Low Water Pressure

[Mark Shipman]

I have really low water pressure. I am on well water. If I flush the toilet and someone is in the shower, the shower just trickles until the toilet fills up again. Just wanted to know if there are some things I can check out. I have a gage built in the main water line and it reads anywhere between 30-60psi. I also know that my water softner is no longer working. Would the water softner have anything to do with the low water pressure? If not are there other things I can do or check out? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Indiana]

I had this problem before and it was from the bladder tank losing pressure. A sign of this was my pump turning off/on often while I was running water. It should only run when the low pressure sensor kicks in to fill the tank and shut off when it fills it. Do you notice a "pulse" in the water pressure while its running? This was happening too. I am not an expert on this, just thought I would pass along my personal experience.

[Hube]

Mark; In order to give you solid advice, we need to have a couple of questions answered first. What does the gauge read when the pump cuts in and when it cuts out? How long did it take between cycles? Also, is this a bladder type tank (valve capped at top)? Hube

[Mark Shipman]

The pump kicks in when the gauge reads 34psi and cuts out when it reads 64psi. It takes about 12 seconds to charge and it is about 2 minutes between cycles. How do I tell if it is valve capped at the top? And once again thanks to all for advice and help on this.

[Hube]

There will be a valve cap near the top of the tank which will have a pin similar to a car tire. Turn off the pump's power. Drain the tank completely and put air until it has 2 lbs below the cut-in (32).Then ,put the power back on and let the pump fill fill the tank. Depending on the tank size, it should take at least a minute for the pump to fill the tank. Normally a 20 lb difference is best; eg- 20-30, 30-50, 40-60....But for now just leave the settings (34-64) the way they are. A bike pump will be sufficient to put air in, although it'll be a lot of arm action. Post back if you have any questions,such as pressure adjusting,etc. Hube

[Mark Shipman]

Hube, thanks for the information. I did do exactly what you told me and I am still having the same problems. Is it possible that the bladder tank is bad? I'm guessing that it has been in this house since it was built in 1978. Also we have a high iron in our water. When I did drain the tank I did have ALOT of rust and sediment come out of the tank. I charged the tank, cut the power and drained it 4 times and I still get a lot of sediment coming out once the pressure drops below 35psi....Mark

[Hube]

Mark; Yes, it could be a bad bladder within the tank. One way to check it is to take note of air psi when empty and check it after a couple of hours. (just like a car tire). Also, with so much iron crud the tube or small pipe to the pressure switch can get plugged and not give a TRUE gauge reading. Take it apart at the switch and clean it. Note; some softeners will remove many parts of IRON, and Iron Filters do an even better job. Good luck, Hube

[Mark Shipman]

Hube: There is a seperate gauge near the switch that is built in. I used a tire gauge and checked the tank when it was full and it matched the reading on the other gauge near the switch. Just thought I would point this out to you as well. I will drain the tank again and let it sit for a couple of hours and recheck the bladder pressure. I will also clean out the switch.

[Hube]

Mark;Checking the pressure when the tank has water in it tells you nothing....The tank needs to be checked for 2 lbs.psi below cut-in WHEN ITS EMPTY. A tank with water in it will always have what the gauge reads. Having the proper amount of air in the tank when its EMPTY of water ,is the KEY. This "air cushion" enables the tank to hold maximum contents and deliver ALL the water under pressure. Hube

[Mark Shipman]

Hube, Thanks again for all your time and advice on this. I am not loosing any air pressure when the tank is empty. I did clean out the switch and I am still having the same problems. I think I might need to have the bladder tank replaced. What do you think??