Check out some similar questions!

dolphin122 · Nov 4, 2009, 08:57 AM

I have a deep well that has a tank with a bladder and also a pressure switch which is set for 40 low turn on / 60 high turn off. The system seems to work fine . Ive cycled it a few times. Turns on at 40 shuts off 60. The bladder tank seems to be OK . Ive checked it when empty and its set for 38 psi. Now the problem is in the house. The pressure in the house is 50 psi when pump turns off. Stays there till I turn on the hose then it starts dropping even below the 40 turn on point. When I turn off the hose the pressure will go back up. Could there be a volume problem?
The pipe from pump is 1" then it reduces in the house to 1/2.The pump is in the well and the tank pressure swith and well head are in a vault in the back yard.
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Milo Dolezal · Nov 4, 2009, 09:23 AM

Your hose outlet is connected to the house plumbing system. Naturally, when you turn hose ON your house pressure will drop. Hose outlet is not water saving device and has unrestricted flow through the valve. It has the largest volume need in your house.

Also, you have 1/2" pipes which means they are most likely undersized for your house. Open hose will not only lower house pressure, it will also have great effect on reducing your water volume throughout your house.

dolphin122 · Nov 4, 2009, 01:21 PM

Yes it did help but what can be done to increase the volume (pressure)? Does the house need to be repiped? Or maybe a larger tank. The one in there now is Wel Trol wx255 I believe its 88 gallons.
The tank is also in the ground with the pressure switch and the well head.

Thanks for your help hope you can maybe give me so more answers

Milo Dolezal · Nov 4, 2009, 04:13 PM

If your house is plumbed with 1/2" pipe than your plumbing is undersized. Yes, the solution would be to repipe the house. You do not state how big your house is - but with the pressure stated, I would suggest to run at least 3/4" cold (if not 1") through out the house and distribute off of that. Than 3/4" for hot water. All hot and cold with 1/2" risers to the fixtures. If possible, run irrigation lines and hose bibs on separate run distributed from before the pipe enters your house.

You could also increase pressure but plumbing and plumbing fixtures deteriorate fast with high pressure not to mention friction noise it will generate. I would not recommended it as a long term solution to your problem.

dolphin122 · Nov 4, 2009, 05:46 PM

The house is 2 floors 2 baths ,one kitchen ,one laundry and two hoses that we use a lot to wash and water plants. I think that your advice is right and ill have to do some repiping.

Thank you

speedball1 · Nov 4, 2009, 06:07 PM

Dolphin,
How old is your house and what material are your pipes? Plastic or galvanized? I agree with Milo, It sounds like a volume problem. Your house should be piped with a 3/4 or 1" main with 1/2" branches feeding no more then three fixtures. And if you have older galvanized pipes they can build up iron 0oxide,(rust),(see images) over the years and choke the volume down still more. Regards, Tom

dolphin122 · Nov 5, 2009, 07:06 AM

The house has copper pipes inside the house it self and there is plastic coming from the well to just inside the foundation. I also was interested in finding out why there is such a pressure drop from the well to the house. At the well there is 65 psi and in the house there is 50 psi. Could you lose that much pressure between the well and the house?

speedball1 · Nov 5, 2009, 08:27 AM

What's the distance between the house and the well? With the pump off and a faucet opened up to relieve the pressure what's the pressure in your bladder tank?
Where are you checking the pressure from inside the house? Any house filters or water softeners involved? Let me know, Tom

jlisenbe · Nov 5, 2009, 09:13 AM

Are your house and the pressure tank on about the same level?

It is, of course, possible that the gauge on your tank is off some. The pressure at the top of the tank, taken with a tire gauge, should be the same as the gauge so long as the system is up and operating.

dolphin122 · Nov 5, 2009, 03:10 PM

The distance is about 40-50 feet away. The vault where the pressure switch tank and well head is under ground about 8 feet deep. The pressure in the tank when running is the same as the pressure in the system when running. When the system is off the pressure is about 35 psi in the tank. The pressure switch is set at about 40psi turn on 65 shut off.

dolphin122 · Nov 5, 2009, 03:14 PM

I was checking the pressure in the house through one of the hose connections. Which is on the first floor level. It reads about 50 psi when the pump shuts off then drops down slowly until it finally drops completely to zero. Then when I shut of hose the pressure will climb back to 50 psi.

Thanks

Also there is No filters involved in the system.

jlisenbe · Nov 5, 2009, 05:13 PM

Dolphin, I would think you are seeing two things:

1. When no water is being used, the pressure in the house should be about the same as at the tank. There might be a difference of a few pounds due to differences in elevation. The size of your pipes makes absolutely no difference here, so long as no water is being used.

2. When water is used, that's a different story. I think what the other guys are telling you is exactly correct. When you have a hose on outside, your 1/2" pipes in the house just can't keep up with the demand.

speedball1 · Nov 5, 2009, 05:15 PM

was checking the pressure in the house through one of the hose connections. Which is on the first floor level. It reads about 50 psi when the pump shuts off then drops down slowly til it finally drops completly to zero.

AT LAST! A CLUE! Two things can bleed off pressure like that.
1) A leak in the service line between the well and the house. **OR*
2) A faulty check/foot valve.
In addition to having your house pipes under sized I think you'll find the problem in your pump system. And your thoughts? Tom

dolphin122 · Nov 5, 2009, 09:47 PM

The pressure holds at around 50 psi when no water is being used. The pressure only drops when water is used. So as long as you don't use water the system will hold at 50psi. Im going to have the pipes changed out like you guys suggested. Ill try and see what happens then. Thanks for your addvice and if you think of anything else please let me know.

Thanks!!

jlisenbe · Nov 6, 2009, 04:57 AM

Let us know how it goes. It's amazing here how many times we never hear the resolution of a problem. Good luck. I do think you're on the right track.

Well systems are frequently a headache.

dolphin122 · Nov 21, 2009, 08:51 PM

Well I did the resizing of the pipes, increased the line to 1" from 1/2" and also separated the hoses from the house as it comes into the house. 1" to the house and 1"to the hoses. The Pressure now goes up to 65 psi and goes down to 45 psi when the hoses are used for a long period. But now it never drops below 45 psi. So thanks for the help.
The only question I do have is do you think I should recheck the pressure in the tank and readjust the pressure in the tank. The pressure was 35 psi in the tank and now the pump turns on at 45. Should the tank be increased to 43psi?
Thanks again.

jlisenbe · Nov 22, 2009, 05:23 AM

I would recheck the tank pressure, but be aware that you do this with the system off and all pressure bled off the tank by opening a low level faucet until water no longer comes out. You would then set the tank pressure to 43#. That is done, as I understand it, to preserve the life of the bladder in the tank. It really has very little impact on the operation of your well system.