Fluctuating Water pressure

[JimS]

Our water pressure is all over the place.

We have a residential well system, 1/2 hp pump, shallow well (about 30-40 ft). Sometimes the pressure is ok, other times it is blasting, and other times it is trickling.

The pressure always seems okay at the spigot closest to the well, but can be trickling at the house. A few hours later, all is okay.

Had a pump and drill company out. They said all is well after checking the well, pump, pressure switch, etc.

Any suggestions? Ideas?

Thanks.

 

[jwal10]

Do you have a pressure tank with a bladder? Is the tank water logged=full of water, no air space at the top. Does the well pump start and stop a lot when you open a faucet about 1/3 flow. Drain tank to make air space at top or add air to top of tank....James

 

[JD Dave]

What kind of pump do you have? You need a reliable pressure tank, pump and pressure switch to make everything work. All of these parts of the system must work in concert to keep a steady pressure at the faucet in the house. Did you show the guy the problem that you're having?

 

[jaoneill]

jwal10 hit on the most common source of fluctuating pressure; lack of air space in the tank. But what you describe could also be a failing pressure switch causing intermittent pump cycling. I have seen this many times prior to complete switch failure.

 

[ss55]

Do you have a pressure tank with a bladder? Is the tank water logged=full of water, no air space at the top. Does the well pump start and stop a lot when you open a faucet about 1/3 flow. Drain tank to make air space at top or add air to top of tank....James

2X on recharge the air in the pressure tank, it is the cheapest thing to try first.

 

[MarkB_MI]

If the pressure is OK near your well but not at the house, it sounds like there's a blockage in the pipe.

If your pressure tank is in the house, then your pressure will be fine as long as the tank isn't empty. It will slowly refill through whatever the restriction is. But once the tank is empty, it can only fill as fast as the restriction.

 

[Buffalo Pete]

Pressure........or flow ? Pressure can be the same thru out the system when all the faucets are closed, but flow is what most folks struggle with.

 

[super99]

Shut the pump off when you have good flow and let all of the water out of the system and then start the pump again. This will let air into your pressure tank. If problem is gone, your tank was waterlogged, if it is still there, then you have other problems.

 

[M-MAN]

Fitting/pipe going to the pressure switch stopped up.

My daughter's did that last fall. I opened the spigots to drain the water. Took off the pressure switch and replaced. Same thing. Repeated and then thought about a possible blockage. Took a small screwdriver and put in the hole and it was clear far enough to get to the pipe but not to the bottom of it. I took a small screwdriver and started twisting and poking. When it went through I like to have drowned. Probably 100+ lbs of pressure on that side.

Well spigot is before the switch so if it doesn't have a good flow to the switch spigot pressure at the well is going to be whatever the pump can put out.

 

[showcrop]

Another possible flow restriction is a downstream water filter. This happened to both a friend two towns away and to a next door neighbor. Another is a stop and waste valve that has caught a piece of debris.

 

[cleddy]

Our water pressure is all over the place.

We have a residential well system, 1/2 hp pump, shallow well (about 30-40 ft). Sometimes the pressure is ok, other times it is blasting, and other times it is trickling.

The pressure always seems okay at the spigot closest to the well, but can be trickling at the house. A few hours later, all is okay.

Had a pump and drill company out. They said all is well after checking the well, pump, pressure switch, etc.

Any suggestions? Ideas?

Thanks.

I had some trouble like this. The flow would drop to nothing and the start again. Not what you want when taking a shower or trying to water a garden. After checking everything twice and replacing pressure switch without solving problem I finally noticed when checking water would not drain very good with switch removed. The small 1/8 pipe nipple to pressure switch was almost Plugged????

 

[Hemmjo]

Shut the pump off when you have good flow and let all of the water out of the system and then start the pump again. This will let air into your pressure tank. If problem is gone, your tank was waterlogged, if it is still there, then you have other problems.

I don't see any way for air to get into the pressure tank even if the pump is turned all and all water drained. Not on mine anyway.

How would that work?

 

[cleddy]

Fitting/pipe going to the pressure switch stopped up.

My daughter's did that last fall. I opened the spigots to drain the water. Took off the pressure switch and replaced. Same thing. Repeated and then thought about a possible blockage. Took a small screwdriver and put in the hole and it was clear far enough to get to the pipe but not to the bottom of it. I took a small screwdriver and started twisting and poking. When it went through I like to have drowned. Probably 100+ lbs of pressure on that side.

Well spigot is before the switch so if it doesn't have a good flow to the switch spigot pressure at the well is going to be whatever the pump can put out.

I should of read your answer before I did mine- Exact same experence!!!!!