Well Pump Pressure Tank Pressure

I am new at all of this I am having a Problem with my well pump running nonstop. I have already checked for leaks and found none, so I replaced the pressure switch. It all worked fine for about 3 or 4 weeks and now it is just running nonstop again. . . I was just woundering how mutch PSI I need in the pressure tank ? The system is set to turn on at 30 PSI and shut off at 50 PSI. I would greatly appreciate any help that you could give me. If you have any questions that I didn't explain just ask.

Jofus

 

What is the pressure on while it is running non stop.
Did you check for leaks on the suction side?

 

here are a couple of things to check, one check to see if your well is getting low so that there is too much air in the pressure tank. most likely your check valve is leaking on the pump. unfortunatly that will require pulling the pump to repair. if you have a valve between your pressure tank and the well you will need a pressure guage also inbetween. then turn the valve off and see if the guage rises. then turn the pump off and see if the pressure stays or quickly drops. if it holds the check valve is good. if it drops quickly you will need a new check valve.
one last thing how old is your pressure tank? if the diaphram is bad it could also cause a simular problem.
life begins when the kids leave home and the dog dies

 

To answer your question, there should be 28 psi of precharge in the pressure tank, with it completely drained and the pump off.
It wouild help us troubleshoot your problem if we knew a little about your system.
Do you have a submersible or above ground pump? Size and type of pressure tank?
It's doubtful that the precharge is the problem with the pump running constantly.
Please give us details.
Ron

 

here's some food for thouoght:

if speedwrench is right about his check valve theory, the pump would cycle on and off all the time. unless the check valve had a gaping hole in its shell it would allow the pump to build pressure and shut off, then the water would drain back down through the pump. as it drained back, the pump would spin backwards until the pressure reached 30 psi when the switch turned the pump on. the pump would go from spinning backwards to spinning forwards at 3450 rpm causing a masssive water hammer. this is very unlikely the cause.

if the diaphragm or bladder is bad in the tank, you would still be able to build 50 psi or greater. the tank is not a regulator in any way shape or form.

my first inclination is to think that perhaps your tank is waterlogged causing the pump to short cycle. this in turn would cause an excessive amount of carbon build up on the contacts of the switch. if there is much humidity, the switch can actually "weld" itself in the closed position. i doubt that this is the problem. if it were, you would notice a very high amount of water pressure.

if all you did was change the switch and it fixed the problem, i would try turning the switch down to see what pressure it would shut the pump off. you can always turn it back up later. if your pump is undersized for the well, it may be at the end of it's curve. if you can, find out what size pump you have and what the water level is in the well. post it and i will look up a curve for you.

 

I will check to see what size the pump is and check the size of the tank also(tomorow when I get home from work <it is late now.>) I will also check the pressure in the tank, The pump and tank is above ground in my crawl. I have a small gauge between my pump and tank, when I replaced the pressure switch Everything was working great. It kicked on and off just like it was supose to. It is actually an underground spring( not a well ) that I am on their is about 6 houses on this spring. If my well was going dry the other 5 houses would also go dry. I don't think that I have a humidity problem in my crawl I spent a long time fixing my sumppump in my crawl ( It figures I get that fixed just to spend time fixing my well pump The Pump and the tank both LOOK new, now I know that means nothing. I bought the house about 3 years ago as far as how old they are I am not shure, the house was built is 1966. The guy that I bought the house from Said that he bought it as a repo from the bank. I am very thankfull for all the help. sorry about the late responce to you all I have not been felling verry good. I hope this answers all your questions.

 

I Checked and the pump is 1/2 HP pump, the only number that I could get off the tank is that it was pressure tested to 100 psi. I did run the pump to check the pressure and it would only build to 46psi. I checked to see if it was loosing pressure and it only lost about 1/2 psi in about 10 min. time( I am not an expert but I dont think that is to bad . . .) I checked to see how fast it would build pressure. I started it at about 30 psi and it only took about 1 min. to get to 40psi. then it took about 3 min. to get to 45psi. then about another 5 min. to get to 46psi. It just stayed at 46psi. I turned the pressure down to 20/40psi and it works fine now. I am only guesing but I think that means that the pump is going out? ? ? I was woundering if I could get a rebuild kit or if I had to buy a new pump? I very much appreciate all your help. If any of you think that it might be something other than my pump Please let me know.

 

If that pump is a 1/2 hp, it's probably a jet pump.
Jet pumps have a nozzle in them that has a fairly small hole in it. If this hole becomes partially plugged up, the pump will have problems building pressure.
Some pumps are designed so that the nozzle can be cleaned without taking the pump apart. Others have to be disassembled.
If the system pressure only dropped 1/2 psi in 10 minutes, you don't have a checkvalve problem.
Ron

 

Pumps don't build pressure, the Jet does. If the jet has been in for some time the nozzle could be washed out or as Pumpman says, has something in it. I suggest you replace the nozzle or the jet assembly!

 

I will try to clean it, but even if it a jet pump dosn't it have an impeller? I understand that it might get pluged up but if it builds pressure normally up to 40psi and then starts getting slow it wouldn't make sence that the jet was clogged. If it was clogged wouldn't it build slowly all the time? ?