Adjusting well pump pressure switches

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
Pressure at my house overall sucks. Came to a head when I started watering the yard for new seed to grow.
Some digging around revealed the pressure after the well filter was only ~25psi when the pump kicked on and ~42 at shutoff.
I put a 30-50 switch on it 3-4 years ago and I'm sure I would have adjusted it to at least 30-50 and probably higher.
After about 5-6 turns it's now around 35:52.
But.... Why would this happen? Is it normal to need some tightening occasionally? Or maybe something else going on?

A little later I'll drain the pressure tank and see what the resting air pressure on it is.
 
CasterTroy said:
What GPM is your well/pump capable of producing?
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No clue. It's an old Red Jacket 1/2 hp jet pump inside the house. Serial number is worn off the pump side, only have info on the motor.
 
I'd assume the spring has gotten weak. Do you have a submersible or above ground pump?

Edit. Just saw you replied before I hit send. 50 is about all an above ground pump is good for
 
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Interesting development. Drained the pressure tank. Before doing so, the air Schrader valve read about 50psi. presuablyconbo of air and water pressure.
Afterwards.... It's would "pffft" putting the gauge on but not read anything.
Hauled my compressor down and ran it up to ~30 psi. Refilled tank, re pressurized. Opened a sink valve in basement wide open, noticed it took a lot longer for pressure to drop and pump to kick on.
Daughter took a shower, it dropped from 55 to 45 at what seemed the typical rate, then the rate of drop slowed way down.... She almost got all the way through the shower before it turned on.

So it seems that my pressure tank had almost no pressure. The pump runs a lot but I never really thought about it. It's not like it immediately loses pressure as soon as any service is turned on, it always takes at least a couple of minutes.

Of course it makes me wonder where the pressure has gone but for all I know it could have been like this for the last several years. I guess I'll wait about a week and then drain and remeasure the tank air pressure again and see if I'm losing any.
 
Pressure tank replacement and the biggest you can fit the better. The more pressure tank capacity you have means more consistent pressure and the less that your pump runs, the less your pump runs through the cycles the longer it will last. I ran into that here at the house, and when I stepped up to the 52 gallon everything worked itself out and my pressures and my electric bill worked themselves out in the long run.
 
skyhighZJ said:
Pressure tank replacement and the biggest you can fit the better. The more pressure tank capacity you have means more consistent pressure and the less that your pump runs, the less your pump runs through the cycles the longer it will last. I ran into that here at the house, and when I stepped up to the 52 gallon everything worked itself out and my pressures and my electric bill worked themselves out in the long run.
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Yeah I'm suspicious I'm headed in that direction. I assume the size needs to be paired with the pump though bc it will have a run length limit before potentially overheating. I know lifetimes are more about cycles than run length but there's a balance.
 
RatLabGuy said:
Yeah I'm suspicious I'm headed in that direction. I assume the size needs to be paired with the pump though bc it will have a run length limit before potentially overheating. I know lifetimes are more about cycles than run length but there's a balance.
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Not really. It's a fan cooled motor. It will be fine running way longer than it takes to fill whatever size pressure tank you get, no matter how big.
 
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