I just install a new CWS100: CWS100 - 1 HP CAST IRON CONVERTIBLE WELL JET PUMPS and Flotec 35 Gallon Capacity Pre-Charged Pressure Tank, Vertical, With 82 Gallon Equivalent . I have install both of them and some how the pump will not stop running even the water is not in use. The gauge will show 29 psi and I have check the pressure in the tank to be at 28 psi. I could not figure out why the pump will not stop. I have try getting draing all the water out of the pressure tank and the pressure will show 0 psi and then turn the power back on. But the gauge will get back to 29psi and it will not go up or down. I can use the water in the house but I don't want to burn down the new pump we just bought.

Before I replace this new tank and pump, the old pump was making really loud noise and the pump will not stop running so, I though that the pressure tank has die down. So that is why we decide to change both of them.

Is there anyway to fix my problem without spending more money? =(

The fact that the old pump was doing the same thing (constantly running), and the fact that the pump will pump up to a certain level but no farther, leads me to think that you have a leak in the suction line of the well pipe.

How deep is this well? Do you have two pipes going down or just one?

At the same time that you replaced the pump and tan k did you also check and replace the control box? Check to be sure the small tube from the pump to the box is clear. Do you see air or bubbles in the water? If the pump pumped up to pressure , quit and began again, I would think a faulty check/foot valve but this doesn't seem to be the case. Check the pumps controls and if they check out give a hard look at the line,(or lines) coming from the well. Good luck, Tom

I don't know how deep our well is but there is 2 pipe that is going into the well. And we have the well right in front of our house.

Also when I flush out the tank to reset the water , I only get about 1 and 1/2 gallon of water came out. Shouldn't the tank store more water than that? Cause we bought that 35gallon pre charge tank that is equvilant to 82 gallon.

Also one thing I forgot to mention is when we turn off the power, the gauge still read 29 psi. It did not go down at all.

Control box, you mean the one from the pump? If it is we replace the pump control box, it comes with the pump itself. If u talking about the power box for the whole house then I didn't not replace that.

We also put new piping that connect to the old one to make extension. But there is no leak on the pipe that is coming from the concrete wall to the pump.

With all the information, do you for sure think it is the pipe that goes from the well to my house that has a leak? Even if there is a leak outside piping, shouldn't the tank still be storing water? Cause right now the tank is hardly storing any water at all.


"I am not quite sure what this mean, there is no small tube going from the pump to the box. Air ? When the pump is running, I can feel the fan from the pump has air coming out. If u talking about water from the up stair faucet , the water run normal like before we had this problem.


The pump only pump up to 29 psi , and then the pump will keep running and never stop. Unless we turn off the power switch from our main meter box.

Speedball is referring to the little pipe running to your switch. It will be small and probably short, only a few inches long. However, it sounds like the switch is not cutting the pump off since the pump is not pumping up to cut off pressure. However, at 25 bucks, it's frequently wise to replace the switch when other work is done just as preventative "medicine". Again, since both pumps had this same problem, I am thinking a leak in a pipe. Might want to call in a pro.

This is the control box I referred to, (see image). It should have a small tube connecting the box to the pump. Do you see it there?
I wonder about that gage;. Can you check it out or replace it? If it's good that lets the check/foot valve off the hook but I would check the gage to be sure.
You oversized the bladder tank but that's OK. What's the cut in point on the control box? What's the "preset pressure " in your tank. It should be set at 2 PSI under the cut in point on the control box. This should be done with the power off and the pressure bled off. Let me show you how.
To set the air pressure in a bladder tank, look at the cut-in pressure on your pressure switch. Now drain the line down with the pump off. When there is no more water coming out of the hose bib that you drained the system down with set the pressure in t6he bladder tank at 2 lbs. below the cut-in pressure. Check it with a tire gage. If your pressure control is set to come on at 20 PSI and go off at 40 PSI then your gage should read 18 PSI. Hope this helps and thank you for rating my reply.

Before we replace the pump, the tank was looking pretty old and I had check with the plumping service that we need to change it right away, but we waited about 1 month and the pump was making really loud noise when it does pump, and suddenly the pump just keep running so we conclude that the tank has fail. So we decided to switch the whole system. Before we switch to the new one, the old gauge show 40 psi but with this new one it only has 29 psi.

But my question is... why is the tank not working? Even if there is a leak... why is the water not going to the tank?

