Pump pressure to low

jarellsaved · Apr 16, 2012

I have a problem with my water well, the depth of the well is 296 ft and the pump is in the ground. It started out by dropping water pressure. Pressure was 60 cut out and 40 cut in. Then the pump would only make pressure of 50 lbs cut out, so I adjusted switch to cut out at 50 so the pump would shut off and not keep running like it had been. After about a month the pump could only make 30 lbs of pressure, so I adjusted the cut out switch to 30 so the pump would shut off. Now a month later the pump runs and only makes 12 lbs and only shuts off when the relay shuts it off. What to Do????

LLigetfa · Apr 16, 2012

Do you have a checkvalve above ground? It could be that you have a leak in the line.

Sponsor · 2022-01-29T12:20:58-0800

jarellsaved · Apr 16, 2012

There is no checkvalve above ground. So if there is a leak in the line, would it be possible for me to do the work or is special equipment needed?

LLigetfa · Apr 16, 2012

The reason I asked about a checkvalve is that if there was a leak, the pressure would not hold when the pump turns off. Will the pressure hold or does the pump cycle on and off?

I had a neighbour that was puzzled by a similar problem like what you described. The only difference is he didn't adjust the switch so the pump ran 24/7. This went on for months while he fought with the power company, thinking his meter was wrong. It was only when the pressure got real bad that he figured out he had a leak and that his pump was running constantly.

LLigetfa · Apr 16, 2012

Maybe I should have worded it different. Is there any checkvalve anywhere in the line? If there is and the leak is between the pump and the checkvalve, the pressure would hold above the checkvalve but not below.

jarellsaved · Apr 16, 2012

The pump contiually runs and does not get above 12 lbs of pressure.

LLigetfa · Apr 16, 2012

jarellsaved said:
The pump contiually runs and does not get above 12 lbs of pressure.

Yes, you said that already. If you turn off the pump and don't use any water, does the 12 PSI hold? If it doesn't hold, you most likely have a leak. Is there any other checkvalve besides the one built into the top of the pump?

jarellsaved · Apr 16, 2012

yes the pressure holds

LLigetfa · Apr 16, 2012

Does the pipe go through a pitless or a sanitary seal at the top of the casing? With the pump running, can you listen at the top of the casing for a leak?

Is there a drain valve at the top of the casing? I'm trying to determine if there are any checkvalves in the line. You may have to pull the pump to see.

Ballvalve · Apr 17, 2012

Add a checkvalve at the surface and see if the pump holds more than 12 psi. You may have a defective footvalve or submersible valve in the hole. Or, a leak in the down pipe that leaks only over 12 psi.

LLigetfa · Apr 17, 2012

The way I read it, the pump cannot make more than 12 PSI while it is running so adding another checkvalve would not change that.

I seriously think there is more than one checkvalve in the system and so it is masking a leak in the pipe. That would explain it holding the pressure. Originally the pump could not squeeze up past 50 PSI which over time dropped to 30 PSI and then now just 12 PSI. That tells me the hole in the pipe is getting bigger over time.

If no additional checkvalves are found, then the pump must be plumb wore out.

Valveman · Apr 17, 2012

There is probably a nipple between the pump and the check valve. The nipple has a hole in it, but the check valve holds 12 PSI when the pump is turned off.

Pump pressure to low

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