View Full Version : I'm on well water. I need help. No preassure
cichy1012
Jul 29, 2010, 06:40 PM
Im on well water. I noticed about 3 days ago when my dad was watering I was taking a shower and my water cut out on me. Now its happening all the time. Turn one thing on with another and you lose preassure. Sometimes if its just the faucet it will cut in and out also, not all the pressure but low enough. I have in-laws here and Im getting embarrassed.
Ive done this.
Adjusted the big spring and little spring. Ive got them so screwed up I think I don't know which way to put them back
My gauge says 25-28 psi. don't know if that's to low.
There's a tube from the a line (looks like a radiator hose) that goes right near the gauge and preassure switch. (whats that?)
Any help please...
jlisenbe
Jul 29, 2010, 07:43 PM
Let's go back to the beginning.
First, the switch is probably not your problem, though you might have it adjusted into a problem. Do this. When you have not used water for a couple of hours, open a faucet and watch your pressure gauge. Note the pressure when you hear the switch click, turning on the pump. Watch the gauge as the pressure rises, then note the point where you hear another click shutting off the pump. Hopefully, there is about a 20# difference between the two points. If it is less than 20, then turn the small nut a couple of turns clockwise and do that process again until you get to a 20# difference. If it's more than 20, turn the nut counterclockwise. Note: Not a bad idea to turn off the power while you are adjusting that nut.
Now a few questions.
1. After doing the above, what are your cutin/cutout pressure points?
2. Is your pump in the well or above ground?
3. Do you have a water filter/softener on your system?
4. Is there a chance the in-laws will leave any time soon?? (That's just a joke)
cichy1012
Jul 29, 2010, 08:28 PM
I notice as the water is running that the pressure starts to drop.. 20... 15... 10... then 0 then you wait and it starts to rise. If you flush the toilet while the faucet is running, the faucet almost runs out.
Do I need air in my air tank?
What nut do I turn the big or small spring?
I do have a hague water softner and filtration system also.
Also the blue tank is light. I can rock it back and forth like nothing. Almost like it weighs like a empty drum.
jlisenbe
Jul 30, 2010, 04:33 AM
The first thing you need to do is follow the directions I posted where I talk about turning, if needed, the small nut. Don't do it carelessly. Follow the directions as posted.
Second, your filter could very well be the problem. It probably has a bypass valve. Turn the bypass valve to take the filter/softener out of the system and see if that helps.
Don't worry, for now, about the blue tank. Don't put air in your tank.
It's important to be systematic about this. You need to stop looking all over the place for problems. Let's just take it one step at a time.
cichy1012
Jul 30, 2010, 06:15 AM
Ok did what you said. I woke up this morning and notice on the gauge the pressure was at 40. I had the wife turn on the faucet and I watched the gauge. It went from 40lbs to 5 lbs of pressure in about 25 minutes.. I never heard it click at all. So I had the wife turn it back off and now the pressure is at about 30. It will linger there all day now but never pick up and always go down. I tested the voltage and I have 220 so Im not losing power anywhere. My blue tank was heavy today for some reason and so light yesterday... Im at my wits end here.
jlisenbe
Jul 30, 2010, 08:10 AM
It is supposed to work like this. As pressure drops, the contacts in the switch, at some preset point, will close and allow current to flow to the pump, thus raising pressure back up. That is the click you should hear. When the pressure gets up to another preset point, the points separate and the pump shuts off. That is the second click.
If you are not hearing a click, then remove the grey cover off the switch and see if the contact points (two pairs of them) are closed or open. If pressure falls to five, then obviously something is not right. You want to know if the points are closed or open. If they are closed, then the switch is doing its job. If they are open, then either the switch is defective, or the little pipe leading to the switch is clogged and not allowing the switch to "sense" pressure.