Thanks to all of you for your info about my water well woes some time ago - that saga is over and all the work was done at no cost.
I now have a new 1.5 hp/12.5 gpm pump down at 280' and the water supply has been fine, but of course it's only been a few weeks [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img]
I have noticed a new wrinkle in all this though, and wanted to ask for your input before calling them back out. I'll bet I'm on their favorites list ....
Our pump services a 110 gal pressurized tank. Pressure at the tank inlet is a steady 55 psi. When we use enough water to deplete the tank though, the water pressure in the house will virtually die to a trickle, then spring back to life as the pump kicks on. I have not yet gone out to see what the cut-in pressure is on the gauge when this happens, but I am thinking that my first check is to see if the pressure switch is adjusted correctly. It's a Square D 40/60 switch.
Of course I'm irritated that I'm still jacking around with this well - I'll be getting some other well service provider as soon as the warranty is over for sure. To me, they should have checked all this when the pump work was recently done.
Am I on the right track to first look at the pressure switch? Is the second step to check the tank pressure? Just want to know that I'm on the right track before I call them. Thanks again.
Assuming your pressure guage is set properly to cut in/an cut out (easy enough to check) I think I know what it might be. I had this problem once & if memory serves. It was because the cut in was too low, but then you say your switch is working ok.
Alternatively, if there is too much air in the tank, removal of the last bit of water occurs just when the pressure switchs cuts in, so you run out of water before the new water starts in. So you migh try removing a bit of the air in the tank and see what happens.
Nick: When you say "...the water pressure in the house will virtually die to a trickle, then spring back to life as the pump kicks on." do you mean that the water pressure in the house "instantly" jumps up when the pump kicks on or does it slowly build back up?
If your pressure "instantly" jumps up when the pump kicks on then I think you probably have a problem with the pre-charge on your pressure tank. Turn on one or more faucets in the house then look at the pressure guage on the tank and see what it reads when the pump kicks on and off. The pressure should cycle back and forth between these readings. If your SquareD 40/60 switch is working, the readings should be 40 and 60 pounds. Turn the power to the pump off and open a faucet until the tank pressure guage reads zero. Then check the tank air pre-charge pressure with a tire guage. It should be 38psi (2 psi less than the cut-in pressure).
If all that checks out then your system is working as it should and you will just have to live with the slowly cycling water pressure in the house OR, install a pressure control valve system like I did and explained in This Thread
Thanks for both of your replies. I'll first check the basic cut-on/cut-off pressures, then check the air pressure in the tank. There's a possibility that even though the pressure switch works, the cut-on pressure contact may need to be adjusted. So I will make sure that's correct before going on to the pressure tank reading, but I will still check everything.
Bill, the water kicks back up right away - there is no lag for it to build back. It's as though someone turns off the main inlet valve, then cuts it back on. As I said, I will be sure to check the tank pressure, plus I printed out the info in the thread that you linked.
Thanks very much. Regardless of any of this, a bad day in the country is still better than a good day back in the ever compressed suburbs. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]
</font><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr />
the water kicks back up right away - there is no lag for it to build back.
[/ QUOTE ]
Hmmm... That's pretty much the way the SmartTank Pressure Regulating Valve (PRV) I have works. As soon as the pump kicks on, the full (up to the 50 PSI setting of the PRV) pump pressure is directed to the house (vice filling the pressure tank back up).
You sure you don't have a PRV in the system already?
Well then I don't have one! [img]/forums/images/icons/laugh.gif[/img]
I will check the pressure switch settings and the air pressure in the tank tonight and see if anything is out of whack there. Before we replaced the original 2hp/20gpm pump with the new pump, there was only a very slight "bump" in the water when the pump came on. This almost off, then bang on with the ater pressure/volume was a very noticeable change that started when the new pump was installed. I'm thinking that after the pump was put in nobody checked the switch or air pressure - from the info that I've gotten here it appears to be more annoying than harmful and mostly a matter of calibration.
Thanks again for your help.
Reply With Quote
