Well Tank Question...

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Having problems with my Well again. Put a new pump on it and primed it but I cant get any more than 10 psi in the tank. My Well Tank should be set to 28 psi. But when I put a tire gauge on it...it reads 0. It has a bit of pressure tho because I can let some air out of the valve. When I add air to it I can hear it build pressure in the pipes. And when I remove the prime plug on the pump the air escapes. From what I described does it sound like the tank is still good and maybe the schrader valve is broke?
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Is the bladder waterlogged?


I don't know...when I took the old pump off the tank had only a small amount of water in it.
 
Are you doing this correctly?

The tank (air bladder side) gets pressurized to whatever (28 psi) with everything empty. You have to add air pressure to it.

Then the water pump stores water in the tank and adds even more pressure.

I will guess that you have just ambient pressure in the bladder, and 10 psi is what you get after the water pump pushes water against the bladder.
 
Let me offer what I would do:

1. Turn the water pump off.
2. Open a spigot somewhere and leave it open.
3. Pump 28 psi into the air bladder.
4. Close the spigot.
5. Turn on the water pump.
6. Test.
 
There are water tanks without bladders: https://www.google.com/search?q=water+tank+no+bladder&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:eek:fficial&client=firefox-a&channel=np&source=hp#channel=np&q=non+bladder+well+tank&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:eek:fficial

Are you sure that you have the new pump wired correctly to achieve full power?

Even with a bad tank, it seems that the pump should reach shut off pressure. With a 28 psi tank precharge, your pressure switch should be set at 30 on/50 off. A bad tank would result in short cycling, but still 30 to 50 psi.

Is your pressure switch working and set correctly?

Pressure gauge working?
 
Originally Posted By: Skid
Let me offer what I would do:

1. Turn the water pump off.
2. Open a spigot somewhere and leave it open.
3. Pump 28 psi into the air bladder.


Did that and water came out. Tank still reads 0.
 
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
There are water tanks without bladders: https://www.google.com/search?q=water+tank+no+bladder&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:eek:fficial&client=firefox-a&channel=np&source=hp#channel=np&q=non+bladder+well+tank&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:eek:fficial

Are you sure that you have the new pump wired correctly to achieve full power?

Even with a bad tank, it seems that the pump should reach shut off pressure. With a 28 psi tank precharge, your pressure switch should be set at 30 on/50 off. A bad tank would result in short cycling, but still 30 to 50 psi.

Is your pressure switch working and set correctly?

Pressure gauge working?



Originally Posted By: doitmyself
There are water tanks without bladders
:
I read that if the tank was blue it probably has a bladder. Plus it has schrader valve.

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Are you sure that you have the new pump wired correctly to achieve full power?


Not Positive.

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Is your pressure switch working and set correctly?

Pressure gauge working?


Yes and Yes
 
Also, maybe your check valve/foot valve is buggered up, not allowing the pump to pull water.

I still contend that with a bad water tank, the pump should short cycle between turn on/shut off settings, making me think it is a pump problem.

EDIT: Besides the bad pump seal on the old unit, was your system working o.k. before you replaced the pump? This might indicate that the other components are o.k., but coincidences DO happen.......tank goes bad while replacing pump.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Warstud
Originally Posted By: Skid
Let me offer what I would do:

1. Turn the water pump off.
2. Open a spigot somewhere and leave it open.
3. Pump 28 psi into the air bladder.


Did that and water came out. Tank still reads 0.


Yes, the purpose of 2 and 3 is to drain the tank. As the tank drains, the air side of the bladder increases in volume, so you need to keep pumping (that is, the pressure will go down).

When all the water is out, then it's like a tire with 28 psi in it. If it can't hold 28 psi, the leak should be obvious (like if the valve is leaking).
 
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
Also, maybe your check valve/foot valve is buggered up, not allowing the pump to pull water.

I still contend that with a bad water tank, the pump should short cycle between turn on/shut off settings, making me think it is a pump problem.


I'm no expert, but first thing came to mind was check valve. If it were me I would start with the pump and rule it out; work to the electric box for the pump; then follow the line to the check valve; and then to the (for me it's a SS commercial sediment sep) and on to the next and next. Eliminate issues step by step.
 
the pump should pump it up to 50 regardless.. it will just drop pressure really fast if there isnt enough air.

still have a pump problem of some sort...

and splitting this into 3 topics doesn't really help.
 
The pump is new as well as the check valve. Dont know where the foot valve is if it has one. The reason I got a new pump is because the old one leaked.
 
The foot valve is part of the inlet screen on the pipe end down in the well.
foot%20valve.jpg
It helps prevent loss of prime, but in a stuck closed position, could prevent water flow into the pump.

That's why in my edit above I asked if the well pressure was good before replacing the leaking seal pump.......a clue that the other components(tank,valves,switches) were o.k. before the pump replacement.

Developing process of elimination diagnostic skills is what is in order....I goof up all the time by putting on blinders to obvious easy solutions.

Best of luck.
 
Originally Posted By: Skid
Originally Posted By: Warstud
Originally Posted By: Skid
Let me offer what I would do:

1. Turn the water pump off.
2. Open a spigot somewhere and leave it open.
3. Pump 28 psi into the air bladder.


Did that and water came out. Tank still reads 0.


Yes, the purpose of 2 and 3 is to drain the tank. As the tank drains, the air side of the bladder increases in volume, so you need to keep pumping (that is, the pressure will go down).

When all the water is out, then it's like a tire with 28 psi in it. If it can't hold 28 psi, the leak should be obvious (like if the valve is leaking).


Got all the water out and tried filling the tank with air but it still reads 0.
 
Originally Posted By: doitmyself
The foot valve is part of the inlet screen on the pipe end down in the well.
foot%20valve.jpg


That's why in my edit above I asked if the well pressure was good before replacing the pump.......a clue that the other components(tank,valves,switches) were o.k. before the pump replacement.

Developing process of elimination diagnostic skills is what is in order....I goof up all the time by putting on blinders to obvious easy solutions.

Best of luck.


The problem I had before I replaced the pump was a leak and sometimes the pump wouldn't shut off but it seemed to hold pressure fine.
 
Originally Posted By: Warstud
Originally Posted By: Skid
Originally Posted By: Warstud
Originally Posted By: Skid
Let me offer what I would do:

1. Turn the water pump off.
2. Open a spigot somewhere and leave it open.
3. Pump 28 psi into the air bladder.


Did that and water came out. Tank still reads 0.


Yes, the purpose of 2 and 3 is to drain the tank. As the tank drains, the air side of the bladder increases in volume, so you need to keep pumping (that is, the pressure will go down).

When all the water is out, then it's like a tire with 28 psi in it. If it can't hold 28 psi, the leak should be obvious (like if the valve is leaking).


Got all the water out and tried filling the tank with air but it still reads 0.


If the tank still reads 0 psi after you try pumping it up through the Schrader valve, the bladder is ruptured and the tank needs to be replaced. If you remove the valve stem core from the Schrader valve and run the pump, water will spray out from the valve if the bladder is compromised. This is also consistent with the pump not reaching shut off pressure.
 
Originally Posted By: Nukeman7

If the tank still reads 0 psi after you try pumping it up through the Schrader valve, the bladder is ruptured and the tank needs to be replaced. If you remove the valve stem core from the Schrader valve and run the pump, water will spray out from the valve if the bladder is compromised. This is also consistent with the pump not reaching shut off pressure.


Yes....it looks like I need a new tank. The air is escaping out of the tank and into the pipes.
 
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