Recent water pressure tank or water storage tank diagnosis & repair FAQs.

This article series 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.

FAQs on How to Diagnose & Fix Water Pressure Tank Problems

The questions & answers about water tank diagnosis & repair were posted originally at WATER TANK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR - topic home. Please be sure to see the diganosis and repair advice given there.

On 2018-11-04 by (mod) - letting AIR out of the water pressure tank does not fix excessive water pressure

Regrets, James but letting AIR out of the water pressure tank does not fix anything to do with excessive water pressure in a building.

Abnormally high water pressure on a pump and tank system is more likely due to a pressure control switch that is not turning the pump off at the proper CUT OUT pressure setting.

That could be due to a debris-clogged control switch.

Watch out: if water pressure exceeds the tank rated pressure the tank could burst, injuring anyone nearby.

Fix or replace the pressure control.

On 2018-11-04 by James Harmon

the water pressure to my house got real high the pressure tank had to much pressure I let some air out and it work fine for a few weeks and then got very high again high enough it was causing the pressure value on the hot water tank to kick off. would this be a bad pressure tank?

On 2018-09-08 by (mod) -

Proceso

If I understand correctly you are using a single line jet pump above ground to try to pull water from your will. Such pumps can only lift about 25 feet.

On 2018-09-07 by Proceso D. Du, Jr.

We dug a 40-ft. deep well and installed a 1" pipe inside a 3-inch pipe casing. At the bottom of the 1-in. pipe is a foot valve. I then connected a 0.5-hp pump to a 21-gal. pressure tank. When the pressure inside the tank reaches 10-psi, the foot valve at the end of the well shuts off. Was it because the pump capacity of 0.5-hp is not sufficient to bring up the water from the well?

On 2018-08-14 by (mod) -

Zach

It's your water pump, not the pressure tank, that delivers water pressure to the building.

Set the pressure tank air pre-charge to 2 psi below the pressure control switch cut-[in pressure. Typically that'd be 18 psi for a 20 psi cut-in etc.

On 2018-08-12 by Zach

Whenever we use a facet, shower, sink etc.. the water pressure is really low and we have to use them one at a time and still the pressure is low. We tried to looked up some things to help this problem, so we unscrewed the cap on the air valve and pushed down a little to check if air came out, non came out. We pumped it to the correct psi (38 I think). Now we tryed the water thinking it was fixed and now no water comes out anywhere.
Anyone know what to do?

On 2018-07-23 by (mod) -

Thomas

If one water source will enter your pressure tank but water from another source won't I suspect there is a bad control or valve, OR the spring water source is simply not there.

On 2018-07-22 by thomas jackson

i have a deepwell and a spring feed well the pressure tanks works great with deepwell but the tank willnot fill with the spring

On 2018-07-14 by Charles

I have a dug well and having problems with my expansion tank when I run water for any period of time the tank empty is and does a refill I have to go down shut the valve off and in a little while the pressure goes back up and then I have water again can anyone tell me what the problem is

On 2018-07-08 by (mod) -

Edward

Perhaps it's not a leak but condensate dripping off of a cold water pipe or off of a water pressure tank that's collecting moisture from the air?

On 2018-07-08 by Edward McKeown

I can not fine where it I have a water leak, every time we run water up stairs we have a little puddle of water near our water storage tank. If we do not run water there is no puddle.

but I do not see the leak. Could I have a leak in the bladder that goes into the tank and when the bladder is filling it pushes out a small amount of water?. If we run a lot of water we get more water near tank. Advice please

On 2018-02-09 by (mod) -

Jim

Is this an old well with a submersible pump? If so search InspectApedia.com for SNIFTER VALVE - if someone changes out a bladderless pressure tank for a pressure tank that uses an internal bladder they need to remove the snifter valve that's in the well - othewise it will keep sending excess air into the water system.

If it's not that there's probably a leak in your well piping.

Start by tightening all accessible, above-ground pipe connections. If you're using ABS with plastic fittings and hose clamps, double up the hose clamps at each fitting. Snug-em.

See PIPE / HOSE CLAMP LEAK REPAIR

On 2018-02-07 by Jim Domire

I have a lot of air in my water line, my tank pressure is right, I replaced my pressure switch what should I try next?

On 2018-01-10 by (mod) - fixing leaks at a water pressure tank

That's a brass bodied ball valve shutoff - nice going. A pinhole leak can be caused by

- freezing and cracking of the valve body

- corrosive water (that also will threaten copper pipes and lead to more pinhole leaks)

- mechanical damage

- or a leak at the valve connections mistaken for a leak in the valve bodyt

On 2018-01-10 by Anonymous

@Anonymous,
Picture of part ! The people have a pipe wrench so I better wait for them to do it ! Tnx again!

