Well Operability and Equipment
- Check for corrosion at the plumbing fittings and the pressure/storage tank. The galvanized steel tanks may develop rust warts or growths on the tank when they are failing. This rust is corrosion developing from inside the tank.
- Check the pressure gauge. The low limit should be 20 to 35 psi, and the high limit should be 40 to 60 psi. The delta should be about 20 psi. Turn the water on at a laundry tub or sink and note
the pressure when the pump comes on and when it goes off. These pressures will be the low and high limits, respectively. -
Measure the time it takes for the pump to go from the low limit to the high limit with no water running in the house. Depending on the size of the pressure/storage tank and the pump, it should take 1 to 2 minutes. If it less than 45 seconds, there is probably less air in the tank than there should be, however, it could also be the size of the tank and/or the pump. This is called short cycling, and the cycles may take as little as a few seconds. A well contractor with a mobile air compressor will have to figure out what is causing the short cycling, and add air or correct other problems, as may be necessary. If the cycles take too long, and there is no water running in the house, the problem may be more severe. It could be a break in the water supply line from the pump to the house, a failing pump, broken pump impellers or mud and debris clogging the pump screen. It may also mean that the well is drawing down or that there is an inadequate water supply or significantly reduced head pressure. These problems will require the services of a knowledgeable well contractor.
