Questions & answers about diagnosing problems with water pressure:

These FAQs help diagnose the reason that a water pump or well pump won't start, won't stop, or cycles on and off too often.

This article series provides a series of 3 tables giving step by step checklist for diagnosing water pressure, water pump, and water well problems. We give diagnostic and repair procedures for both municipal water supply problems and well water supply problems.

FAQs on Diagnosing Poor Water Pressure from a Pump & Well System

These questions & answers about how to figure out why a water pump won't start running, won't stop running, or runs switching on and off too often were posted originally at WATER PRESSURE TABLE 1: PUMP WON'T RUN, WON'T STOP, or CYCLES - so you will want to be sure to review that advice, or start right at the top: WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE.

Question: Can I check anything to get pressure or should I consider replacing pump?

(Jan 27, 2014) Bill Schultz said:

Have had extreme cold weather here. Last week we woke up one morning and had no water pressure.

Have submersible pump in 4" well casing. After some heat application I noted a small increase in tank pressure - approx 10 lb.

Would not increase past that. I have been using panel switch to turn pump off and on and I get a flow of close to pencil width. About 10 minutes to fill small pail.

Submersible has been in well for 30 years or so.

Can I check anything to get pressure or should I consider replacing pump?

Water line to house is close to surface and has a heat cable attached. It certainly

Sketch above courtesy of Carson Dunlop Associates, a Toronto home inspection firm.

Reply:

Bill:

Leave some faucets open in hope that you will relieve increasing water pressure in water supply piping that may be freezing. There is a chance that that will reduce the chance of burst pipes. Of course if water begins to flow at normal rate you'll shut it off.

Often if water supply piping anywhere in the system is PARTLY blocked by freezing but you can get water flowing, by leaving water running you'll thaw out the frozen line. So I'd try that too.

But I would NOT leave a well pump running if no water is being delivered as I'm worried about damaging the pump.

Check that your heating cable is live and working.

Beyond that, you can try using a normal hair dryer to blow warm air on the coldest pipe sections indoors.

Search InspectApedia for the article PIPE FREEZE-UP POINTS for a series of articles on finding where pipes are most-likely to be freezing and how to deal with the problem.

Bill

Also search InspectApedia for our article

DE-WINTERIZE a BUILDING

for more suggestions about thawing frozen pipes

Keep us posted.

Daniel

Reader follow-up

I have not traced any frozen pipes to house, so I suspect outside pipe to well, Pipe in well, or pump itself are the problem.

Still getting a pencil width stream of water when I turn pump on. Too weak to pressurize tank to cutout pressure.

Reply:

If water pressure is never improving I suspect

- a damaged pump

- a well piping leak

- low voltage to the pump

Keep us posted. What you find will doubtless help other readers.

Reader follow-up: - found the trouble: well piping leak

(Feb 24, 2014) Bill Schultz said:

Finally getting around to telling what I found with my pump/wellhead.

After digging out wellhead, I found a major leak at a nylon fitting at top of water piping.

After rigging a fix, I tightened a nipple too tight, creating an even larger leak. My son and I finally rigged a temporary fix for the wellhead that didn't leak.

I immediately got full pressure in the house and its been working well ever since. 33 year old submersible still going strong - but I have a replacement on hand to install this summer.

Reply:

Stupendous, Bill. Kudos for finding the issue.

It's surely true that a well piping leak that is occurring inside the well casing can kill water pressure as well as be hard to spot unless someone pulls the casing top and takes a look. Sometimes we can see the problem as a loss of prime (if the pup is aboveground) but with a submersible pump in the well we don't get that clue.

If you've got any details that might help another reader home in on this particular water pressure loss problem - due to a well piping leak - it'd b a boon if you posted those added comments.

Thanks again for the follow-up;

Daniel

Question: water will run fine for awhile and then all of a sudden stop

(Feb 16, 2014) Ron said:

Here's my issue and I'm new at this so please be patient, lately we have been noticing that the water will run fine for awhile and then all of a sudden stop, then after about maybe 1-3 minutes the pump will kick in and then water will flow again.

I would like to know where i should start in finding the culprit to maintain an even water flow in the house?

Reply:

Ron don't worry about not being an expert, none of us knows everything and together were smarter than any individual.
N

ow for a first guess, have someone turn on the water while you wait by the pump pressure control switch.

