# Low Pressure Well



## HSI (Jun 3, 2011)

Brethren,
I have a question concerning a residential well. My family has a small remote cabin and the water supply is a well. The pressure has always very low. Usually this is not an issue since we are there for a couple of weekends a year and hunting season. My father is staying there for a while and has complained about the low pressure. He checked the pressure and it was a tad below 15lbs.
Residential wells are a new area for me. There is not a lot of call for it around here. What is needed to increase the pressure to 35ish lbs.
There is a outside bibb on the main line from well to cabin and it appears to have a lot of flow volume.
Has apx 100 gal pressure tank.
Not sure of the pump motor size.
I will be heading up there this next weekend to see what I can do to increase the pressure. Any suggestions would be wonderful.
Thanks


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## justin (May 14, 2010)

HSI said:


> Brethren,
> I have a question concerning a residential well. My family has a small remote cabin and the water supply is a well. The pressure has always very low. Usually this is not an issue since we are there for a couple of weekends a year and hunting season. My father is staying there for a while and has complained about the low pressure. He checked the pressure and it was a tad below 15lbs.
> Residential wells are a new area for me. There is not a lot of call for it around here. What is needed to increase the pressure to 35ish lbs.
> There is a outside bibb on the main line from well to cabin and it appears to have a lot of flow volume.
> ...


im not a doctor , but that sounds like volume problem. if pressure tank is working fine and pump is ok , then u have a volume problem.dig a new well. 

this is assumming that pump and bladder work.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

are u talking about static pressure when there are no demands or are you talking about when there is a demand and the pump is running? If that is the pressure when there is a demand then you got a undersized pump, a low Yeild well that's being overpumped or a combo of both.

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

If that is the static pressure, simply adjusting the pressure switch will do the trick. Also is the tank an old galvy tank?

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## justin (May 14, 2010)

Mississippiplum said:


> are u talking about static pressure when there are no demands or are you talking about when there is a demand and the pump is running? If that is the pressure when there is a demand then you got a undersized pump, a low Yeild well that's being overpumped or a combo of both.
> 
> sent from the jobsite porta-potty


tru dat. tru dat. couple diff scenarios . he may need a storage. or ...


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## billy_awesome (Dec 19, 2011)

Yeah your going to have to give us more info on this one.

Well systems are actually very simple, only a few parts make up the system.

You have a pressure tank? bladder or air? 

Do you have a pressure switch?


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

justin said:


> tru dat. tru dat. couple diff scenarios . he may need a storage. or ...


A storage tank works wonders when you have a low Yeild well that doesnt produce enough water to directly feed the demands.

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## CTs2p2 (Dec 6, 2011)

100 gallon bladder tank, for a cabin.. Doubt it.

Galvy tank, water logged, press switch has probably been messed with too.

If it's been water logged for too long pump is probably tired too.
Is it a j pump?


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

CTs2p2 said:


> 100 gallon bladder tank, for a cabin.. Doubt it.
> 
> Galvy tank, water logged, press switch has probably been messed with too.
> 
> ...


My thoughts exactly, jet pump or packer with a motor thats just about fried, and a pressure switch, that like u said, has been screwed with. 

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## HSI (Jun 3, 2011)

CTs2p2 said:


> 100 gallon bladder tank, for a cabin.. Doubt it.
> 
> Galvy tank, water logged, press switch has probably been messed with too.
> 
> ...


 Not sure exactly on the tank size. It is a bladder tank and I was looking at the whole tank size and it is appeared larger than a 80 gal heater.


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## HSI (Jun 3, 2011)

Mississippiplum said:


> are u talking about static pressure when there are no demands or are you talking about when there is a demand and the pump is running? If that is the pressure when there is a demand then you got a undersized pump, a low Yeild well that's being overpumped or a combo of both.
> 
> sent from the jobsite porta-potty


 The pressure did not change much under demand.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

HSI said:


> The pressure did not change much under demand.


What type of pump is it?

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

It does not sound like you have a volume issue. Check the pressure switch. I am betting many hands have messed with the switch. The tall screw with 3/8 nut is the cut in and cut off pressure. Screw it down to increase pressure. The short screw is the differential. Make sure you have a 20 pound difference. It may be easier to install a new switch then to reprogram one that has been fooled with.


Whatever you set the pressure at set the air in the pressure tank 2 pounds less than the cut in . 30 pounds to turn on air is at 28. 20 pounds the cut in pressure is 18. Cut in pressure is where the pump turns on. Cut off pressure is where the pump shuts off. 

It may be set lower for a variety of reasons and one may be the impeller is worn, venture( Forgive the spelling) is plugged ,bearings shot and the pump cannot build up enough pressure to operate at the level it should.

Sometimes we over think things and make it tougher than it really is.


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## CTs2p2 (Dec 6, 2011)

HSI said:


> Not sure exactly on the tank size. It is a bladder tank and I was looking at the whole tank size and it is appeared larger than a 80 gal heater.



Okay, the air charge needs to be checked. 

Is it a jet pump(1or2 pipe?) or submersible?

Is there a visible check valve? 

