Help, newbie to the world of pumps/wells

[kvoller]

I'm brand new to the world of pumps/wells and just want to see if this is "normal operation".. I don't know a lot of the specifics about the well other than it's a deep well, the pipe sticking up in the front yard must be about 4" or better, then I've got a MarkV pressure tank in the basement. From line from the tank to the rest of the house is 3/4", I didn't pay close attention but think the line from the well to the pressure tank is about 1".

The deal is, when I have a spicket or spout wide open, the water pressure (or volume??) seems to fluctuate as the pressure switch cuts in & out. For everything except maybe sprinkling the yard, the pressure seems to be OK. Based on the gauge that's on the pipe coming out of the pressure tank, the switch kicks in at 30PSI and out at 60PSI... In a novice attempt to check the precharge pressure, I turned the power to the pressure switch off and opened a faucet in the basement... (was I even in the ballpark??) After all the water drained from the faucet the guage that's mounted on the pipe coming from the tank read 0PSI, I also put a tire guage on the valve stem at the top of the tank and that read 0 as well... I pumped air into the tank to 28PSI (read at both the valve stem on the top of the tank and the pressure guage on the line that comes out of the tank). Afterwards, it seems to operate exactly the same, pressure/volume fluctuates as the pressure switch kicks in & out. Is this normal/proper operation???

Thanks for your help... Ken Voller

[joed]

The pressure will fluctuate between 30 and 60. This is normal. How quickly is the switch turning off and on. It should not be rapid cycling while you are using water. The pressure should drop gradually as you use water and then rise slowly when the pump turns on.

[kvoller]

joed,
thanks for the reply.. I'd say if I've got a faucet or two etc "wide open" that the pressure switch is cutting in and out about every 30 - 45 seconds... (PSI drops to 30, then switch kicks in and it rises back to 60, then within 30-45 seconds it's back to 30psi & so on & so on)

the water volume at the faucet(s) then seems to rise & fall with the pressure cycle...


again, thanks ~Ken

[Pumpman]

I'm thinking that you probably have a problem with the pressure tank, especially since you found the precharge at 0 psi.
When you put air in the tank, you shoud've seen 28 psi at the air valve, but the pressure gauge should have still showed 0 psi.
Depress the air valve with the system pressured up. If water comes out, the bladder is bad (if no water comes out, the bladder can still be bad, too).
Let it run a bit like this, then completely drain the tank and check precharge again.
Let us know what you see.
Ron

[kvoller]

Thanks Ron... I'll try that this evening and report back on Monday....

Ken

[Ed Imeduc]

With pumpman. Sounds like the bladder is shot in the tank.That 30 tp,60 is a big swing . Most of the time its 40 on 60 off.

ED ;)

[joed]

30 to 60 is a function of the switch not the tank.
The tank may still have a problem.