When water flow is very weak or stops take a look at the pressure gauge at the pump control or water tank and make note of its reading.

Then rap II tap theressure switch. Let me know if that turns it on.

If so the switch is debris-clogged or otherwise defective and should be replaced.

Question: after using some water pressure drops to zero, have to re-set the pressure switch

(Mar 16, 2014) Allen Stewart said:

Anyone have any idea on how to find an airlock in a 2000ft, 6" PVC pip, most is buried 3-4' feet under. A Ping pong ball has not come out the other end a week later, I've even drained the pipe and refilled. I wasn't there when it was laid so don't know if it rises anywhere.

(Apr 3, 2014) Alison said:

After using some water, we lose pressure (to zero). If we reset the pump switch, pressure is regained. This happened a few times over the last month. It seems to have gotten worse today and of course now it is becoming an emergency (go figure). Thoughts?

Reply:

Alison,

If you are having to re-set the switch that suggests that the well flow rate is poor and the switch is shutting down the pump to protect it. OR the switch is defective and not turning on the pump - in which case I'd try replacing it.

Alison I've published your excellent question along with a researched answer at

inspectapedia.com/water/Pressure_Control_Switch_Indicator_Light.php

take a look and let us know if that leaves you with questions.

Reader follow-up:

Thanks so much for the QUICK response! We actually just finished replacing it about 2 min ago (it seemed the only fairly simple thing to try)....will go see now what happens. The diagnostic table is great (a little horrifying but great). We did check and the switch was getting power, but had a new one so went ahead and replaced it.

This may be a really dumb question, but because our pump is far from the house (switch is in garage)

I don't hear when it is running or not. Is there a way to figure that out? It would likely help diagnose the issue if I knew when the pump was or was not running.

Did that make any sense? Thank you again. - Alison 4/3/14

Question: water pressure is surging

(May 8, 2014) Terry Roy said:

My water has started surging. Do you know what this could be from????

Reply:

Terry, if your home is served by a pump and tank system I suspect the tank is waterlogged. In the table above see the second link from bottom titled

SHORT CYCLING WATER PUMP

Question: replace a check valve on the well pump?

(May 22, 2014) Gunther said:

After installing a new pressure tank l found that the pump cycles too frequently and a thorough diagnosis suggest that the chceck valve allows water to flow back into the storage tank which is elevated relative to the pump which is a 1/2 hp Sears model Shallow Well pump.

Same is on good condition except for the check valve which l will replace if l can obtain a replacement. The new pressure tank is a Flotec, an exact replica of the original Craftsman tank.

That made the connections easy to transfer to the new tank. It is very likely that the pump cycled frequently for a considerable period unbeknownst to us since it sits in the back of our large property and we were not aware of the pump motor's noise.

It is quite obvious that as soon as we stop using water in the house, the pressure gauge shows a rapid loss of water pressure even after shutting off the valve on the pipe leading to the house.

There are no leaks on or near the pump, mounted on the tank but water can be heard splashing into the tank concurrent with the gauge showing water loss until the pump kicks in when pressure gets to 28 lbs from the 45 lbs when the motor stops.

Are the check valves replacable?

Reply:

Yes Gunther, it sounds as if you should replace the check valve. Yes they are replaceable

Question: quick loss of pressure when drawing large water volume (or rate)

(May 28, 2014) Ron said:

Hello.
I’m having some issues with my well system and was wondering if you could help.

Overall, it seems to be working OK for basic household stuff, but when I have a higher volume situation like running the sprinkler system I lose pressure very quickly. For the first 4-5 minutes of the sprinkling cycle, everything seemed to be working fine.

But then the pressure dropped way down and barely any water was coming from the heads.

This happened on any of the zones that were being run, so I don’t believe it is a sprinkler system problem.

When the pressure is low, the pressure valve reads approximately 20 psi. The on/off pressure switch for the pump is set at 45 psi and 65 psi.

It appears as though the sprinkling system is pulling too much water and the pump/pressure tank can’t keep up – even though the same exact system worked fine last year.

I initially thought it might be a pressure tank issue, because the tank seemed to be completely filled with water.

So, I turned the pump off, connected a hose and drained all the pressure/water from the system. I then checked the tank air pressure and found it to be at 12 psi. I added air to get the air pressure up to about 41-42 psi and turned the pump back on.

