pressure tank bladder problem?

need some advice, been almost a year since I've been here for advice, and all the help I got then was phenomenal for a plumbing illiterate person. Anyway I hope I give all the pertinate info so someone can help me get this problem fixed. I live way up on a hill, causing little to no water pressure so as is in the case of a well, I have a water pump and a pressure tank, I put in a new pressure tank last sept. I had no problems until yesterday. suddenly there was air in the water. after noticing that, I went out to see what might be wrong. the water pump was running, and the pressure guage was stuck at 10 psi and the pump kept running with no increase in psi, so I turned the pump off, so not to burn out the pump.I then decided to check the the pressure in the tank, it was at 10 psi, it was a pre charged 35 psi tank. has the bladder burst? is it the pressure guage? pump? any help would be greatly appreciated

Submersible pump or above ground jet pump?

valveman said:

Submersible pump or above ground jet pump?

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it's above ground

Then you probably have a leak on the suction line.

valveman said:

Then you probably have a leak on the suction line.

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so a leak in the suction line will cause the pressure in the pressure tank to go down? I thought the pressure in the tank had to do with the bladder

A leak on the suction line is where your air in the water is coming from.

The air pressure in the pressure tank should be 1-2 psi less than the cut in setting of the switch, with no water in the tank. I.E. 30/50 psi gets 29-28 psi air pressure, with no water in the tank.

You should tighten the valve stem in the Schrader (air) valve on the tank and test it for leakage after you air it up. And while you have the water out of the tank, rock it some to make sure there is no water above the bladder. If there is, it usually won't drain out and that means a broken bladder.

thanks for the help, fixed the problem, apparently it was the check valve, replaced it and all is well again

What check valve; where is it?

And how does a check valve allow air into a water line?

Gary Slusser said:

What check valve; where is it?

And how does a check valve allow air into a water line?

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the check valve is in the line before the pump. as far as air in the line I don't think the check valve could have caused that, the only thing I can think of is it only seemed to be air, the way the water was sputtering due to the faulty check valve. I do know there is no air in the line now.

Right, a check valve can not cause air in the water; which you said was your problem.

You may have had a bad 'extra' check valve because there is a leaking foot valve in the well or a leak in the plumbing from the well. The extra check valve masks those leaks. If you don't have a 1-3" well point type well, you shouldn't have that check valve there.

Gary Slusser said:

Right, a check valve can not cause air in the water; which you said was your problem.

You may have had a bad 'extra' check valve because there is a leaking foot valve in the well or a leak in the plumbing from the well. The extra check valve masks those leaks. If you don't have a 1-3" well point type well, you shouldn't have that check valve there.

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thanks again gary, I did say there was air in the water, as I later stated I must have been mistaken, but I never said that was the only symptom or problem,I stated that the pump was running without cutting off and never getting above 10 on the pressure guage and the pressure in the tank was low I also stated I do not have a well, I have city water, I live way up a hill and without a pump and pressure tank, the city water just trickles out. I am not trying to be ungrateful for the help I have received here, I probably should have checked further to verify there was water in the line, but I was afraid the pump would burn out if I left it on. I sincerely apologize for any confusion, thanks again

No problem, except for me missing that this wasn't a well.