Well / tank/switch again

[bqz]

Posted last month about well.
Seems I still have a problem and not 100% sure what it is.


I think it is pressure switch but not sure how to adjust it ,
thinking I should probably just buying a new one.(mine is old )

What's happening is this:
I turn the well on no problem,run water hose for a few minutes and water stops then and sputters comes back on and runs full pressure again.

So I go under the trailer and listen to the tank and switch while this happens.

I let the tank fill up and listen for switch to turn off ,(all good)
turn hose on (again!!)full blast and let water run,water stops running then I hear switch kick on ,then I hear it sputter for a few seconds (squish,squish ,squish a.k.a. sputter) then water runs great .

What's the deal??

[Kyle]

Sounds like you need to get a new one. Is it switching off and on and off and on whenever you use it? If so, sounds like you need a new one. The same thing happened to us with a 40-year old well. Hope this helped.

[steve]

You need to determine if the problem is the pump(clogged inlet), the water line (hole in line down in well), bad holding tank(bladder is waterlogged) . If the switch comes on at 40 psi and goes off at 60 psi its doing its job correctly.
Dissconnect water line from, holding tank and see if you get steady flow...if so...its you holding tank

[bqz]

Kyle,are you saying new switch?

Steve,lines and tank are new.

I'll try the switch and repost next Monday and let you all know what happens.

Also I'm putting in a filter ,should this be attached between the well and the tank?

Thanks for the insight ,it is greatly appreciated.

[oldfart]

bqz I'm gonn'a poke my ample nose in here and try and offer up some possibilities. First off..them pressure switches are reasonably inexpensive and that's where I'd start. It may/may not be the problem however. Now..do you have a pressure gauge near the pressure-switch in this system? I'm assuming this is a submerged well pump. I haven't read the past-posts so I'm a bit unsure. Most pressure switches (that little grey box that the elec. wires feed into/out of) are set to come ON at 40lbs. and shut OFF at 60lbs. Turn the water on and watch the gauge. What is it reading? Does the pressure rise slowly and then fall rapidly? If it does..you have some breech in the line that's allowing air to enter the system...or the check-valve has failed. Even if the line is new..a loose/failed clamp anywhere in the line will cause a loss of pressure. Is the line all one piece..or cobbled together and spliced? When you're not using any water does the pump kick on? (check-valve failure/leaking faucet/toilet valve) If none of the above applies..it may indeed be the pressure switch. The pressure switch is just a set of contact-points. Like in yer old Ford/Chevy...if you can remember back that far. They open and close...sometimes many times a day. Springs wear out and the rubber diaphram that tells them to open and close wears out. Don't try to file the contacts..just replace the switch. Now..on to the actual pressure tank. That big blue round thingy. Turn off all faucets and turn on the well-pump and allow the pressure to build until the pump shuts off. O.K. Now..look on top of the big blue tank and you'll see a something that looks like a tire-valve...just like you have on the tires on yer car/truck/van etc. etc. etc. Grab up a common tire-pressure gauge and check the pressure in the big blue tank. Jot it down. (mine reads 25lbs.) Now go have a beer and come back in 20 min. and check it agin'. Did it drop..or did water shoot up out of the little valve?? Arrrghhh..bladder-failure! Yes..we've all been there or will be soon. Time to replace the big blue tank. The sole purpose of the big blue tank is to store water pressure for immediate use. Like flushing a toilet. Once the pressure drops below that.. the pressure switch kicks on the pump to fill the pressure tank once again. For continuous use..like taking a shower..the well pump rapidly fills and cycles the holding-tank kicking the pressure switch off and on. The tank just keeps the pressure "relativley uniform." Well...I hope this all makes sense. Audie..the horribly longwinded-one.

[shadow745]

I'll add a few things here, after pretty much replacing everything in our well system except for the pump itself. Actually most pressure switches are 20/40 or 30/50. Do yourself a favor and get a good brand, like Square D. They use better components and allow more adjustment. You can also get a low pressure cutout on some models but these can be a pain, so I'd avoid them.

Most people think you can set the pressure as high as you'd like, but this isn't the case. It really depends on the tank size. The more water pressure you have, the more air you need in the tank and that decreases its capacity. For example, we have a 42 gallon pressure tank. It has a drawdown capacity of around 9 gallons on a 20/40 setting. That would require 18 psi air in the tank. If we went to 30/50 the air needs to be set to 28 psi, would supply 8 gallons of drawdown and so on. I have it set to 40/60 and have about 7 gallons of drawdown capacity. For each 10psi increase you lose about 1 gallon of drawdown capacity, meaning the higher pressure you have the more the pump kicks on/off.

Most people (that I know) raise the pressure switch and don't bother with the air in the tank. The air in the tank must ALWAYS stay 2 psi less than the cut-on setting. If you have the switch set at exactly 40 psi cut-on then you need exactly 38psi of air in the tank. And the air pressure much be checked with the tank empty and all lines drained. If there is more/less air in the tank it will cause all sorts of pressure fluctuations. Another thing to consider is where the tank is located. Mine is outside under a fiberglass cover and it does experience temp. fluctuations throughout the day. If the air in the tank is 38psi in the morning, it may get to 39-40 at the peak of the day. I try to set it during an average temp. throughout the year. I also check the air in the tank 3-4 times yearly. The number 1 cause of pump failure is improper amounts of air/water in the tank, causing the pump to operate too often.

A few more things to add. I installed a glycerin filled pressure gauge next to the pump switch. The standard ones will bounce around when the pump kicks on/off and will be hard to read to get an accurate number. You will also want to clean any piping (usually a 1/4" nipple) leading to the pressure switch and make sure the bottom of the switch (diaphragm) is cleaned as well. I do this yearly. Later!

[Kyle]

Kyle,are you saying new switch?

Steve,lines and tank are new.

I'll try the switch and repost next Monday and let you all know what happens.

Also I'm putting in a filter ,should this be attached between the well and the tank?

Thanks for the insight ,it is greatly appreciated.

I meant the pump