Now the sprinkler system will only run about 1-2 minutes before it shuts down with no pressure.

I again checked the pressure tank, and this time it seems to be empty of water and basically all air. I probably really messed something up, but I’m now looking for some help or advice on what to do next. Thanks a lot.

Reply:

Ron I am *guessing* from your note that the problem is not the tank but EITHER

- the well flow rate itself is too limited to support a higher water flow rate

OR

- the pump can't pump at the desired rate when you are running a lot of water

The pressure tank is limited in volume and flow rate - it can not give more pressure than the pump can deliver once the initial volume in the tank has been depleted.

The options are to install a higher capacity pump (which can in turn run the well dry) or to install a much larger water pressure tank that also stores a larger volume of water.

Reader follow-up:

Thanks a lot for the response. I guess my question still is, why am I having trouble this year, when the same exact system was able to run the sprinklers last year?

Could the performance of the pump deteriorated or could there be something wrong with the tank? It just seems strange that this problem cropped up this year when everything worked OK a year ago.

Reply:

Excellent point. Ask what's changed. The well could have changed in its flow rate, or a pipe leak could have developed somewhere (for example).

Has anyone drilled a new well nearby?

Is there any evidence of a leak in the system?

Is there a malfunctioning air volume control or a snifter valve in the well?

Reader follow-up:

Thanks for the ideas Dan. I did some checking this weekend with no luck. I'll keep looking and if I figure anything out, I'll give an update. Thanks again.

Reply:

Ron

It would be diagnostic to know if, when the pressure has fallen off, the pump is continuing to run or not.

Question: switch box says pump is "bound"

(June 4, 2014) Richard said:

My switch box tells me my pump is bound. What is/are my next steps?

Reply:

Pull the pump, test the motor and impeller assembly, repair or replace it. Remember to check for proper voltage and for wiring errors.

Question: can a bad pump harm the pressure tank?

(July 4, 2014) Anonymous said:

Can a faulty well pump, which still delivers some water, cause the pressure tank to not work properly?

When I open a valve before the pressure tank, water spurts out but not at very high pressure.

I have a radon bubbler installed after the pressure tank, and the pressure is now at the lower limit of allowing the bubbler to work so I have to reset the low pressure valve every few hours as the tank empties.

My plumber tells me I need a new well pump, because its pressure is too low. I think the pressure tank may not be working. We had a basement flood in the winter and the pressure switch appears corroded. The pump works continually. Any thoughts?

Reply:

Anon,

A faulty pump doesn't damage a pressure tank as long as pressures remain within safe range (say under 70 psi), though air leaks into the system via well piping or a bad air volume control could be part of the trouble.

A pump that runs constantly needs to be diagnosed and repaired.

Please see the diagnostic suggestions at

inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Pump_Runs_On.php

Watch out: a pump that pumps to excessive pressures can rupture a pressure tank and even injure someone who is nearby. Be sure that your pump and tank system includes a proper pressure relief valve.

Question: abnormally low pressure when filling clothes washer

(July 27, 2014) Anonymous said:

When I fill up the clothes washing machine, the water pressure drops quickly blow the cut-on pressure of 30 and drops down to 10 although the pump is still running.

If I close the water to the washer, it takes about 40 seconds for the pump to reach the cut on point; then the pressure goes up to 50 the cut-off point. What can I do to fix this problem

Reply:

Did you try looking through the suggestions in the table above?

We don't know If the problem is pump damage or low well flow rate but your pressure tank is probably waterlogged as well.

Question: pump runs on but only pumps to low pressure

8/15/14 Don said:

lost water pressure replaced pump tank switch and pump does same thing will run water all day just no pressure 5 to 10 lbs what could cause this

Reply:

Don

If a pump seems to run without exhausting the well and ony develops very low PSI I suspect that either the pump impeller is damaged or there is a leak in well piping between well and building. I've also on occasion had reports of this problem traced to low voltage.

On 2017-06-04 by Mod - good pressure inside the pump but the pump doesn't draw water

Yes Peter a check valve could be stuck but the problem could also be a clogged foot valve.

On 2017-06-03 by Peter

Lots of pressure in impeller/difusor compartment, but does not suck or discharge water - Do you think there could be a stuck check valve?