On 2018-01-10 by Becca

Yep I returned the flex seal you can’t use for that ! Got the part to replace it! Waiting on someone that can do it ! Tnx all! 👍🏼🙄

On 2018-01-10 by (mod) - replace water shutoff leaking through brass body

I would replace the part, thus making a more reliable repair than a coating could provide.

On 2018-01-10 by Becca

It on that t joint , it’s a pin hole leak ! I can either spray flex seal on it or replace the t joint with a handle turn on it! Thanks for helping me picture attached

It’s leaking a pin hole of water on the t joint in the picture attached!

I figure I can spray it with flex seal or get the piece replaced with a different type of t joint with a handle to turn water on & off! It on the side faceing me!

On 2018-01-09 by (mod) - find the actual leak point

Becca

With the pump OFF, if there is a leak anywhere in the system water will continue to leak until the system pressure is down to about zero.

I see water on the ground but not where the leak is occurring.

I see at the left side of the tank water piping what looks like a foam insulated water line connected using a stainless steel hose clamp that can be tightened using a screwdriver. If you have a leak there, try tightening that claomp.

Tell me where you see water leaking.

See PIPE / HOSE CLAMP LEAK REPAIR

On 2018-01-09 by Becca - leaks after frozen water pipes, at the pump

I have a well the water is back on after the frozen lines defrosted but water is coming out of the pipe ! By the pump ! Looks like a leak ! No pressure on gauge! Should I turn off the pump?

On 2018-01-09 by Becca

@becca,sos my wayer froze and now is working but water is coming out of pipe by the big blue water tank the gauge says I have zero pressure should I turn off the power to the pump !

The pipe froze now water is running and leaking out of pipe by the water pump and no pressure on gauge should I turn pump off!

On 2017-11-27 by (mod) - rainwater not being pumped through water system

April,

I want to help but haven't a shred of information about your water system, what tanks, pumps, supplies, equipment are installed, nor to what they are connected.

Normally municipal codes do not permit mixing of locally-collected rainwater piping with piping carrying municipal water.

The concern is for possible back-contamination of them municipal supply piping (and thus of water delivered to others) by un-sanitary water that might come out of an individual building (such as during a time of lost municipal pressure).

Usually those piping systems are kept separate.

I certainly could image and would applaud the provision of separate water supply piping to permit flushing of toilets with rainwater in order to save municipal water handled through a separate system.

On 2017-11-27 by April

Our water tank is under the ground, when we flush toilets the pump is working with noise, but rain water is not pumped through, only municipal water(council water) is used. Anyone knows why?

On 2017-11-16 by (mod) - pump comes on for no reason

Anon

We discuss the diagnosis and repair of a pump that runs for no reason

at WATER PUMP INTERMITTENT CYCLING

please take a look at that article and don't hesitate to post any follow-up questions or critique.

On 2017-11-15 by Anonymous

Water pump is truning on with no water being used and no water leaks

On 2017-10-18 by (mod) - Found some sand in my filter , hardly any pressure

Yes probably, Fred, assuming the filter is downstream from the pressure tank. If the tank continues to function normally I'd worry more about why the well is sending up sand - possibly low water in the well, a damaged casing, or pump / foot valve set too low.

On 2017-10-18 by Fred

Found some sand in my filter , hardly any pressure , cleaned it out , back to normal , is there sand inside the bladder of tank ??

On 2017-07-13 by (mod) - how to fix drop in hot water temperature when another hot water faucet is turned on

Mark

What you describe is common in residential properties: as we open a second faucet we change the flow rate at the faucet that was already open, since the system has but one water or hot water source and but one pressure source.

However you can install a point-of-use water temperature regulator that will eliminate the temperature change problem. See

POINT of USE BUILT-IN FIXTURE ANTI-SCALD VALVES https://inspectapedia.com/plumbing/Anti_Scald_Mixing_Valve_POU.php

as an example of a solution.

On 2017-07-13 by Mark Bingham

When showering, if someone runs water elsewhere in the house, the water temperature varies depending on which faucet has been turned on. If hot is turned, you get all cold in the shower. If cold is turned on, you get all hot in the shower. What would cause this?

On 2017-07-13 by (mod) - cures for surging water pressure

Herb, a search in the InspectApedia search box above finds this help for us

WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING CAUSES because usually surging water pressure means that the water pump is cycling on and off very rapidly.

On 2017-07-13 by Herb

Water is surging

On 2017-06-29 by (mod)

Zoe,

If the noise is occurring in the water cistern or tank overhead and you are not actually causing the toilet tank to move - at least not in any obvious amount - I suspect that the mere vibration of sitting down onto the toilet may be triggering a cistern fill valve that was just about at the point of dropping enough to cause the tank to re-fill.

