliably diagnoses a ruptured bladder in a captive air water tank). Shaking the tank can tell you that the water tank is empty but not why the water tank is empty.

Why is there no water in the tank?: The water tank could be empty simply because you ran all of its water out into the home and the water pump never came on to replenish the water supply. The possible causes of an empty water tank and no water in the home include causes we list in detail just below:

What are the Causes of Low or Poor Water Pressure or Loss of Water Pressure in a Building?

• Loss of electrical power (pump does not run) to the pump or pump control - nothing is running the water pump. Is power turned on? Is there power at the pump control and is there power to the pump?

• Clogged water filter (pump cycles on and off very rapidly, reduced water pressure in the building) a clogged water filter can cause rapid pump cycling on and off - discussed further at CAUSES OF SHORT CYCLING
• Clogged water supply piping (reduced water flow) can cause poor water flow in a building. This can occur suddenly from debris clogging a delivery pipe, often at a turn or "elbow" in the piping, but that's not common. If the building water supply piping is blocked usually this is a long-standing problem. We discuss how to diagnose clogged water supply piping or blocked pipes as a cause of reduced or poor water pressure in our article at Water pipe clog diagnosis.

• Well water supply pipe failure (pump runs, reduced or no water flow into the building) A well water supply pipe failure in the well or between the well and the building, so water is not being delivered to the home. (Or in cold climates, the line may have frozen)
  
  Examples of this problem include frozen pipes, pipe leaks causing loss of water (inside the well or underground between well and building), or air leaks into the well piping, causing loss of prime (with jet pump systems). Even when a submersible pump is located in the well (and there is no loss of prime problem), if the water piping is leaking between the pump and the building water pressure may be reduced or lost.

• Water Pump Internal Parts Failure: (pump runs but no water is delivered) a pump failure such as broken vanes in the pump assembly, worn out and leaky internal pump bearings or parts, or clogging with sediment or minerals can result in a pump whose motor runs but whose water output is reduced.
• Water Pump Motor Failure: (pump motor stops or does not start at all): A failed or failing in-well submersible water pump stops delivering water at all, or periodically overheats and temporarily stops working. Such a pump is probably at end of life, unless the problem is traced to a voltage, switch, or wiring problem.
• Water Table Level Fluctuations: (seasonal reduction in water flow or water quantity): in some areas, fluctuations in the level of ground water such as a drop in the level of groundwater during the dry season or during droughts, can result in a reduced well recovery rate or complete loss of well water.
• Water Pressure Intermittent Bad or Lost: When you lose water pressure or lose all water supply for some time period but later it returns, check the possible explanations outlined at How to Diagnose Loss of Water Pressure which later Returns or Recovers "on its own".
• Water Pressure Totally Lost: If you lose and do not recover water pressure in the building see Diagnosis of Loss of Water Pressure which Does Not Recover on its Own.
• Well is Failing: (reduced or no water flow, increasingly slow well recovery rate) the well itself may be deteriorating, with less water flowing into the well or water flowing into the more slowly than in the past. Reductions in well flow rate occur over time when minerals clog the rock fissures that lead water into the well, or sudden reductions in well flow rate (and total water quantity) can occur if the well casing is cracked (perhaps by nearby blasting or equipment movement) or if someone drills another well nearby and happens to tap into the same water aquifer. See WELL LIFE EXPECTANCY

If you have no water pressure at all, see No Water Pressure

If your water pressure is intermittent, starts and stops, or varies in pressure, see Water Pressure Intermittent

Is there some water pressure but the pressure and/or flow are poor?

1. Water supply piping problem? See Bad water pressure Clogged Pipes & Water pipe clog repair guide
   
   The following articles pertain if you have a private well, pump, and tank system for your building
   
   
2. Water Tank Problems? See Water Pressure Tank Problems
3. Water pump problems? See
   1. WATER PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL ADJUSTMENT
   2. WATER PUMPS & TANKS & WELLS
   3. WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
      
4. Bad water pressure regulator? See WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST (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)

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Use links just below or at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website.

PLUMBING TOPICS
OIL TANKS
SEPTIC SYSTEMS
WATER PRESSURE REGULATOR ADJUST
WATER PRESSURE REPAIR GUIDE & COSTS
WATER PRESSURE LOSS DIAGNOSIS
  Water Pressure Intermittent
  No Water Pressure
  Well Tank relation to Water Pressure
  Shaking the Water Tank?
  Water Pressure Tank Problems
  Water Pressure Tank Diagnosis
  Water pressure Later Returns "on its own"
  Water pipe clog diagnosis
  Water pipe clog repair guide
  Making the "right" repair
WATER PUMPS & WELL TANKS
WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
PUMP TYPES & LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER PUMP & TANK SAFETY
WATER SUPPLY & DRAIN PIPING
WATER TANK TYPES: WATER, OIL, EXPANSION, ALL
WATER TANK LIFE EXPECTANCY
WATER TANK REPAIRS
WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD
WATER TANK REPLACEMENT
WATER TANK BLADDER PRESSURE ADJUSTMENT
WATER TANK PRESSURE CALCULATIONS
WATER TANK SIZE & VOLUME
WATER TANKS HOW THEY WORK
WATER TESTING
WELLS CISTERNS & SPRINGS

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