On 2017-05-26 by (mod) re: what to do if the pump won't stop

Annie

Use the website search box found just above to find our Diagnostic and repair particle that's best for the problem you describe: WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING

Please take a look at that article and let me know how well that works for you. If you have further questions don't hesitate to ask and will be glad to research and advise further.

On 2017-05-26 00:06:52.207795 by Annie

My pump won't stop running but pressure shows 0!?
First time dealing with a well

On 2017-05-13 23:47:08.420780 by (mod)

Linda,

Please see the diagnostic suggestions at

https://inspectapedia.com/water/Water_Pressure_Table_3.php

And let me know how that works for you, or if you have additional questions

On 2017-05-13 22:27:56.170959 by Linda

We cannot get pressure above 25 and it drops when we turn it off. Thus, the water tank will not fill up.

We have inspected the lines and there are no leaks, we have replaced the foot valve. The pump can pump water into the cottage, however the tank will never fill, so we have to keep shutting off the pump or it will continuously run.

Do you think we should go a buy a new tank, ie, the bladder is collapsed, or do you think it is the pump itself and we should call someone to take it apart

On 2017-05-06 16:52:18.845672 by (mod)

When the pump delivers water but cannot reach the cut-off pressure, I suspect a damaged pump impeller, or low flow of water into the well, or a leak in well piping, or less common - low voltage to the pump.

If you use the search box just above to search this website for the article

WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING

You will see a more detailed list of causes and cures

On 2017-05-05 by (mod) re: primed the tanks but still don't have water; water pressure doesn't build above 32 psi

Doug if the pump has been properly primed and can't deliver water one can suspect that either there's a gross well piping leak or the well is out of water - OR the foot valve is leaking back into the well and you're actullally losing pump prime.

(We don't prime water tanks we prime the pump) -

Search InspectApedia using the box just above to find our articles on HOW TO PRIME THE PUMP to see alternative ways to attack the problem

Bean: if your pump can't reach the cutoff pressure either you're out of water, have leaky pipes, or the pump or its impeller is damaged (or there's low voltage delivered to the pump) (or something else in our table above).

Also see WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING as if a pump can't reach cut-off pressure that's what's likely to happen.

On 2017-05-05 by Doug

Have primed both tanks and still no water.

On 2017-05-04 by Bean

Water pressure is suppose to build up to 50 and shut off at 30 but stays at 32 so cones on and off.

On 2017-04-21 by (mod)

I can't tell from your brief question, Amitanshu. Please try going through the steps in the diagnostic table WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE

On 2017-04-20 by amitanshu singh

Today i am instoled samersibleIn my bore start samersible after Few min. Water pressure Done please tell me what is the problem

On 2017-04-12 by (mod) re: water pump doesn't turn on the pump even though pressure is below the CUT IN setting

When a water pump control doesn't turn on the pump when pressure drops below the CUT IN I suspect a bad or debris clogged pressure control switch.

See WATER PUMP WON'T START for a table of diagnostics

On 2017-04-09 by KandeHorse

Hi,
We have a borehole pump to a 5000L tank raised about 2m off the ground, and then an on demand pump with a pressure switch; all on a level plot.

It all works fine for everything at ground level, baths, sinks, outdoor taps etc. To run water from the shower, which outlets only 1m above the sink, you have to run a tap in the bath or the sink to kick the pump into action.

We thought it was the pressure switch, so we got a new one, but the problem persists.

The pipes are fine and the pressure out of the shower head is at full power when the pump is on.

What could it be? My thoughts are that we have quite a lot of piping out to various outdoor taps in the stable yard, could the pressure drop be absorbed by the rest of the system?
Any help is appreciated as this has me and my mate scratching our heads. Thank you.

On 2017-03-26 by (mod) re: when to replace debris clogged pressure control switch and tubing or nipple

I'd replace the pressure control switch and be sure that the tube or pipe bringing water pressure to the switch is not clogged.

On 2017-03-26 by george

my shallow well pump goes to proper pressure 40 then after pump stops it goes down to under 30 it goes on when using and stops but it goes on very often unike before is the pump dying?

