Question for people with a well

[SPYDERLK]

If you have a 100 psi tank, it stands to reason that's where you should be operating it at. This has to do with cutoff/cut-on range that's been discussed, and more importantly, with the air charge. As Spyderlk has pointed out, the tank is charged with air pressure just below the rated cut-on level.

So, if your tank is factory set for an 80 psi minimum, you'll need to compensate for this if you lower the pressure on the switch, otherwise you could empty the water tank completely as the switch comes on. (fraction of a second, as the pressure drops from 70+ to nil on the last few ounces of water.)

Then again, if you had your 100 psi tank in service out there already AND had it operating at the lower pressure range, then the installer likely made the air adjustment in the tank.

What happened was apparently my neighbor came over to wash his horse and changed the settings. I got out to the land today and noticed that the guage was pegged at 100psi. I started to let out the pressure when the pump kicked on at 80psi. I wasn't too sure where the original settings were set when I had it put in. Kinda pissed me off when I saw the guage. The only issue I seemed to have was when I got it down to 60/40 it just really lost pressure when it got close to 40 to turn the pump on.

Shemp... Still there?? What this says to me is that your precharge is set right at or maybe a hair above cuton pressure. Try bleeding off a 10 sec hiss of precharge air... Or preferably, turn the pressure adjust nut 1 turn CW to increase cuton/cutoff a little. Does that greatly improve your low pressure performance?
larry

 

[Hematite]

The well isn't inside anything. We just had it put in this past summer on our land that had nothing on it. It has one fawcet right right at the well which is where the horse got washed. I also have pipe run over to our 5th wheel that we keep out there for weekend use. Electric was put on the summer before. Slowly we're doing things to eventually put a house out there.

You're feeding a 5th wheel with water? Better check your owners manual. My TT recommends no more than 40# pressure when airing the lines out for winterizing and the same is true for RV park pressure. As far as I know, all TT's and RV's have PEX water lines and pressure should be limited to 40#. You can, of course, use a water pressure reducer device on the 5th wheel.

 

[Shemp]

Shemp... Still there?? What this says to me is that your precharge is set right at or maybe a hair above cuton pressure. Try bleeding off a 10 sec hiss of precharge air... Or preferably, turn the pressure adjust nut 1 turn CW to increase cuton/cutoff a little. Does that greatly improve your low pressure performance?
larry

It started to make sence to me about the fawcet at the well losing pressure. Because it is feeding off of a 1 1/4 pipe it makes sence that it would lose pressure at that point. I do have other fawcets run farther out that seem to always have good pressure. They are fed off of 3/4 pipe. They would hold pressure better, correct?

 

[Shemp]

You're feeding a 5th wheel with water? Better check your owners manual. My TT recommends no more than 40# pressure when airing the lines out for winterizing and the same is true for RV park pressure. As far as I know, all TT's and RV's have PEX water lines and pressure should be limited to 40#. You can, of course, use a water pressure reducer device on the 5th wheel.

Yes it does have a reducer on it. It's no different than going to a camp site and hooking up to their water.

 

[Raindem]

Depends on how big a tank you have, age, and where you are located if they have bladders. Ours does not and is a 100 gallon tank of galv steel. It has an air control valve on it to control the amount of air maintained in the tank.

Like most others, it is set at 60-40.

Mine has both the bladder and the air valve. On this one, though, the air valve is for checking the pressure, not controlling it. It's a way to detect if your bladder is leaking.

 

[SPYDERLK]

It started to make sence to me about the fawcet at the well losing pressure. Because it is feeding off of a 1 1/4 pipe it makes sence that it would lose pressure at that point. I do have other fawcets run farther out that seem to always have good pressure. They are fed off of 3/4 pipe. They would hold pressure better, correct?

No. Your pipe sizes are not the problem here. Try turning up the pressure just a little like I described. I think your tank bag is going empty just at cuton. This would explain sudden pressure loss. The reason pipe sizes could have an effect in the empty cuton scenario is inertial -- that the fast moving water in the longer smaller pipe doesnt have time to stop before the pump comes on. The quick pressure drop would be less noticeable. You must make sure the bag is not empty at cuton.
larry

 

[heehaw]

"Mine has both the bladder and the air valve. On this one, though, the air valve is for checking the pressure, not controlling it. It's a way to detect if your bladder is leaking."

all the bladder type tanks i have seen have an air valve: thats how they precharge the tank, an also how you set the correct pressure prior to using: of course if water comes out the air valve, you have a bad bladder: so its also used to tell if you have a bad bladder
heehaw

 

[Shemp]

No. Your pipe sizes are not the problem here. Try turning up the pressure just a little like I described. I think your tank bag is going empty just at cuton. This would explain sudden pressure loss. The reason pipe sizes could have an effect in the empty cuton scenario is inertial -- that the fast moving water in the longer smaller pipe doesnt have time to stop before the pump comes on. The quick pressure drop would be less noticeable. You must make sure the bag is not empty at cuton.
larry

So you think 65/45 would do it or even 70/50.

 

[SPYDERLK]

So you think 65/45 would do it or even 70/50.

Turning it up just a little from where it is showing the problem would be effective if it is indeed emptying the bladder just before cuton. If its set at 60/40 then upping to 65/45 would be plenty to test the hypothesis. You should see a much less marked flow loss -- no precipitous dip just before the pump cycles on.
larry

 

[Shemp]

Turning it up just a little from where it is showing the problem would be effective if it is indeed emptying the bladder just before cuton. If its set at 60/40 then upping to 65/45 would be plenty to test the hypothesis. You should see a much less marked flow loss -- no precipitous dip just before the pump cycles on.
larry

Finally got out there today to play around with the settings. I had it set at 65/ 45 and by the time it got down to 45 it was pumping slow but not as slow as before at 60/40. I then set it at 65/50 and was even better by the time it got down to 50. I'm thinking this might be the setting. Any problems with it set at this setting? Thanks.