Had to turn off the power breaker to the house to change a breaker. The well pump breaker is in a separate sub panel. I was watering the flowers when my husband shut everything down. When he turned the power back on the water did not work. Thought maybe we had a breaker problem. 9:45 pm ran to Lowe's for new breaker. Did not fix the problem. Bright and early this am replaced pressure switch. Original switch was all gunked up. Replaced switch 30-50. Water holding tank has a sticker on top says 38 psi. The original switch was also a 30-50. So after 6 hours of reading and troubleshooting. I have learned the pressure has to be 2 pounds below the min. so I set it to 28 psi. You are all saying call a plumber all ready. Called a ton. No one seems to be able to get me in for service. Gee, they say all these people are hurting for work. Guess the plumbers aren't. So here I am with no freakin water for 2 days in the middle of a heat wave. When we turn on the electric the switch will kick on the pump but it will only come out of the valve at the holding tank. Not the pressure release valve but the one with a knob. The pump constantly short cycles. It is also kicking off 5 psi too soon. Wondering if someone messed with it and then returned it. We are not able to get water from the bathroom which is right next door to the room with the bladder tank let alone upstairs. It is 103 degrees and we have no water. Someone please help.

So you get water out of the boiler drain on the tank tee? Good pressure there? Do you have a house filter after the pressure tank, or a whole house water softener? If so change the filter, or put the softener on bypass, and see if you get water in the house now. Also, even though the pressure switch is preset for 30-50, I have seen them be off up to five pound either way straight from the factory. They are adjustable, but Wouldn't worry too much about that until you get flow back to the home. Short cycling makes me think your pressure tank is water logged, or you have a leaky foot valve, check valve, or leak in the pipe from the well to the house. Is this a submersible pump, or a jet pump. Im guessing submersible. When pressure builds up, does it stay up or drop right back down even when no water is running? Ill be away from the computer for the night, but there are some other folks here that know a heck of a lot about well systems. Hope one of them comes along, and please answer as many of my questions as possible to help them trouble shoot your problem.

Funny you mention the softener. I just did a backwash to see if we could get water there and we did. I told my husband as soon as the cycle was through I was going to bypass it. He has long given up on this project and I am still pluggin away. Bound and determined to be the family hero again. Lol I would say from your screen name you are a lot like me. I wondered about the valves. Hoping it is not piping, I have personally dug up the piping twice. I'll be damned if I am going to pay a plumber 60 an hour for his digging skills. I did drain the tank and release all the air. Cycle is finished. I am going to try the bypass. Also while doing the bypass it really start to short cycle on at 40 off at 45. Nope did the bypass and nothing. Not even air out of the spicket

Yes good pressure at the tee. Pressure builds up and as it is used out of the tee it steadily drops.It also dropped steadily when used to backwash the softener.Funny you mention the softener. I just did a backwash to see if we could get water there and we did. I told my husband as soon as the cycle was through I was going to bypass it. He has long given up on this project and I am still pluggin away. Bound and determined to be the family hero again. Lol I would say from your screen name you are a lot like me. I wondered about the valves. Hoping it is not piping, I have personally dug up the piping twice. I'll be damned if I am going to pay a plumber 60 an hour for his digging skills. I did drain the tank and release all the air. Cycle is finished. I am going to try the bypass. Also while doing the bypass it really start to short cycle on at 40 off at 45. Nope did the bypass and nothing. Not even air out of the spicket.

OK, so you have pressure out of the tank drain valve. Means pump is working. You said pump cuts off 5 pounds to soon. Does that mean the pump turns off at 45 lbs. If you have water in the tank (under pressure) you should get water out. You apparently have a water softener. You should have a by pass valve. Set to by pass, you can worry about that later.
If you have water in the tank under pressure, your problem is after the tank. Check any shut off valves. Did you, in your frustrations, forget to open one.

Check an outside faucet. Not all that familiar with water softeners but I don't think outside faucets are normally run through water softeners.

When you pressurized the tank was it empty?

Yes pump shuts down at 45lbs. All shut offs are open. Actually we never closed them. Checked outside faucet no water or air there either. When I pressurized the tank yes it was empty.

If water in tank under 45 lbs of pressure there has to be a reason it is not coming out. Can you follow (see) pipe from tank to bath next door?

Do you get any water out drain of water heater?

Yes. The room that the tank is in has an open ceiling I can see a lot of the pipes. It is in the basement

It does come out of the spicket off the tee at the tank (bladder)

How about water heater drain?

Suggest you turn of breaker to water heater. Don't want to burn up water heater trying to fix pump.

If there are no valves between well tank and bath then there must be blockage in pipe to bath. Can you describe piping? Like, "Well pipe comes in thru basement wall, goes to tank, there is a tee that the pump switch fits into, there is a tee that pressure gauge fits into, there is a tee off to house pipe."

Better yet, can you post a picture?

OK had to throw in the towel at 11:30 last night. A plumber I left a message with last night called me back at 7:30 am. He is heading over. If this has to do with the water heater I will not be happy. I questioned that and husband wouldn't let me touch it. Well pipe comes in, goes to tank,there is a tee that the pump switch fits into, there is a tee that pressure gauge fits into, there is a tee off to softener pipes, (softener works when placed on back wash mode), Pipes for rest of house run off softener. I am new to this sight, do not know how to post pic.

Certainly sounds like water stoppage has to be at softener or beyond.
Certainly hope you haven't some how drained all the water out of water heater. Allowing a water heater to run without water will burn up elements.
Good luck with plumber.

You said all this started when you had to turn off electricity for other reasons. Have you checked the breaker for water softener?

OK problem solved no plumbing was required. The plumber was here wanted to cut the pipes to by pass by water softener even though it has a bypass for 250 bucks. I told him I could sweat the pipes myself. Problem with that was I was already by passing my water softener by the switch so why should I have to cut the pipes plus my water needs a softener.Knowing that was not the problem we just kept searching. The plumber touched a black "thing" and asked what it was for. It was a valve for my black light, boom all the sudden we had water. The valve must have popped loose. Not sure how. Thank god I did not let him start cutting pipes. The first cut would not have solved the problem and god knows how big the bill would have gotten before he got done. I had already declined the work when the guy touched the valve so there was no bill from the big name plumbing company so I gave the guy some money for his own pocket and everyone is happy! Especially me .thanks for all your suggestions

Thanks for the update.


It was a valve for my black light, boom all the sudden we had water.

Don't understand "black light" . That must be a reset button for electronically controlled water valve.

Both my cold and hot water pipes are almost totally clogged from chemical in my water. How can I unclog these pipes without leaving something toxic in them?

Prettychamp

Start a new thread and describe your problem. Tell us what kind of pipes and how old. Pipes do not normally get clogged from chemicals. They do, especially old galvanized pipes, get clogged from mineral deposits in the water.

Start a new thread by clicking on "ASK ABOUT PLUMBING" button.