On 2017-03-10 by (mod) re: where to look if the pump won't turn off

Aaron

Common diagnoses and repairs for a pump that doesn't shut off are at WATER PUMP WONT STOP RUNNING https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Pump_Runs_On.php

On 2017-03-10 by Aaron

Have a well with two houses on it. Had low pressure. Pump running constantly but not pressure, no loss of well water. Disconnected pump, doesn't seem to be putting out much water (3 hp, 12 year old pump). Put in new pump. Pressure started to build at both houses to about 25 pounds then stopped. Pump keeps running. Each house has its own pressure tank.

On 2017-03-04 by (mod) re: shorted the pressure control switch contacts - now what?

I'm not sure what has happened, or what you did, Jim, but if you shorted the pump control even briefly you may have damaged the control, the pump, or the wiring.

Separately, if you changed the pressure switch adjustment nuts inside the switch, you want to search InspectApedia.com for PUMP PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH ADJUSTMENT to see how to get the switch properly-set again.

On 2017-03-04 by Jim

I was adjusting water pressure on my pressure switch when I touch a hot wire pop breaker switch. I turn switch back on and and it still run but it only goes to 20 lbs pressure . What can I do now. Thanks

On 2017-02-01 by bahbah

Water is installed with pressure booster to force the cold water to bathrooms..At the same time the solar water heater also is installed where hot water has to go to the bathrooms.

The problem is that sometime the cold water where the pressure booster is install push the cold water to the bathrooms and goes back to the solar tank and from the solar tank it goes back to the cold water tank, which is a reverse process, for that reason the water in the solar tank is not heater since water is not heated if not used also.

The reason is the water gets circulating from the cold water tank to the bathrooms and then goes to the solar tank then push to the cold tank above the solar tank and then overflow to the main water tank..Please suggest where can this be the problem.?

On 2017-01-30 by Lori

I am on well water On Friday my water would only run for 4 minutes and then start up again. It continued to do this. I noticed my toilet fill tube running so I called a plumber. He put in new toilet parts. This didn't fix the problem Water continued to start and quit. Plumber checked pressure tank and said it was full of water so the bladder was wrecked inside.

He put in a new pressure tank and water ran but the pressure was poor. So today he put in a new pressure switch and water runs and then stops.

He told me to lift lever on pressure switch and hold till it gets to 40 and it would keep pressuring up to 60. So everytime I run water the pressure goes to 0 now on pressure tank and I have to lift lever. Plumber says he doesn't know problem. What could it be.

On 2017-01-21 by (mod) re: signs that the pressure controller has failed

This sounds as if the pressure controller right on the pump has failed. I agree that the system is unsafe.

Examples of rooftop water tank type booster pumps are at https://inspectapedia.com/water/Water_Pressure_Booster_Pumps.php.

On 2017-01-21 by Guner

In my weekend house there is a water tank on the roof. below the water tank there is a pressure pump there start when we use the water (2 - 5 sec delay). when no water use... motor close down. The other day i burn my hands on the "cold" water.

the pump do not stop running and the heat from the motor make the water in circulation loop very warm. I trip to close the loop, clean the filter (take it out) there is no use anywhere in the house

(i close the outlet) but the pump continues running. I opened the pump to see if the rubber was broken... it was intact... I can find the error... any suggestions?

On 2017-01-19 mujeeb

In villa there is grand force pumps. we are suffering from low water pressure 2 months ago motor running properly but taking air so thats why motor not build the water . We replaced NrV and there is no leakage in pipe also. so please give me some suggestion . I m waiting for reply

On 2017-01-17 by Anonymous

Thank you. I'll do that with each one. This will take a little while...

On 2017-01-17 by (mod) re: bad water pressure at sinks and showers

I would start by going to sink or shower head with poor flow and there I would unscrew the shower head or the faucet strainer at the sink.

Then turn the water on. If you have good flow, then you know that the strainer or shower head was debris clogged.

If the flow is still poor, I would be looking for a partly closed valve or debris clogging at an elbow or valve in the supply piping.

On 2017-01-16 by Sandiy L Ward

I am a homeowner with a well. On Xmas eve the well motor burned up *diagnosis and repair was done by a wonderful local company who called us back immediately and came out & fixed on that same day.

I don't know much about all of that stuff but I felt they were very through *after replacing the motor they ran water from the well until no sediment was visible and then hooked the system back up to the house, they checked the bladder tank & softener that is in the basement and so on.