A bladder tank does not store water like a galvanized pressure tank.
Let me explain the function of a bladder tank. Pressure and bladder tanks provide a air cushion that produces water pressure in your system so your pump doesn't kick on every time you draw a glass of water. A bladder tank has a neoprene membrane in the center. As the pump puts water into the bottom half of the bladder tank the membrane compresses the air in the top half. When the pressure reaches the cut off point in the control box the pump shuts down. However you still have between 40 to 50 pounds of pressure pushing the water out to your system. As the pressure drops in the tank when you make a draw the pump kicks on and everything starts over again.
Your air setting on the tank should be 2 pounds UNDER the cut in point in the pressure control box. If your pressure control has a 20 PSI cut in and 40 PSI cut out the tank pressure should read 18 PSI. This should be done with the pump off and no pressure in the system. Please answer my other questions.that I asked in a earlier post.

Jlisewnbe, If there were a leak in the pipes the pressure gage would show a drop in pressure. I still have concerns about that gage. Regards, Tom

The pump is 30/50 pressure switch, and the tank preset is at 40psi. But I did drain out the water and set the tank pressure to be 28psi with a tire gage.

I have two gauge (one from before and one come with the new pump ). One right on top of the pump and one right at the tank. The two gage show the same thing at 29psi.

If the gages hold steady then that eliminates a hole in the pipe and the check/foot valve. Let's look elsewhere. What type of pump is the replacement? Its horsepower? How deep is the well? How far from pump to house? Back to you. Tom

Hi Tom, The pump is 1 HP CAST IRON CONVERTIBLE WELL JET PUMPS, I am not sure about the dept of the well but it is right outside our house, from the well top to the basement is already 7 feet so. Not sure how far down it go to. The well is about 8 - 9 feet away from the house.

Your tank, I believe, is not the problem. If what you say is accurate, you do not have an 82 gallon tank, you have a tank equivalent to a conventional 82 gallon tank, which you state is a 35 gallon bladder tank. I'm not sure how that would be oversized. That's a fairly standard size of tank.

The gauge might be off, but the gauge has nothing to do with shutting off the pump. The problem is simple. Your pump is not getting to the cut off pressure for the switch. It is, of course, possible that the switch has problems, but it seems apparent that the pump is just not getting to a sufficient point to cause the switch to cut it off. For the pump to be OK, we have to believe that the gauge is not accurate AND the switch is defective. I cast my vote for the pump.

I might be wrong about this, but my understanding is that a leak in the suction line will not bleed down pressure once the pump shuts off, but it will keep the pump from working efficiently enough to pump up to cut off pressure. Again, I'm not 100% on that, but I'm looking for some reason that the pump does not get to cut off pressure. BTW, are there filters on this system?


OK... should have said this sooner. If you are comfortable with the electrical side of this thing, take the cover off the switch. Make sure the points are not stuck together. You can do this by turning off the power, then use a screwdriver to push the points down. Once separated, to they have a burned (sort of ashen gray) appearance? If so, use an emory board or a double folded piece of sandpaper to sand them until they are bright.

You can also check your gauge's accuracy by using a tire gauge at the valve on top of the tank. If the gauge is reading 29, then it should read 29, or at least pretty close to it.

Yes there is filter system install when we do the installment. I did check the electrical wiring and nothing is touching nor burned.
The gauge accuracy is right cause when I use the tire gauge it does read at 29.

If the gauge is accurate, and the pump will not pump over 29#, then the problem would have to be with the pump or problems actually in the well. At least that is how it looks to me. It still jumps out to me that this was happening with your old pump and a new pump did not fix the problem. That seems to point to the well.

Just to be accurate, I was not referring to wires, but rather to the points in the switch. You're saying you removed the grey cover, looked at the surfaces of the points, and they looked OK? They would have to be touching or the pump would not be on.

Yes the surface of the points looks OK.

We are thinking about putting the old pump back on and see if it still do the same. But we haven't get the chance to yet. Should we go through the work to do that?

It looks to me like the old pump was doing the same thing, so that would indicate the pump is not the problem, but you can give it a shot... won't hurt anything. BTW, what kind of pipe do you have in the well... galvanized, plastic?

Are there any bubbles in the water? When the pump gets up to 29PSI and you open a faucet is there a drop in pressure? Is there any difference in operation between the old pump and the new one? Back to you, Tom

The pipe that going from my basement to the well(concrete wall)... what I can see is plastic.


There is no air bubbles in the water, but there is a little drop of pressure. The old operation was at 40 psi before we switch it. I can tell when I am showering that the water is not coming as strong as before.

Try the check valve and see if it still losing pressure

Greg, you are posting on a year old thread.