Just got a house with a well and have low water pressure. It's usable, but far from great. Pump is a new 3/4 horse shallow well jet. Don't know what kind of well I have, the pump was put in by the seller (bank) so I have little info on it. Can't find a GPM or PSI rating on it. Guage on pressure tank shows 60 at pump shut down, 25 at start up. Tank is 20 years old. Pump won't generate a much higher pressure, just runs and runs when I change the adjuster.
Have someone cut on the water at a tap while you watch the pressure on the tank. If the pump kicks on almost immediately and the pressure drops fast you probably have low volume of air in the tank. On an older bladderless tank you will need to drain it and repressureize the tank with air before refilling it. If it is a bladder style tank the bladder has failed, replace it.
Low pressure relative to what? Growing up, my Dad had his pump click on at 20 psi, and off at 40. Talk about low pressure.
As a well owner, it will seem low if you're used to city water.
How many gallons is the tank? You could just have the pump kick on at 40, and leave the upper limit where it is.
My system was installed in 2001, and the tank is small--maybe 15 gallons. I swear the pump runs every time I flush the toilet.
A good properly adjusted system will kick on at 40 and off at 60. To determine how much water it is producing, run a hose into a 5 gallon bucket. Let it run for several minutes and then measure the amount of water you are getting in one minute. There should be no bubbles coming out of the hose. If there is, then you have a suction leak in the well or in the pipe or fittings leading up to the pump. You won't find a rating on the pump. Water pressure and output is dependent on the condition of the well, and how high the pump has to lift the water. Most shallow wells will produce 8 gallons a minute or more. If you are not getting enough water, there are some things you can do, but it just may be that is all the water your well will produce. You can replace the point and screen at the bottom of the well, if it is clogged. You can rebuild the impeller on the pump, if it is worn or if it overheated. You can adjust the pressure switch, You can install a larger well tank. You can drill a new well. You can fix any suction leaks. If you work on the system and drain the water down, you will need to prime the pump to get it working again. Keep a bucket of water on hand, and refill by unscrewing the gauge and adding water there. You may need to do it several times turning the pump on and off and also burping at the gauge. Diagnosing well problems can be a bit of a black art. I have been doing it for several years now along with being a plumber, and I still see things that dumbfound me. If your bladder tank has failed, the pump will kick on every time you run water. It will run until it hits the cutoff pressure and then shut off again.
+1 with what ECM sez.....with a few adds. We have a bladderless one...
Have to know if you have a bladder tank (usually blue) or a bladderless tank (galvanized or green)....
If a bladderless tank, see how much air is in the tank. Where there is water, the outside of the tank will feel cool, and where there is air in the tank, the outside of the tank will feel warmer. If everything is properly running, about 2/3 of the tank will be filled with water, 1/3 with air. If the tank needs to be drained, almost the whole tank will be full of water......... well guy calls that being waterlogged (ha!)
And you don't have to repressurize a bladderless tank. Just turn off power to the pump, open up a faucet and let the tank drain down. You should unscrew the gauge once the water level gets below that part of the tank to help it drain down faster and to allow air to enter the tank. Once the water stops running out, put the gauge back on, close up the faucet, then turn on your pump. All should be good.
If it gets waterlogged soon after you do the recharge procedure above, there is a valve at the top of the well that needs to be replaced.....for that you might want to call your friendly neighborhood well guy.....and while he is out there, have him reset your pressure limits -- ours are set at 70/45.
Hope this helps.......
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