What is currently shutting the pump off? (dad hits the switch when done with water, pump eventually shuts off, pump runs non stop)


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Forgive me but I must ask. Is this an artesian well? If so might want to check to see if power is on. For some strange reason I am picturing the cabin in a Deliverance setting and high up in the mountains. Where Hi to the wife may also be hi to a sister. :laughing:

Kidding of course.


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Richard Hilliard said:


> Forgive me but I must ask. Is this an artesian well? If so might want to check to see if power is on. For some strange reason I am picturing the cabin in a Deliverance setting and high up in the mountains. Where Hi to the wife may also be hi to a sister. :laughing:
> 
> Kidding of course.


Very possible, because he is saying the static is the same as when there Is a demand. And he didn't mention anything of the pump cycling

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## Mississippiplum (Sep 30, 2011)

Richard Hilliard said:


> It does not sound like you have a volume issue. Check the pressure switch. I am betting many hands have messed with the switch. The tall screw with 3/8 nut is the cut in and cut off pressure. Screw it down to increase pressure. The short screw is the differential. Make sure you have a 20 pound difference. It may be easier to install a new switch then to reprogram one that has been fooled with.
> 
> 
> Whatever you set the pressure at set the air in the pressure tank 2 pounds less than the cut in . 30 pounds to turn on air is at 28. 20 pounds the cut in pressure is 18. Cut in pressure is where the pump turns on. Cut off pressure is where the pump shuts off.
> ...


The orig. Installer might have frogot to install the ejector kit on the pump head too (jet pump)

sent from the jobsite porta-potty


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## Miguel (Aug 10, 2009)

Well pump 101:

Okay, not enough info in any of your posts to give anything more than an inaccurate diagnosis. Seen too many cases where info was provided over the phone only to get to site and find a roll-your-eyes "OH. I see now!"

Just keep in mind that all well pump systems are basically the same. A water source, a pump and a pressure vessel of some sort so the thing can be set up to run automatically in a reliable manner.

*Water source: *Can be a lake, river, tank, dug well, drilled well, etc etc
Depth of the well is important but not so much as the water level in the well and how much water can be drawn from it before that level begins to drop as water is being drawn from it.

*Pump:* Can be a submersible (pump is located below the static water level and is completely submerged) consists of a waterproof motor and many stages of centrifugal impellers. Usually capable of lifting high heads at high pressures; centrifugal pump, water source must be at or higher than pump itself but pump must be kept dry on the outside. Usually able to move good quantities of water but poor choice for a water system as pressures developed are usually quite low; centrifugal jet pump, very common. Capable of lifting about 25' of water at sea level (diminishes as altitude increases). Consists of a centrifugal pump with a built in "jet" assembly (injector, venturi, etc) that simply uses the pumps ability to move water and recycle some of it through the injector and venturi to help produce more "lift". A "deep well" version simply separates the "jet" assembly from the pump itself and locates it closer to the _static water level_ and can be identified by two pipes going down the wellhead.

*Pressure Tank:* Can simply be a large tank (usually galvanised) that provides an air chamber (gas compresses, liquids do not. Remember?). Nowadays most have a captive air bladder that requires a precharge of air set at 2 - 4 lbs LESS than cut-in pressure on the pressure switch (more on the pressure switch in a bit). These tanks can be identified by the label but more quickly by the appearance. They may be string-wound fibreglas, but more commonly enamel painted steel tanks with an inlet at the bottom only (or off of one end in the case of a horizontal tank) but the high end should have a schrader style valve or "snifter" valve similar to where you would add air to a tire. You can check the precharge on tanks like this by draining it completely of any water and using a regular tire pressure guage.
You may even encounter a tank on a tower. This is more rare but not unheard of. The tank itself may be open to atmosphere and rely on gravity to feed the fixtures.

Now, to control the operation of the pump there should be either a float switch (for a tower pressure system) or, more commonly, a simple diaphragm type pressure switch. (bring a 30-50 pressure switch with you!). The switch is the issue (and it has likely been monkeyed with so much that it is totally hooped), so get a guage (bring one of those, too. 0-100psi) and determine the pump cut-in/cut-out pressures. You should have +/- 20lbs difference. Not much more, nor much less for proper operation.

You should have no trouble dialing it in from there.

Doesn't sound like a big deal from here. best of luck.

Btw,
I don't mind sharing this on a public forum. Actually, not at all to homeowners and cottage owners. It's stuff you should know. If you have a proper understanding of common fluid and gas dynamics then you should be good to go with this info and your own brain.


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## HSI (Jun 3, 2011)

Thanks Everyone.
This gives me enough info to get started.


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## Michaelcookplum (May 1, 2011)

Pump needs more power ah ha ha ha ha


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## Richard Hilliard (Apr 10, 2010)

Mississippiplum said:


> The orig. Installer might have frogot to install the ejector kit on the pump head too (jet pump)
> 
> sent from the jobsite porta-potty


You may be over thinking the problem. It is pushing water at 15 psi consistently and not able to build more than 15psi. Do the basics first then if necessary move on to bigger and better things.


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## plumsolver (Apr 7, 2011)

The problem to me sounds like a water logged pressure tank try turning the power off to the system and running water till all gone then shut valve and check air pressure in tank pump up to a below a few pounds the cut in pressure and turn pump back on this might get you by for awhile if it is only a small leak in tank air chamber


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