How do I improve my water pressure with my private well

How do I improve my water pressure with my private well

First turnoff the power at the breaker box, then pull the cover off the pressure switch and you will see two spring loaded bolts secured with nylon nuts. One tall, one short. To increase the cut in pressure, turn the nut on the tall bolt down. To increase the cut out pressure,(that's the one that will give you more pressure) turn the nut on the short bolt down. This should give you the additional pressure you desire.

By increases the cut out pressure for more water pressure am I going to do any damage to the system

Hi imtrigger

The large screw adjusts both on and off pressure at the same time.

If u have a pressure gauge, off pressure should be 50 psi and on pressure 30 psi.

To increase off pressure, turn large screw clockwise. I would do only 1/2 turn at a time.

Once u have adjusted off setting, turn on a faucet and watch pressure gauge until pump kicks on. If this pressure is 30 psi, u are set to go.

If pressure is lower, adjust small screw to raise on setting.

These are normal settings. If pressure is still low, get back to us and we will see what else we can do to help u.

Good luck

Chuck

I disagree The tall bolt increases or decreases the cut in pressure. The small bolt increases or decreases the cut out pressure. Why do you think there is a short bolt?? Simply follow my directions and you'll be just fine.
The average house pressure's 45 PSI. Top limit should be around 70 PSI/. I would sey your control box at -- 30 PSI cut in and -- 50 PSI cut o0ut. Good luck and if you have more questions click on back. regards Tom

Hi Tom

The way it was explained to me by local wellman and plumber. The short screw reduces or increases the cut in pressure as u stated.

But the large screw moves both on and off pressure in tandem. This is to say if on/off is 20/40, then adjusting large screw to 50 off, on will go up to 30.

I have not had to do any adjustments to mine, came factory set at 30/50.

Chuck

The larger of the two nuts does adjust both cut in and cut out pressures. The smaller of the two (offset from center) adjusts the cut out pressure only. Generally you will first adjust the larger nut until you get cut in pressure where you want it. Then the smaller nut can be adjusted to increase/decrease cut off pressure, thus either decreasing or increasing the interval between cut in and cut off pressures.

This site gives a very nice description of how it's done.

How to adjust water pump pressure, pump cut-on pressure and pump cut-off pressure - private pump and well system do-it-yourself repairs (http://www.inspect-ny.com/water/WaterPumpAdjust.htm)

I might add that small adjustments of either nut does not get much done. I generally turn mine four or five complete turns at a time, at least to begin with. Bear in mind that you have to turn off power, adjust switch, turn power back on, and cycle the pump to see what changes your adjusting gave you. Doing that process a few times will teach you that half-turns won't get much done.

I deleted my earlier post because you were both correct about the large spring affecting both cut in and cut out. And if you wish to maintain the same spread that's the adjustment to make.

Which nut adjusts water pump cut on or cut off?
The nut on the larger spring in the pump pressure switch: Usually the larger nut in the pump pressure control switch adjusts the pump cut-on ("cut-in") AND pump cut-off pressures simultaneously.

That means that whatever the gap is between the cut-on pressure and the cut-off pressure, that gap is maintained, but the entire operating range of the pump is raised or lowered. Turning the large nut clockwise RAISES BOTH the cut-on and cut-off pressures. So turning the large nut clockwise shifts the whole operating pressure range of the pump UP to HIGHER pressures.

Conversely, turning the large nut counter-clockwise will lower the whole pump operating range. This is the simplest adjustment to make.



The nut atop the smaller spring in the pump pressure switch: this nut is used to narrow or widen the gap between the pump cut-on and pump cut-off pressures.

Turning the small nut clockwise (tighter) will RAISE the CUT-OFF pressure, and vice versa, loosening or turning the nut counter-clockwise will lower the cut-off pressure. Watch out! If you loosen this nut too much you can set the cut-off pressure below the cut-on pressure and the pump will turn on and run forever (or until it burns up.)

Which nut to turn in the pump pressure switch control, and which direction to turn it, are usually visible on a label inside the pressure switch cover.

Here are Example Pump Pressure Switch Adjustment Instructions from Square -D
Understanding how pump pressure control switches work and which way to turn which of the two nuts in the control can be confusing.

On a Square-D Pumptrol® 9013FSF-2 pump pressure switch, for example, Square D tells us that we

Turn nut #1 (the larger spring) clockwise (to the left) to raise cut-on and cut-off pressures.

In other words, adjusting the pressure on this spring shifts the whole operating range of the switch up or down, but keeps the difference between cut-in and cut-out the same, whatever it happens to be (typically it's about 20 psi from the factory.)
[B]Turn nut #2 (the smaller spring) clockwise to raise the cut-out pressure only.

In other words, adjusting the pressure on this spring shifts just the pump cut-out pressure up (clockwise) or down (counter-clockwise).


You are correct that the large spring ups the cut pressure at the same time that it ups the cut out pressure. But if you wish to retain your cut in pressure while increasing the cut out pressure you'll do it my way. Most askers are interested in increasing the cut out pressure so the house gets more pressure and keep the cut in point the same. This will give the pump less cycle time while maintaining volume. But I got to agree, increasing both is a simpler task. Regards, Tom

"Well" stated!