My turn to have well problems

[DrRod]

Our well is about 20 years old and lately it has started pulsing. You turn on the water and the volume is fine but it comes out with a bit of a pulse -- about 2 seconds each. I suspect I will be enlisting the aid of a professional to check on this [there's no good time for the water to break] but I thought I would get your thoughts on what might be the source of the problem first. Thanks for the help.

 

[Gary51]

Your pressure tank is waterlogged.

 

[DrRod]

Does that mean I can just drain it and start fresh and everything will be ok?

Have to say it sits unused [but full] for up to two weeks at a time. Could that be a cause of the problem?

Thanks

 

[Gary51]

If it's a bladder tank your bladder is probably busted and you will need to replace the tank. If it's a air over water tank you can bleed the water down halfway in the tank and add air to to the tank equal to your normal cut off pressure.

 

[dmccarty]

What Gary51 said. Same thing happened to our tank a few years ago.

Later,
Dan

 

[turnkey4099]

What DM and Gary said plus fix it soonest. Your pump is short cycling and it won't last long.

Harry K

 

[oosik]

Good advice from all. Its either a damaged bladder tank and needs replacement or a water logged "standard" tank and needs to be drained down and recharged with air.

 

[boggen]

What DM and Gary said plus fix it soonest. Your pump is short cycling and it won't last long.

Harry K

also pushing for sooner the better fix. as what others have already described.

 

[bspeedy]

If it's a bladder tank your bladder is probably busted and you will need to replace the tank. If it's a air over water tank you can bleed the water down halfway in the tank and add air to to the tank equal to your normal cut off pressure.

You want the air pressure about 2 psi below cut-on pressure. So, if cut on is 40 psi, set the pressure to 38 psi. A bladder tank with busted bladder may be able to be aired up and work properly and may not. It's a temporary solution at best. Fortunately, installing a new tank is fairly straight forward.

 

[Paddy]

Dr Rod,

As been said, there is an aircock on the tank. I'd first try Add some pressure because you may have a slow leak. Your tank pressure may have been low for quite some time.If you don't know your cut in setting, pressurize to 25 to 28 psi.

The tank's purpose is to allow compressibility in the system. Without the air pressure, you have virtually non compressible fluid. With the water off, your system is for example at 60 psi. When you open the tap and let just 1 oz of water out, psi goes to 0. Pump kicks on and your are back at 60 psi in about a second! Hence the pulse. By having a big air bubble (working Bladder tank), your water pump runs until the air bubble is compressed to 60 psi. PV=NRT, formula for Pressure vs. volume. Basically, as the volume is decreased, air bladder is compressed, pressure goes up. When you halve the volume, you double the pressure