I am having a problem with my well pump short cycling because the water pressure tank has some sort of blockage in it and will not allow water to enter the tank. I read Speedball's solution to a similar question which was also my problem.. I would like to get a new tank and would like to know if there is any advantage to buying a larger tank. (I currently have a Well-X-Trol WX-202 (20 gal) and would like to replace it with a Well-X-Trol WX-203 (32 gal). I don't know what size well pump I have (maybe 3/4 hp ?) but would like to know the following:

1. Would the larger size tank (32 gal) provide any benefit over the smaller one (20 gal).

2. The entire system is 5 years old (Though I have only lived here for less than a year), so would you recommend replacing all of the brass fittings, the gage, etc. and start from scratch ?

3. I have already bought a new 30/50 pressure switch... or should I have bought a 40/60 switch? Any benefit to using either one?

4. There is a lot of sediment in the water (fine, gritty, shale-like material) so I installed an inline filter system downstream from the pressure tank and it's components. Would it be wise to install another inline filtration system prior to the pressure tank and its components or would this be a mistake that could lead to problems with incoming pressure fluctuations should the filter become saturated prematurely causing havoc with the pressure switch, etc.

Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide.

Best regards,

Bassguy

I was in the same situation several years ago and did a lot of research before I installed my new tank. This info is only from my experience, and with some help from this board, but since the install everything has worked fine. Numerous faucets can be run at one time with all having adequate pressure. Hopefully, someone else will post with specifics if my info is in error.


1. Would the larger size tank (32 gal) provide any benefit over the smaller one (20 gal).

The larger tank might be an advantage in a large household with many people using water at one time. Theoretically, the larger tank should not cycle as often since in holds more water. However, there appears to be a relationship, know as the draw down, between the tank capacity, pressure switch cut in/out, and the type of tank. Most tanks today, at least the ones I’ve seen, are bladder types. That is where a bladder separates the air from the water. My tank is a 36 gal. which says it is equivalent to an 82 gal. tank.:confused: This tank with cut-in/cut-out settings of 40/ 60 PSI has a draw-down of 9.3 gallons. That means that I can draw over 9 gallons of water before the pump will kick on. I think the only way to determine this would be to have access to the tank specs.


2. The entire system is 5 years old (Though I have only lived here for less than a year), so would you recommend replacing all of the brass fittings, the gage, etc. and start from scratch ?

As long as the fittings aren’t stripped and the gage reads properly, no need to replace them. Just clean up the threads with a small wire brush, if necessary.

3. I have already bought a new 30/50 pressure switch... or should I have bought a 40/60 switch? Any benefit to using either one?

See #1 above. Also, a switch with higher cut in/out will give higher water pressure, that is, pressure will drop to 40psi before cut in, the other at 50psi cut in. Some like the higher pressure.

4. There is a lot of sediment in the water (fine, gritty, shale-like material) so I installed an inline filter system downstream from the pressure tank and its components. Would it be wise to install another inline filtration system prior to the pressure tank and its components or would this be a mistake that could lead to problems with incoming pressure fluctuations should the filter become saturated prematurely causing havoc with the pressure switch, etc.

Same question I had and currently the same setup. A clogged filter prior to the tank could cause problems. However, the more I looked things over, if the filter was installed in the line AFTER the pressure switch, it might not be a problem. That way if the filter does get clogged the switch would read the pressure increase and turn off the pump. Not sure if this is an acceptable practice-hopefully someone else can answer.