Christmas eve and day all was back to normal but since then my water pressure at all sinks, showers and the washing machine has been okay to fair to nothing and mostly with the hot water. We have a fairly new (I think about 7ish years old tank-less water heater). Where & how can I start troubleshooting this?

On 2017-01-15 by (mod) re: good water pressure except at one toilet

Sheree

That situation is usually easy to diagnose as we know there is a blockage at some place in piping or at a shutoff, pipe elbow, or fixture shutoff found between where pipes are successfully delivering water to other areas in the building and the one you cite.

A common toilet fill problem is a fill valve that's debris clogged. That's where I'd start looking.

It's also diagnostic to note whether the problem happened suddenly or it occurred over time with pressure fallling then stopping, and also helpful to know if anyone has been doing anything to any plumbing components (like closing a valve)

On 2017-01-15 by Sheree

I have water pressure every where but one sink and one toilet

On 2017-01-04 by (mod)

Jon, search InspectApedia for WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING CAUSES to read a probable cause and the likely cures.

On 2017-01-04 by Jon

Oops my water is surging not a lot but it is noticeable my tank is fiberglass

My way is surging my tank is fiberglass

On 2017-01-04 by (mod) re: signs of a leak in well piping: air discharge at fixtures

Vinoth

I suspect there's a leak in the well piping or a similar problem. Search InspectApedia.com for AIR DISCHARGE at FIXTURES to see some suggestions.

On 2017-01-04 by (mod) re: we added water to the well but that didn't help

Filling a well, unfortunately, does not help you much - a well that's low in water to start-with will simply send most of the water you poured into it back into the surrounding soils.

Search InspectApedia.com for INCREASE WELL YIELD for better suggestions.

On 2017-01-03 by Anonymous

thought well almost dry had well filled turn on pump runs less than a minute and kicks out why? pump, wiring, piping and pressure tank less than 2 yrs old. pressure switch is calling for water due to low pressure. any ideas?

On 2017-01-03 by vinoth

How to over come airlock in the well pump...each and every time i need to fill it with water..wats the way to fix it..?

On 2016-12-10 by (mod) re: bad water pressure at just some fixtures

Thomas

When waterpressure is particularly bad at one fixture but not other, particularly when the bad fixture is at a lower floor, I suspect it's a local problem: a clogged sink strainer for example.

"Water pressure" properly is really water flow rate in gpm. Clogging at a strainer or valve reduces the flow rate.

On 2016-12-09 by Thomas Costello

It seems I have almost the same pressure in the upstairs bathroom and my first floor toilet, but the kitchen sink is where the pressure is really bad. Could the pressure tank need air pumped in?

I moved my well pump closer to where the lines come into the house. Changed nothing, but now my pressure is very low. The pump is running good and the pressure reads correctly, but the pressure is way low compared to what it was before hand. What should I check for?

On 2016-12-09 by (mod) re: water pump causes breaker to tripo

OK so we know there's either a short or a seized motor. Pump protection devices may prevent a pump from running but not by blowing the breaker.

On 2016-12-06 by Kathy Lanning

We have replaced the pressure switch and the breaker is throwing the main when turning the power back on. We've had Level 4 drought in GA. If water level in the well fell below the pump would it cause the breaker to trip in order to save the pump?

On 2016-11-29 by Jim

I have good pressure coming out of drain for pressure tank but poor pressure in house especially hot water. ANY suggestions

On 2016-11-25 by (mod) re: water runs then shuts off, then comes back

Two diagnostic articles I recommend can be found using the search box just above.

INTERMITTENT WATER PUMP CYCLING

WELL PUMP SHORT CYCLING

On 2016-11-25 by Jack

Water runs then shut off then few it comes back on then goes off

On 2016-11-08 by (mod) re: pump for water holding cister in southern Mexico

Hi Dan, thanks for the question. We spend time in central Mexico ourselves so I'm well aware of water concerns.

I suspect that the pressure control switch is debris clogged.

The switch is operated by a rubber diaphraghm. Water pressure in the system communicates with the switch through a small hole in the switch bottom. Often that hole clogs, or the small tube or pipe conducting water pressure to the switch base can also clog. I'd check for debris or just replace the switch. There are rebuild kits but I'm not sure how easily you'll find one.

On 2016-11-08 by Dan

I have a water holding cistern, a jet pump and pressure tank set at 30 - 50 in southern Mexico where I work as a missionary.