Often when there is a slow leak in a toilet tank or cistern (search InspectApedia for RUNNING TOILET REPAIR) the tank empties very slowly and no one notices. Left alone the fill valve will usually drop and re-fill the toilet tank before the next attempt to flush the loo.

When the toilet has been just recently-flushed and you do not observe the noise, I speculate that the cistern so recently-re-filled that it has not had enough time to leak out enough water, so in that case what I described above will not occur.

On 2017-06-29 by zoe beavis

In the last week or so.. this is going to sound strange, when I sit on the toilet, it sounds as if it moves the water tank above my head, it sounds as though it is swaying or rocking, this noise only happens when the water from the tank hasn't been used for awhile, so if I sit on it in the morning, it sounds as if the water tank is moving, but if the toilet has already recently been flushed, the noise dosent happen.. what could it be?

On 2017-06-24 by woodcutter

my shallow well pressure tank[bladder] will only take water if the air is drainded first then with no air no pressure I don't no what to do?

On 2017-06-23 by Jay

We get our water from a well. Our water filter is clean, and there is no running water in or outside the house, but we're getting a low flow from our kitchen faucet. The pressure gauge near our water tank is at 30 psi. What might the problem be?

On 2017-05-27 by (mod) how to tell if there is air in the water pressure tank,

If you are asking how to tell if there is air in the water pressure tank,

the two most basic checks are

to see that the pump is not short cycling, and

to carefully gently see if you can rock the water tank of course without breaking any Plumbing connections, just about the time that the pump is turning on.

That's the point when they would be least water in the tank. If the tank is still quite heavy then it may be water logged.

Another test you can make that just observational is to see where the condensation line is on the side of the tank.

If a tank is waterlogged than the condensation line will be near the top of the tank where is if it has a good air charge the condensation line is probably in the middle of the tank or a bit lower.

If you are asking how to tell if there is an appropriate air in the water piping system, then you will see air discharge at faucets or fixtures.

Search InspectApedia for AIR DISCHARGE AT FAUCETS for details.

On 2017-05-27 by Todd

How to tell if there is air in th system

On 2017-04-28 by (mod) re: signs of a waterlogged pressure tank

Lance

that sounds to me as if the tank is waterlogged - has lost its air charge. Search InspectApedia (use the box just above) to find our article on WATER TANK AIR, HOW TO ADD

On 2017-04-28 12:13:45.864201 by Lance

My pressure tank is very noisy and it always pumps even if you only used a glass of water

On 2017-04-21 by (mod) re: signs of a leak in the well pipe

Sounds to me as if you have a burst or leaky well pipe between house and well

On 2017-04-21 by Anonymous

Water pump is going off and on yard is filled with water but no water in holding tank but have running water in house

On 2017-04-19 by (mod) possible water tank bladder stuck to itself - irrigation system problems

Typically in this case the tank bladder has become stuck on itself, or are they in the next to the tank has otherwise become blocked. Search inspect a pedia.com for

WATER TANK BLADDER REPLACEMENT

for details

On 2017-04-18 by Eddie Davis

Irrigation had no pressure so I replace the pressure switch. Now the pressure switch kicks in and out continuously. Irrigation works but constantly surges. It appears the tank is not taking on any water. Any ideas on the problem

Key Water Tank Diagnostic Articles

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 LOSS

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

1. Water supply piping problem? 
   
   See CLOGGED SUPPLY PIPES, DIAGNOSIS
   
   and
   
   WATER PIPE CLOG REPAIR
   
   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 REPAIRS
3. Water pump problems? 
   See
   1. WATER PRESSURE CONTROL SWITCH ADJUSTMENTS
   2. WATER PUMPS & TANKS & WELLS
   3. WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES
4. Bad water pressure regulator? 
   
   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)

...

Continue reading  at WATER TANK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR - topic home, or select a topic from the closely-related articles below, or see the complete ARTICLE INDEX.

WATER TANK REPAIR PROCEDURES - how to fix problems with the water pressure tank

WATER PRESSURE PROBLEM DIAGNOSIS TABLE

WATER PUMP SHORT CYCLING

WATER PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES - home

WATER TANK AIR VOLUME CONTROLS - home

WATER TANK vs WATER PRESSURE

Suggested citation for this web page

WATER TANK DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR FAQs-2 at InspectApedia.com - online encyclopedia of building & environmental inspection, testing, diagnosis, repair, & problem prevention advice.

Or see this

INDEX to RELATED ARTICLES: ARTICLE INDEX to WATER SUPPLY, PUMPS TANKS WELLS & SPRINGS

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