Low water pressure questions ( well system )
- Thread starter sailorman
- Start date
meburdick
Platinum Member
Pressure inside the tank isn't what's useful to measure. If the tank doesn't have the right water / air ratio, that pressure will drop very quickly once you open the tap. Have you watched that gauge with the faucet open? How quickly does it fall? If that drops off fast, it's like that the source of your issue is either pump or tank-related.
sdkubota
Platinum Member
Really don't know but if you don't have pressure and volume coming from the well...nothing else will farther downstream. Don't listen to me, nobody else does.
Domush
Platinum Member
If this thread is on page four and you still haven't compared a spigot at the house to a spigot at the well, then you may as well call a plumber, and he'll spend 30 seconds doing basic diagnostics and tell you where to go from there, and charge you a hefty fee for it.
Seems some people only listen when being billed.
Your patient said "ouch" and you've started performing surgery without having a single clue as to where it hurts or why.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using TractorByNet
Seems some people only listen when being billed.
Your patient said "ouch" and you've started performing surgery without having a single clue as to where it hurts or why.
Sent from my SCH-I500 using TractorByNet
Larry Caldwell
Super Member
Your pump is putting out plenty of water. The next thing is to try to localize the obstruction in the line. Here are a few things you can do:
1) Dig out the line outside the foundation of the house and install a freeze-proof hydrant. If you have low water flow there, the problem is between the house and the pump. Dig a new trench and install a new water line. If not the problem is in the house.
2) Is there anywhere in the house that has normal water flow? Attach a hose to the washing machine cold water line and see what the flow is like. Attach a hose to the water heater crud drain and see what the flow is like. How about a hose bib on the outside of the house? What comes out of the bottom of the water heater will tell you a lot. If nothing comes out, blow air into it to break up the layer of crud in the bottom the tank.
3) Try leaving a hose attached at your new hydrant outside the house. Shut down the water system Go to various fixtures, pull the tube off of the angle stop and blow air into the angle stop. Be sure to leave the system vented, because plumbing is not designed to handle air compressor pressures. If you are lucky, you will be able to blow the obstruction out of the pipes.
If none of this works, you may have to re-plumb the house. This is not as dire as you might think, because nowadays people use PEX instead of rigid pipe. You can snake it around corners and fish it through improbable spaces without tearing walls open.
Good luck.
1) Dig out the line outside the foundation of the house and install a freeze-proof hydrant. If you have low water flow there, the problem is between the house and the pump. Dig a new trench and install a new water line. If not the problem is in the house.
2) Is there anywhere in the house that has normal water flow? Attach a hose to the washing machine cold water line and see what the flow is like. Attach a hose to the water heater crud drain and see what the flow is like. How about a hose bib on the outside of the house? What comes out of the bottom of the water heater will tell you a lot. If nothing comes out, blow air into it to break up the layer of crud in the bottom the tank.
3) Try leaving a hose attached at your new hydrant outside the house. Shut down the water system Go to various fixtures, pull the tube off of the angle stop and blow air into the angle stop. Be sure to leave the system vented, because plumbing is not designed to handle air compressor pressures. If you are lucky, you will be able to blow the obstruction out of the pipes.
If none of this works, you may have to re-plumb the house. This is not as dire as you might think, because nowadays people use PEX instead of rigid pipe. You can snake it around corners and fish it through improbable spaces without tearing walls open.
Good luck.
Thanks Larry ! I 've been re-reading your post to make sure I absorb it all . I would like to ask you a few questions related to your suggestions as soon as I 'm comfortable that I read correctly .
I did inadvertently leave out one very important fact from all of my previous posts ( apologies to all who have tried to help ) . I did state that I have an iron filter, but failed to emphasis I have a large problem with iron bacteria in my well resulting in iron deposits throughout the system . The filter has never performed up to expectations .
Thanks for cluing me on the PEX . I hadn 't thought of that in terms of whole house re-plumping . I would not attempt it at my age myself, but it could make a pros job easier and cheaper than copper or pvc . I don 't mind using the latest and greatest either .
uglyboywith11fingers
Gold Member
Our house about 30 years ago had a 130ft bored well, with a lot of iron in the water. Had a good iron filter, but every couple of years I had to open up the jet pump & soak the impeller end in muriatic acid (outside in a good breeze) to get the iron deposits cleaned out. After a while that didn't help, and I noticed that at any el in the pipes going from pump to well, they were clogged with iron... the straight sections of pipe were clear. Also the foot valve/strainer and injector at the well bottom was clogged. Replacing the elbows and foot valve restored proper water flow.
Maybe this is part of your issue.
Pete
meburdick
Platinum Member
After all of the investigation, inspection, troubleshooting, and basic problem-solving - sometimes the best tool in the arsenal is the checkbook.