Recently I had to change the diaphragm in the pressure tank. All worked well, but for the last few days there is a long pause of 30 seconds or so when the water quits flowing before the pump kicks in. I checked that the pressure settings on the switch are working at 30 - 50, and the air pressure in the tank is 30. Any help?

On 2016-11-01 by michael seriva

my pump is building pressure on suction side blowed pipe apart

On 2016-10-26 Nicholas B. Rowland

Switch cuts in at 10psi and when gage reach's 74psi pressure stops but pump keeps running for five or so minutes. Reading up on adjustments but can't seem to change the cut off. Thinking best to replace the whole switch out with a new one.

On 2016-10-08 by michael

lost water pressure in kitchen-- bathroom sink and shower ok??? is this most likely a clog somewhere?

On 2016-10-06 by Scott

I have noticed my T&P valve dripping periodically throughout the day, (we've been in this house for 12 years with no issues) so I measured the pressure at both an outside spigot and at the water heater. Both immediately jumped to 80PSI and then did a slow climb all the way to 120PSI.

My regulator coming in from in from the municipal supply has a max setting of 75PSI. I turned it down and measured again.

This time the gauge jumped to 60PSI but still did the slow climb to 120PSI. I'm guessing this means I need to replace the regulator, but would like a second opinion.

On 2016-10-01 by (mod) re: bubbles when the toilet flushes

There are two different situations, Janice, that can give air in water at a faucet or fixture, and perhaps others I've not thought-of.

1. very fine air bubbles in water that disappear in a glass of water in seconds to a minute or so can be due to the water treatment equipment or something as simple as an aerator.
2. well and pump equipment may be inserting excessive air into the system

Details are at https://inspectapedia.com/water/Air_Discharge_at_Faucet.php

On 2016-10-01 by janice

when toilet is flushed bubbles appear and then disapear. when drawing water from sink bubbles appear and disappear?

On 2016-09-28 by (mod) re: signs of an air bound pump impeller

Air would cause trouble IF the pump impeller were airbound;

Is the pump a submersible or above ground?

On 2016-09-28 by Brian Andersen

Dan, thanks for the encouragement. I will check the impeller and draw. The pulsing is gone now, but we can't get enough pressure. There are no filters on the line and I have checked all of the valves. I thought for awhile that I might be chasing an air bubble, but haven't had any success with all of my attempts to bleed any air out of the line.

One more item of note is that I cannot get the priming plug out of the pump housing. The water level in the break tank is higher than the pump so I didn't think I needed to prime, but I wanted to try and get some air out of that port, but sadly cannot.

On 2016-09-28 by (mod) re: at my wit's end: pressure bounces around, pump cycles 20-35 psi.

Never give up, Brian.

Besides a water-logged pressure tank, other causes of pulsing include a valve nearly shut or the pump pushing against a nearly-clogged water filter. Could either of those be the trouble?

Separately: when a pump won't reach a mere 40 psi shutoff, AND if you are sure your gauge is accurate and not debris clogged, then I suspect the pump impeller is damaged or the voltage to the pump is low.

I'd check voltage, then try another pump, or if you want to get fancy, bring in your electrician to check the pump motor's current draw to see if that looks abnormal.

On 2016-09-28 by Brian Andersen

I'm about at my wits end. I work in a hospital where the water to the morgue tables is set up with an air gap into a break tank. The piping at the bottom of the break tank runs through a volume control valve and a balancing valve (I'm not sure why and both appear to be broken and fully open).

We, the Plumbers, were called because of a pulsing effect at the tables. I shut down the pump which was bouncing between 20PSI and 40PSI, as it should be due to a waterlogged pressure vessel.

The pressure vessel is a horizontal bladderless tank with an air volume controller and a Burks jet pump sitting on it. I drained the tank and break tank, replaced the air volume control and filled it all back up. Now, the pressure is constant at the pump and fixture, but the pump will not reach the 40PSI shut off setting (max. 35 PSI) and continues to run.

No problem, we adjusted the on/off controls and the pump will cycle normally between 20PSI and 35 PSI. The problem we are having is that there is also an eyewash station on this line which requires more pressure than the 35PSI that the pump seems to be maxing out at. In summary, we had plenty of pressure out of the pump before we started working on it and now it will only reach 35 PSI. Any thoughts?

...

Continue reading  at WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

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